About the Issue :

The dark period of India’s democracy in the postindependence period began on 25th June 1975 and lasted for about 21 months. Invoking Article 352 of the Indian Constitution and citing threats to national stability from “internal disturbance,” Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a national emergency. The emergency period from 1975 to 1977 is one of the most contentious epochs in the nation’s post-independence political history. This period significantly transformed India’s political culture, undermining its democratic fabric. The origin of the emergency is rooted in Mrs. Gandhi’s own political anxieties on the backdrop of the ADM Jabalpur case, her desire to maintain Nehru-Gandhi family dominance, and thereby consolidating the culture of dynastic politics, family entitlement, and arrogance. The culture of coterie and sheepishness on the one hand and acute corruption and red-tapism on the other, permeated the power corridors of Delhi and had a ripple effect throughout India. It resulted in competitive compromises to be in the “good books” of the higher-ups, compromising human dignity and integrity. These compromises subsequently resulted in the erosion of democratic systems and institutions. The compromises undermined the autonomy of all four pillars of democracy—legislature, executive, judiciary, and media. Opposition and independent voices across all sectors, including parliament, courtrooms, media, and academia, were stifled by coercive measures. This time was characterized by mass arrests of opposition leaders, forced sterilizations, and the repression of dissent. Censorship affected artists and media, instilling fear and silence while disrupting the lives of ordinary individuals, particularly the underprivileged.

The “emergency culture” resulted in enduring scepticism of centralized authority and dealt a blow to federalism in India. This era serves as a cautionary episode in India’s democratic journey. The political perseverance of the opposition is commendable needs to be remembered as we mark 50th anniversary of the national emergency. We must transcend the “emergency political culture” to restore the resilience of Indian democracy. This issue of RMP’s the Indian Journal of Democratic Governance aims to revisit the Emergency through interdisciplinary lenses—legal, political, social, cultural, and historical—to analyse its enduring impact on India’s democratic system, institutions, and collective memory. Contributions reflecting upon the emergency on the following themes are invited:

Sub-Themes:

Legal and Constitutional Dimensions

  • The use and abuse of constitutional provisions (Articles 352–360)
  • Judiciary during the Emergency: The ADM Jabalpur case and beyond
  • Presidential powers and federalism under Emergency

Political Context and Implications

  • Role of political parties: Ruling and opposition
  • The politics of censorship, propaganda, and control
  • Elections of 1977 and the fall of the Emergency regime
  • Bureaucracy and its role

Socio-Cultural Impact

  • Forced sterilizations and family planning campaigns
  • Censorship in literature, cinema, and the press
  • The role of women, students’ movements, civil society, and underground resistance

Memory, Representation, and Narratives

  • Memoirs, ction, and oral histories of the Emergency
  • Emergency in school curricula and public discourse
  • Media representations and historiography of the Emergency

Comparative and Theoretical Perspectives

  • Comparing Emergency in India with similar experiences globally
  • Theoretical perspectives on state of exception, authoritarianism, and democracy
  • Long-term implications for constitutional democracy in India
Last Date of full paper submission along with the abstract and 5-6 key words :17th August 2025

For submission and further information, reach out to Kamlakant Pathak at 7991187134 or ijdg@rmponweb.org.

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