Assam CM: Emergency without Cabinet nod inflicted body blow on nation’s conscience

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the proclamation of emergency in India on June 25, 1975, without cabinet approval, had inflicted a severe blow to the nation’s conscience.

The Chief Minister today took part in a mock parliament organized by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha and BJP Mahila Morcha at the Bhogeswari Phukanani Indoor Stadium in Guwahati, with the aim of commemorating the dark chapter of the emergency period in India.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister stated that ‘it is imperative for the new generation of India to commemorate the Emergency every year to ensure that such events are never repeated’. He emphasized that it is the responsibility of the youth to understand and reflect upon the widespread atrocities committed during the 21 months of the emergency.

The Chief Minister further pointed out that the Supreme Court’s judgement during the Emergency allowed even the suspension of Article 21, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, thereby enabling the government to arrest and detain individuals without judicial oversight and absolving the state of accountability even in cases of custodial deaths.

The Chief Minister highlighted that the Shah Commission Report and various historical documents related to that period are now publicly accessible and should be studied by the younger generation. He also stated that history demonstrates how, in times of chaos and oppression, conscientious groups and individuals have emerged in response. Citing the Navnirman Andolan in Gujarat as a significant movement against Indira Gandhi’s regime, he said that it eventually expanded into a nationwide movement under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan. He further acknowledged leaders such as Morarji Desai, Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, George Fernandes, and Nanaji Deshmukh, who resisted the Emergency, endured imprisonment, and ultimately compelled Indira Gandhi to withdraw the Emergency. Assam State BJP president and MP Dilip Saikia and others were present at the programme.

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