Under Article 352 of the Indian Constitution, a National Emergency in India can be declared by the President when the security of the country or any part of it is threatened by war, external aggression, or armed rebellion.
Under Article 352 of the Indian Constitution, a National Emergency in India can be declared by the President when the security of the country or any part of it is threatened by war, external aggression, or armed rebellion. It is a special constitutional measure used during serious national crises. The first national emergency was declared on 26 October 1962, and the second emergency was declared on 3 December 1971. The third emergency in India was declared on 25 June 1975 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi under Article 352 of the Indian Constitution, and it lasted for 21 months until March 1977. During this period, the normal functioning of democracy was deeply affected, fundamental rights of citizens were disabled, political opponents were arrested, the media’s freedom was restricted, and the powers of the central government increased dramatically.
All three National emergencies left a very negative impact on India as people lost the right to challenge unlawful detentions in court. Many journalists, activists, and opponents were jailed without any trial; there was strict media censorship, as many publications had to first submit their articles to the government before publishing them. The Parliament has unchecked authority to amend the Constitution and created massive shifts in state budgets, which led to an economic crisis. However, due to the regrets with emergency-era rulings, the Supreme Court expanded Article 21 to protect citizens.
What is National Emergency in India?
A National Emergency can be declared by the President of India when the security of the country or any part is threatened by war, external aggression and armed rebellion. It grants the central government extraordinary powers to handle severe threats to national security, stability and safety. The national emergencies were declared three times in India, and the details are as follows: -
- 26 October 1962- 10 January 1968: The first national emergency in India was declared during the India-China War, citing external aggression.
- 3 December 1971- 21 March 1977: The second national emergency in India was declared during the Indo-Pakistan War.
- 25 June 1975- 21 March 1977: The third national emergency in India was declared by PM Indira Gandhi due to internal disturbances.
National Emergency in India: History and Timeline
The first national emergency in India was declared due to the Sino-Indian war when Chinese troops crossed the McMohan Line. The second national emergency was declared due to airstrikes from Pakistan and the third emergency in India was declared due to severe political unrest. Let’s take a look at the history of National emergency in India: -
The First Emergency (1962-1968)
The first national emergency in India was declared on 26 October 1962 during the Sino-Indian War when Chinese troops created disturbances in Ladakh and the border of Arunachal Pradesh. The period extended through the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War under the same original proclamation. The first emergency in India was finished on 10 January 1968 once external security threats stabilized.
The Second Emergency (1971-1977)
The second national emergency in India was declared on 3 December 1971 due to airstrikes by Pakistan, which marked the start of the Indo-Pakistan War. It led to the liberation of East Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh. It remained active along with the third emergency until both were finished together on 21 March 1977.
The Third Emergency (1975-1977)
The third national emergency in India was declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and was signed by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed on 25 June 1975. It was issued amid massive political protests led by Jayaprakash Narayan and a court invalidating Indira Gandhi's election.
Duration of National Emergency in India
India witnessed three national emergencies, and all of them lasted more than a year. The collective duration across all three national emergencies in India spans a total of 12 years, 2 months and 12 days. Let’s take a look at the duration of all national emergencies in India: -
- First Emergency in India: 5 years, 2 months and 15 days
- Second Emergency in India: 5 years, 3 months and 18 days
- Third Emergency in India: 1 year, 8 months and 24 days
Effects and Impact of National Emergency in India
All three national emergencies had severe negative impacts, such as complete suppression of civil liberties, strict media censorship and centralization of political power. Let’s take a look at the effects and impacts of the national emergency in India: -
1. Complete Suppression of Civil Liberties
Citizens lost the right to challenge unlawful detentions in the supreme court, which led to the complete suppression of Civil Liberties. Over 1,00,000 political opponents, activists and journalists were jailed without trial under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act.
2. Strict Media Censorship and Control
There were strict media censorship and control during the national emergency in India. Newspapers, magazines and news agencies had to submit all articles to government censors for approval before publication. Newspaper offices in Delhi had their electricity cut off on the night when 1975 national emergency was declared to prevent morning editions from printing.
3. Centralization of Political Power
The 39th Amendment was passed to place the election of the Prime Minister entirely outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts. The 42nd Amendment Act altered the Preamble of Indian Constitution, stripped the Supreme Court of its judicial review power and gave Parliament unchecked authority to amend the Constitution.
4. Severe Economic Impacts
The emergencies drastically affected the country’s GDP. There were massive shifts in state budgets away from development into defense manufacturing. Post war strains combined with the 1973 global oil shock triggered severe food scarcity and inflation.
5. Institutional Realignment
The Indian National Congress party suffered its first-ever general election defeat in 1977, which brought India's first coalition government to power. Regretting its emergency era rulings, the Supreme Court expanded the scope of Article 21 and led to the initiation of Public Interest Litigation to protect citizens, which led to institutional realignment.
Conclusion
India has witnessed three national emergencies, which is one of the most debated chapters in the democratic history. The first national emergency in India was declared due to the Sino-Indian War, the second emergency was declared during the Indo-Pakistan War and the third emergency was declared due to severe political unrest in the country. All three emergencies had negative impacts such as severe economic disruptions, centralisation of political power, strict media censorship, and complete suppression of civil liberties. However, it also led to institutional realignment, where Article 21 was expanded and led to the initiation of Public Interest Litigation, which aimed to protect citizens.