If you think the Emergency was “necessary,” then try to imagine the same thing happening today. Imagine a bjp leader, or any leader for that matter, declaring an Emergency and suspending democratic rights. Would you still justify it, or would you be out on the streets, protesting, demanding answers? The hypocrisy is staggering.
Indira Gandhi's decision to declare the Emergency in 1975 crushed the very foundation of India’s democracy. A stroke of the pen, and the entire nation’s freedoms were snatched away. Thousands of political opponents were jailed, the press was muzzled, and the very essence of what it means to be a free citizen was trampled. Yet, there’s this disturbing tendency to brush it off, to excuse her actions because it was a congress leader. But if this were to happen today, with any party in power, people would be up in arms, rightfully so.
It’s infuriating how history is often conveniently rewritten. When the Emergency is talked about, we hear all kinds of justifications: “It was necessary to restore order,” “There was political instability,” or “It was for the greater good.” But how is any of that an excuse for taking away the rights of ordinary people, for silencing voices of dissent, and for turning the country into a police state? If this happened under the banner of any other political party, it would be met with outrage, with demands for accountability and immediate action. But because it’s congress, it gets swept under the rug.
As a common man, it’s hard not to feel the weight of that double standard. We see people defending what Indira did, ignoring the truth of the repression and the abuse of power. We hear the same voices that would condemn any such action from another party, but they stay silent when it’s their own. That’s the true hypocrisy of it all.
We, the people, deserve better than this. We cannot let ourselves be fooled by partisan politics that put power over principles. The Emergency wasn’t just about political struggles—it was a direct assault on our freedoms. The truth is, no leader, no matter their party, should ever have the right to take away the rights of the common man in this way.
So, to everyone who still defends the Emergency as some kind of “necessary evil,” take a moment and think: if it happened today, would you still justify it? Would you just sit back and say, "It's okay, we needed it for stability"? If not, then it's time to wake up and call out this hypocrisy for what it is. The truth is clear—Indira crushed democracy, and no amount of rewriting history can change that.
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