Page 54 - NIS English 16-30 June 2022

Nation 47 Years of Emergency

DECLARING AN EMERGENCY NOW NOT POSSIBLE THROUGH

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

During the Emergency, many provisions of the Constitution cannot be violated even during an
Constitution were changed, which were later emergency. For the first time in the country,
corrected during Morarji Desai's administration. a system was put in place under which the
The 44th amendment corrected the 42nd President could declare an emergency only on
amendment, which was introduced during the the written recommendation of the cabinet, and
Emergency and reduced the powers of the the period of emergency could not be extended
Supreme Court among other provisions that for more than six months at a time. In this way,
violated our democratic values. The same the Morarji government ensured that the 1975
amendment also stated that fundamental state of emergency in the country was never
rights guaranteed by Articles 20 and 21 of the repeated.

THE NEW ENERGY OF FREEDOM and loyalty. While, on the one hand, the federal
Those who have experienced an emergency can feel structures have been strengthened to increase state
its agony. People can now write articles in newspapers, participation in the country, hundreds of schemes
tweet, or post whatever they want on Twitter or relating to the poor and common citizens have
social media. You do have right to speak out against been brought into the mainstream of the country's
the government. Where does this energy come development
from? Actually, the people who now run the country's Today, all democratic units rely on each other for
government were the victims of an emergency, and cooperation, coordination, and balance. Wherever
our constitution later restored our system so that no the needs of the judiciary are seen, they guide
emergency could ever be imposed on the country. the government from time to time with complete
This energy came from the protesting voices in the independence. Aside from that, the media is free
midst of the emergency's restrictions. In such a to do its job. Babasaheb Ambedkar stressed the
situation, it is necessary to remember the defenders importance of social democracy alongside political
of Indian democracy while opposing this 47-year- democracy in his final speech to the Constituent
old incident and the Emergency so that the next Assembly. Democracy is advancing in accordance
generation is aware of that page of history and with Baba Saheb's ideas under Prime Minister Modi's
democratic values. The Prime Minister Narendra leadership. The roots of India's democracy are so
Modi-led government has demonstrated the spirit of deep that no one will dare to instigate an emergency
strong democracy in the country over the last eight by playing with the country's democratic values in
years, as 'Nation First' is reflected in their policies the future. g

52 New India Samachar June 16-30, 2022