Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday, 25 June declared that the Emergency imposed in 1975 remains one of the darkest chapters in the history of Indian democracy, and called for sustained efforts to ensure such a period never recurs. Speaking at a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) event in Agartala marking Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas, Saha urged the youth and future generations to understand the full gravity of that period.

Saha's Personal Account of the Emergency

The Chief Minister drew on his own memories to underscore the atmosphere of fear that gripped the country during the Emergency. He recalled that in 1975, while travelling to Howrah from Tripura, he and a few others were stranded at Allahabad Railway Station for three days, before spending additional days in Kolkata and eventually returning to Agartala. He said only those who lived through those days could truly grasp what the Emergency meant for ordinary citizens.

Saha also recalled that Sukhomoy Sengupta was the Chief Minister of Tripura during that period, and that a pervasive climate of panic meant no one knew when they might be arrested or imprisoned. 'There was such a climate of panic that nobody knew when they might be arrested or sent to jail,' he said, adding that he still vividly remembers the events of that era.

Constitutional Provisions and Alleged Misuse

Saha outlined the three forms of Emergency provided under the Constitution — National Emergency, Constitutional Emergency, and Financial Emergency. He noted that under Article 352, an Emergency may be declared in situations involving war, external aggression, armed rebellion, or threats to national security, provisions that were legitimately invoked during conflicts with Pakistan and China.

However, he alleged that during the 1975 Emergency, Article 356 was repeatedly misused to dismiss elected state governments and impose President's Rule across several states. He further alleged that the Emergency was imposed primarily to protect the political position of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, rather than for any genuine national security reason.

BJP's Observance and the Role of the Centre

Saha noted that the BJP has been marking 25 June as a black day — referred to as Kala Diwas or Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas — every year across the country. He said that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014, efforts were initiated to ensure the events of the Emergency are not forgotten. In 2024, Union Home Minister Amit Shah officially announced that 25 June would be observed as Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas.

The Chief Minister said he would direct party workers to spread awareness about this chapter of history among as many people as possible, asserting that it is 'inappropriate for the Congress to speak about democracy' given what he described as the party's role in dismantling democratic institutions during that period.

Voices at the Event

The programme in Agartala was attended by BJP state president Abhishek Debroy, party vice-presidents Tapas Bhattacharya and Papiya Dutta, RSS Pracharak Piyush Kanti Bhattacharya, Social Welfare and Social Education Minister Tinku Roy, BJP state General Secretary Bipin Debbarma, Sadar Urban district president Asim Bhattacharya, along with other public representatives and party workers.

What Comes Next

Saha reaffirmed that 25 June must be observed every year as a reminder of the Emergency's impact on democratic institutions. He stressed that India's democratic system rests on four pillars and that preserving those pillars demands both institutional vigilance and public awareness — particularly among younger citizens who did not live through 1975.