Editorial: Lest We Forget!
THE SHADOW OF EMERGENCY
A Solemn Reminder, Lest We Forget!
During Emergency years (1975-77), my generation witnessed the horrors of dictatorship first-hand, some of us as teenagers. In the midst of press censorship, Radio, our biggest source of news, told us what the authorities wanted us to hear: that India was becoming great again. Stories of repression and excesses filtered through the word-of-mouth channels.
People eventually learnt, despite a media blackout, when the police picked up the opposition leaders, dissenters, or trade unionists. The sufferings of over one lakh families were witnessed in silence. A few smugglers, racketeers and criminals of the underworld were also jailed, to bolster the claim that it was for the good of the country. Many middle-class folks bought into these stories, defining the Emergency as a ‘festival of discipline’ (Anushasan Parv), a phrase coined by Mrs Indira Gandhi’s propaganda machine. She had the backing of India’s nascent big business for banning workers strikes and arresting trade union leaders, among other things.
The Emergency is remembered as much for its air of lurking fear as for the suspension of democracy. The radio taught us the ‘true value’ of patriotism and discipline while the parliament was suspended and the courts undermined. We learnt that a ‘foreign hand’ was out to destabilise our great nation and were instructed to report anything unusual we saw. Even children were cautioned, and adults avoided speaking their mind in public spaces such as bus or train stations. For once, the argumentative Indian fell silent as Big Brother was listening everywhere.
Why must we care about a blip of history half a century ago? It is a no-brainer that our sense of history helps us to unravel our present and determine our future. It serves as a moral compass for future generations to avoid the mistakes of the past and resolve our ethical dilemmas. The Emergency is a reminder that democracy is not a spectator sport; it requires our consistent participation, at the very least, to enforce transparency and accountability in governance.
That said, the 50th anniversary also gives us an opportunity for introspection. In today’s India, for instance, signs of autocracy are visible in arrests of dissenters without trial, centralisation of power, and undermining of parliament and the courts. Branding of mass movements as anti-national, and dubious demolitions of homes seem to have put the clock back. While the courts appear to be in no hurry to act, the executive overreach has the support of the mainstream media and major business houses, which often amounts to the same thing. Fortunately, dissent and resistance are still alive, but the sense of lurking fear is back in the air.
While the two contexts are vastly different, we cannot afford to ignore the straws in the wind. Unlike Mrs Gandhi, who seized power after being unseated, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a hugely popular elected leader. The flip side is that his majoritarian politics coincides with the backsliding of democracy. Patriotism is being hyperbolised again, and vigilantes are handing out lessons on how to behave, what to eat and what to wear. The global democracy Index of the V-Dem Institute has downgraded India from democracy to “Electoral Autocracy.” This calls for better vigilance and citizen participation in processes around us, to say the least. India cannot afford another emergency or its digital age avatars!
Do let us know what you think at contact@commoncause.in)
Vipul Mudgal
Editor
NEXT »
