‘Samvidhan Hatya Divas’ or the Constitution Murder Day is a stark reminder that democracy is powerful yet fragile political system and needs to be protected
A common adage “Democracy Dies in Darkness†can best describe the imposition of ‘Emergency’ 50 years ago. It was on June 25, 19775 when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided to slap ‘Emergency’ in the country thereby suspending civil right and liberties. It was the darkest hour for the democracy, challenged Constitutional supremacy and scarred the very political fabric of the nation.
Indeed, ‘Emergency’ was a short but very traumatic period of 21 months. It is itched in the memory of the nation as the period where the Government of the day went against its own people and with brute force muzzled the press, jailed the Opposition leaders and trampled the basic rights of the people guaranteed by the Constitution. It is the lesson for the civil society and all those who cherish democracy to be always on the vigil and ensure that the power be kept in check.
It all started with Raj Narayan challenging Indira Gandhi election on grounds of inconsistencies in her campaigning and misuse of power. Justice Jagmohan Sinha, of the Allahabad High Court decreed against Indira Gandhi, and declared her election null and void. It practically meant that she had to step down as Prime Minister. But instead of complying with the order she retaliated by imposing Emergency and suspending civil liberties.
Now, to commemorate the 50 years of infamous Emergency the Modi Government has decided to remember it as “Constitution Murder Day†so that the young generations are made aware of the importance of democracy and why it needs to be protected. The idea is to honour the people who stood against it and the credit must go to them for the restoration of democracy, after a brief pause. We at The Pioneer, stand for strengthening of democratic institutions and making it robust by asking questions from the Government, becoming the voice of the people. On this occasion we have for you write-ups that give a 360 degree view of the event that should not have happened in the first place. These article deep dive into the murder of Constitution which led to the democracy was gagged and the Constitution faced existential threats thanks to the emergency powers being invoked by the state. The most prominent draconian laws during this period was the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), which allowed for indefinite detention without trial.
The Government censored the press, arrested political opponents, and suspended elections, effectively consolidating power under the Prime Minister. This in fact was a brief period where autocracy reigned supreme and was akin to dictatorship, though unpronounced.
