Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh underscores importance of reminding youth about emergency to safeguard Democracy

JAMMU: Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences; Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy, and Space, addressed a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Trikuta Nagar, Jammu.

He was accompanied by Sat Sharma (CA), President of BJP Jammu & Kashmir, BJP National Secretary and MLA Dr. Narinder Singh, former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta, and MLA Ch. Vikram Randhawa. The press meet was convened to mark the remembrance of the Emergency period imposed in 1975 and to highlight its significance in contemporary India.

In his opening remarks, Sat Sharma described the Emergency imposed by the Congress government from 1975 to 1977 as a "black dot" on Indian democracy. He noted that the BJP has been observing this period as “Black Day” on June 25, 26, and 27 to raise awareness among the public, especially the younger generation, about the horrors and authoritarianism that gripped the nation during that time. He said that remembering this dark chapter is essential to preventing its recurrence in the future. Welcoming the senior party leaders, he invited Dr. Jitendra Singh to shed light on the subject in more depth.

While addressing the press, Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized that although the Emergency period is one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic journey, it is crucial to remember it repeatedly to ensure that the generations to come are aware of its consequences and remain vigilant against any such recurrence. He said that during those years, from 1975 to 1977, countless individuals experienced state-sponsored atrocities as many were jailed without trial, subjected to brutal lathi charges, placed under house arrest, or forced to go underground. There were also large-scale forced sterilizations, which further intensified the public trauma. The Emergency was not merely a suspension of political rights but a wholesale assault on civil liberties and human dignity.

Dr. Singh highlighted how that oppressive era also gave rise to strong leaders and new ideas. He mentioned that Jayaprakash Narayan, a senior freedom fighter, emerged during this period as a savior of democracy. He narrated how Nanaji Deshmukh even risked his own life to save JP, stating that the country needed Jayaprakash Narayan more than himself. Leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Arun Jaitley, and Chandrashekhar gained prominence during this period, having shown resilience and leadership in the face of adversity. Dr. Singh also recalled how several of his seniors were imprisoned during Emergency and how the media was not allowed to function freely. He mentioned that journalists were arrested merely for publishing truthful reports, and the press functioned under constant fear and censorship.

He went further to state that the Emergency was not a sudden aberration but rather the cumulative result of the Congress Party’s ideological foundation. Tracing it back to its origin, he said that the Congress Party was founded on 28 December 1885 by A.O. Hume, a retired British civil servant, whose intention was to create a controlled political platform in India rather than a movement born out of nationalistic zeal. Dr. Singh pointed out that Congress never had the intention to sacrifice for or genuinely serve the nation. He accused the party of being rooted in nepotism, authoritarianism, and opportunism, always placing its own interests above that of the country. He argued that while Congress often claims to have fought for India's independence, it did not demand complete independence until 1930. Until then, the party was satisfied with the idea of "home rule," which meant that India would still be governed by officers under the British.

He recalled how Congress condemned nationalist revolutionaries like Madan Lal Dhingra, who assassinated William Curzon in London and was later executed. Dhingra’s sacrifice was never honored by the Congress, and no senior Congress leader even visited him, except Veer Savarkar. Dr. Singh said it was unfortunate that the Congress today refuses to recognize Savarkar as a freedom fighter. He also recounted how when Gandhiji appealed for Jawaharlal Nehru to be elected as Congress President, and although Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel received more votes, it was Nehru who was selected, showing how democratic norms were overruled within the party itself. He cited Dr. Rajendra Prasad’s words, who had lamented that Gandhiji had once again sacrificed a trusted and deserving lieutenant for the sake of a more glamorous Nehru.

Dr. Singh pointed out that after the execution of Bhagat Singh, the definition of “political prisoner” was reframed, and while true revolutionaries were either executed or tortured before it, Nehru spent his time in jail under privileged conditions, writing letters and enjoying literary freedom.

Dr. Jitendra also shared with the audience the sequence of events that led to the declaration of Emergency: the 1974 student movement, Congress’s defeat in the Gujarat elections, and the historic Allahabad High Court verdict of 1975 that invalidated Indira Gandhi’s election. He noted that this verdict gave momentum to the JP Movement. In response, Congress brought in the 38th Constitutional Amendment to protect itself and later introduced the even more draconian 42nd and 43rd Amendments. These amendments extended the tenure of Parliament and state Assemblies from five to six years in an effort to postpone elections and avoid certain defeat.

Focusing on the implications for Jammu & Kashmir, Dr. Singh said that Sheikh Abdullah took this opportunity to extend the J&K Assembly’s term from five to six years in line with the central change. However, even after three years, when the rest of the nation reverted to a five-year term, the change was never undone in Jammu & Kashmir. These, he stated, were double grave constitutional violations and the lasting legacies of that period that remained until article 370 was abrogated.

Dr. Jitendra Singh concluded with a stern warning that although the Emergency period is long over, the mindset and ideology that enabled it still exist and continue to pose a threat. He cautioned that the same perverted mentality, one that suppresses truth, flaunts the Constitution with hypocrisy, underplays inconvenient facts, and exaggerates convenient half-truths, remains alive. To ensure that democracy continues to grow and that India moves forward as a “Viksit Bharat,” he emphasized the importance of not allowing future generations to forget this bitter truth. He ended with a poignant reminder: “Don’t whitewash the stigma, lest we forget.” Later, the senior BJP leaders also planted saplings at JDA park, Trikuta Nagar, under the party’s ongoing Abhiyan to support the afforestation measures.