· India’s stability, security, integrity and democracy were in danger from the disruptive character of the  Movement led by Jay Prakash (JP) Narayan. Referring to JP’s speeches, she accused the opposition of inciting the armed forces to mutiny and the police to rebel.

· There  was  the  need  to  implement  a  programme of  rapid  economic  development  in  the  interests of the poor and the underprivileged.

· She warned  against  intervention  and  subversion  from  abroad  with  the  aim  of  weakening  and  destabilizing India.

It is considered as the dark period of Indian democracy because:

1.       Control  over  Legislature:  During  the  Emergency,  parliament  was  made  utterly  ineffective.  The opposition of a few brave MPs, who had not been arrested, was nullified as their speeches were not permitted to be reported in the Press.

2.       Control over political opposition: In the early hours of 26 June, hundreds of the main leaders of the Opposition were arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).

3.       Crippling the judiciary: A series of decrees, laws and constitutional amendments reduced the powers of the judiciary to check the functioning of the executive.  o

a.       An effort was made to change the basic civil libertarian structure of the constitution through its 42nd Amendment.

b.        Putting  an  end  to  the  judicial  review  of  a  constitutional  amendment:  It  was  accused  that  the judiciary  was  obstructing  pro-poor  socio-economic  measures  such  as  land  reform  legislation  in the name of defending Fundamental Rights.

4.       Disregard of federal principles: The state governments were rigidly controlled. The two non-Congress governments of DMK in Tamil Nadu and Janata in Gujarat were dismissed. Congress chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Orissa, were replaced for not being reliable enough.

5.       Controlling  the Press  and Civil  Society:  The  government  imposed  strict  censorship  on  the Press  and stifled  all  protest  and  opposition  to  the  government.  Several academics,  newspapermen,  trade unionists and student leaders were also put behind bars.

6.       Control over the party: The Congress party was also strictly controlled. Internal democracy within the party was more or less completely snuffed.

7.       Forced  Sterilization: In  September  1976, Sanjay  Gandhi  initiated  a  widespread  compulsory sterilization program to limit population growth.

Response to Emergency

1.       People of  India  did  not  react  to the emergency  for  about  a  year  because  price  rise  was  curbed  and the  normalcy  returned  after  continued  strikes  of  JP  movement.  However,  masses  got  disenchanted and  opposed  the  emergency  because  the  gain  was  of  short  term.  In  the  general  election  of  1977, Congress lost at the center for the first time after the independence.

2.       Political class opposed the emergency but many important leaders were put behind the bars. Within the Congress party, leaders who did not follow the command lost their positions. However, with the fierce  opposition  to  the  emergency  from  political  class  led  to  the  end  of  emergency  and  defeat  of Congress.

3.        Media  was  either  confirmed  to  the  wishes  of  the  government  or  faced  severe  sanctions  on  one pretext of the other. Despite sanctions many newspapers presented a brave face and highlighted the propaganda of the government.