Question

Which two reasons were given by the Government for declaring the National Emergency in 1975 ?

Hint:

The two official justifications given by the Government for the 1975 Emergency were: 1. Threat of internal disturbance due to political agitations (JP movement). 2. Economic disruption and instability caused by frequent strikes and calls for civil disobedience.

Answer 1

Concept: On June 25, 1975, President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed declared a nationwide Emergency under Article 352 of the Indian Constitution on the advice of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The proclamation cited the existence of a grave threat to national security.

Step 1: Reason 1: Threat of Internal Disturbance and Extra-Constitutional Agitations.
The Central Government argued that the country was facing severe threats of internal disruption caused by opposition-led political agitations. Specifically, the government cited the nation-wide *Bihar Movement* and total revolution (*Sampoorna Kranti*) spearheaded by Jayaprakash Narayan (JP). The opposition had called upon the military, police, and government employees to disobey "illegal and unconstitutional orders" of the government, which the ruling party characterized as an attempt to paralyze the state machinery and subvert democratic stability.

Step 2: Reason 2: Economic Paralysis and Subversive Strikes.
The government asserted that coordinated strikes, protests, and industrial disruptions—such as the massive 1974 All India Railwaymen's Strike—were intentionally orchestrated by opposition parties to destabilize the national economy. The ruling party maintained that extraordinary constitutional measures were necessary to restore law and order, maintain public production, and preserve national integration.