Today, we once again remember the Black Day 38 years back, when the ‘Internal emergency’ was declared by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi on 25th June 1975, to save herself and the Congress Government she led from collapse and constitutional crises.

India never has seen such a period of what happened after emergency. All political opponents, including top leaders of political parties  were arrested, jailed, hunted down and victimised. The working class and their struggles were suppressed. All their genuine rights were denied. Newspapers were censored before each day publication. Many opposition parties’ mouthpieces were banned. Many trade union leaders including from P&T were jailed without any charges. Meetings, processions, every method of protest were prohibited.

It was not Emergency, but it was Draconian Dictatorship. The dark days were over when in the next general elections, the Congress was utterly defeated and the Janata Government came to power.

The people have to be cautious that such violation of democracy never occurs again.