March 21 is a very important day in the history of India, 21 months of emergency had ended.
New Delhi. The date of March 21 is very important in the democratic history of India. On this day in the year 1977, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had taken a historic decision to lift ‘Emergency’ from the country. This was the day when the restrictions imposed on the rights of citizens for almost 21 months ended and the country once again breathed the open air of democracy.
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The Emergency began at midnight on 25 June 1975. The then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed had announced this under Section 352 of the Constitution. This is considered to be the most controversial and difficult period of independent India. During this period, freedom of the press was snatched away, opposition leaders were jailed and the fundamental rights of the general public were suspended. Seeing the harshness of this period, Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan had termed it as the ‘darkest period’ of Indian history.
When the Emergency ended on 21 March 1977, there was an atmosphere of celebration throughout the country. In the general elections held soon thereafter, the people showed the strength of their vote. The Congress government led by Indira Gandhi suffered a crushing defeat and for the first time in the country a non-Congress government (Janata Party) came to power.
Even today, March 21 reminds us how deep the roots of democracy are in India. This day is not just a political event, but a symbol of the victory of the unwavering courage of the Indian people and their faith in the Constitution. Historians believe that the bitter memories of that period have made the coming generations more aware of the protection of civil rights.
Report – Sushil Kumar Sah
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