In a veiled dig at the Congress party and its leader Rahul Gandhi, Union External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday accused them of hypocrisy over their public display of constitutional values. Without naming anyone directly, Jaishankar criticised those who “flash the Constitution” but fail to uphold its spirit. “What respect can you see towards the Constitution by those who are still not apologising for the Emergency?” he said.
Reflecting on 1975 Emergency, Jaishankar said, “Some people flash the Constitution in their hands but the feeling in their hearts are different. Political parties also have a DNA and they have, to date, never expressed regret for imposing Emergency. Has Congress ever apologised for the Emergency, during which it choked both the Constitution and democracy?”
Speaking at an event organised by the BJP Yuva Morcha to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Jaishankar highlights how constitutional and legal tools were used to suppress democracy during 1975-77. He reveals that within just two years, five constitutional amendments and 48 ordinances were passed. The 38th Amendment made it impossible to challenge the declaration of Emergency in court, while the 42nd Amendment diluted fundamental rights and reduced the powers of the judiciary.
He also referenced the Raj Babbar-Shabana Azmi starring ‘Kissa Kursi Ka’ in taking a jibe at the Congress on ‘Emergency’ from 1975 to 1977 during Indira Gandhi’s regime. “All this happened because of one family,” the 70-year-old minister said, on 50 years of the imposition of ‘Emergency’.
Jaishankar also referenced the issue of Sri Lanka arresting Indian fishermen stems from an agreement during the Emergency under which their rights for fishing in some specific areas were given up.
The agreement with Sri Lanka would not have been possible if a genuine Parliament functioned at that time, Jaishankar said. Katchatheevu, an uninhabited island was ceded to Sri Lanka by then Indira Gandhi regime in the country under a maritime agreement in 1974. Further, another agreement signed in 1976 restricted the fishermen of both countries from fishing in the other’s exclusive economic zones.
Jaishankar said big decisions were sometimes taken without any parliamentary debate during the Emergency period. “We hear about our fishermen arrested by Sri Lanka. The reason is that an agreement was entered into during Emergency under which the rights of the fishermen for fishing in some sea waters of Sri Lanka were abandoned,” Jaishankar said.
Had a genuine Parliament functioned at the time, there would have been a debate and this decision would not be accepted, the minister said. The consequences of this decision are still visible in Tamil Nadu, he added. Jaishankar said he was a student when the Emergency was imposed in 1975, and he will never forget what happened and what everyone had to go through.
The lesson I took away from Emergency was, “never take freedom for granted.” Everybody assumes Emergency is related to politics, but it was always more than that.
It affected every aspect of the country, including arts, culture, cinema, education.
“It affected everybody’s way of life,” the External Affairs Minister said.
Emergency was imposed based on the rationale that there were imminent internal threats to the Indian state, and some minor internal issues were portrayed as security threats to the country. Many important leaders were arrested, he noted.
“Electricity was cut off to publishing houses, thereby censoring press freedom in the country. Newspapers were not allowed from being printed,” he said. Many newspapers protested Emergency in their own way, he added.
He also said a deep national pride reflected after Operation Sindoor, when senior opposition leaders joined delegations to different countries to put forth India’s stand. It was also an antidote to situations like Emergency, he said. “The events of 50 years ago should not just be viewed as history - they still live on in the minds of many. Therefore, we must remain cautious of those who still have no regret about the Emergency,” he added.