Reacting to the widespread political unrest in the country, Indira Gandhi declared a state of Emergency on 25 June 1975 that lasted until March 1977. Apart from the political opposition, leaders of mass organisations, trade unions and student organisations were imprisoned. Press censorship was imposed, elections were postponed, and civil liberties were suspended. All protests were crushed, hundreds of activists, men and women were driven to work underground, many got arrested and were incarcerated, many activists were killed, women assaulted. The focus of many women’s groups shifts to questions of civil liberties and human rights.
On 12th June 1975, the Allahabad High Court held Prime Minister Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractice and disqualified her from holding an elected office for six years. Despite the rationale being offered by the Prime Minister that it was necessary as the “security of India was being threatened by internal forces” the Allahabad High Court ruling was the main cause that led to the proclamation of a National Emergency thirteen days later, on 25th June, 1975.
Legislations, such as the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA), were amended through an ordinance to allow the detention without any trial of any person who may pose a political threat through dissent. Over 100.000 people were imprisoned under MISA, the entire political opposition, trade union leaders, members of mass organisations, journalists, academics, students, and civil society activists. Press censorship was imposed, elections were suspended and civil liberties including habeas corpus were suspended.
All protests that were critical of the Indian National Congress were brutally crushed, thousands of activists, men and women were driven to work underground, in the witch hunt that followed many of them were arrested and tortured in police custody. Extra judicial killings became routine and a new word emerged to describe it – “encounter”.
Indira Gandhi called for fresh elections and the emergency ended officially on 23 March, 1977.
In the elections that followed The Indian National Congress lost and the opposition Janata Alliance won by a landslide on the promise of ending Mrs. Gandhi’s authoritarian rule.
Many women who had been imprisoned and released brought a new agenda for activism, raising questions of state impunity and human rights in old and new women’s groups. Participating in Peoples Tribunals as well as inquiry commissions against human rights abuses by members of Indira Gandhi’s government, political parties and the police forces became a crucial part of women’s political work.
