The Crisis of Democratic Order Class 12 Political Science

What do we understand by The Crisis of Democratic Order?

"The Crisis of Democratic Order" refers to a period in Indian history marked by significant challenges to the country's democratic institutions and principles. This term is often associated with the period of the 1970s when India faced internal political turmoil, culminating in the imposition of Emergency Rule by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from 1975 to 1977.

Background to Emergency

• 1970’s was a period of political turmoil in India. This period witnessed tensions in relationship between the government and the judiciary.
• Ideological differences erupted within the Congress and it sharpened the division between Indira Gandhi and her opponents.

Economic Context

• India’s economy hit due to Bangladesh war.
• About 8 million refugees came to India, which put pressure on the Indian economy.
• America completely stopped helping India.
• Growth slowed down
• Oil prices increased in the international market, due to which inflation in the country increased.
• Unemployment increased
• To reduce the expenditure, the government stopped the salary of government employees.

Gujarat and Bihar Movements

• Gujarat and Bihar were Congress ruled states. Despite this fact students from both the states started agitation against rising prices of food grains, cooking oil and other essential commodities, and against corruption in high places.
• Jai Prakash Narayan from Bihar gave a call for total revolution in the social, economic and political spheres.
• In 1975, Jai Prakash led one of the largest march to the Parliament.

Jai Prakash in 1975 rally

The Naxalite Movement

• During this time some Marxist people who did not believe in parliamentary politics also started coming forward.
• These people wanted to end the political system and the capitalist system.
• To end this system, they adopted the path of violence and used to do guerrilla warfare.
• These people were called Naxalites.
• They snatched the land by force from the rich landlords and started giving it to the poor farmers.
• Violence was committed by these people at many places in the country.

Railway Strike of 1974

• In 1974, the National Committee formed under the leadership of George Fernandez started a railway strike in the country.
• This strike was done on issues related to service and bonus.
• Due to this, the traffic system of the country came to a complete halt.
• The government called their demands wrong and refused to accept the demands.
• Due to this the discontent in the country increased even more.

Railway Strike, 1974

Conflict with Judiciary

• Meanwhile, there were many conflicts between the government and the judiciary as well.
• The government made three changes in the constitution
• Fundamental rights curtailed
• Slight change in property rights
• Tried to give more power to directive principles than fundamental rights
• But these three changes were rejected by the court.
• This led to 2 issues:
  Can the government curtail fundamental rights?
  Can the government change the right to property?
• Meanwhile, it was the turn of the election of the chief justice of the supreme court.
• Always the senior most judge was made the chief justice.
• This time the government ignored three senior judges (JM Shelat, KS Hegde and AN Grover) and made AN Ray a supreme court judge.
• The three judges who were ignored were the same judges who gave the verdict against the government.
• Due to all these reasons, the conflict between the government and the judiciary increased further.

Declaration of Emergency

Crisis and Response

• In response to rapid changing political situation and JP Movement, the Government of India on 25th June, 1975 recommended the imposition of emergency to President Fakrudin Ali Ahmed. The President issued the proclamation immediately.
• The emergency was proclaimed under Article 352 of the Constitution which declare a state of emergency of grounds of external threat or a threat of internal disturbances.
• The cabinet was informed about it at a special meeting at 6 am on 26th June, 1975 after all this had taken place.

Consequences

• Freedom of Press and some of the Fundamental Rights of the citizens were suspended. All the ongoing protests ended, strikes were banned, opposition leaders were put in Jail.
• The Parliament also brought in many new changes to the Constitution.
• Prior approval of government was needed to publish any article or matter it is called press censorship.

Controversies regarding Emergency

Why was Emergency Necessary?

• Due to repeated rallies and strikes, the government has problems in working.
• Opponents took non-parliamentary route to remove Indira
• Due to the rallies, the attention of the government was being diverted from the development works.
• International conspiracy to break the country
• Emergency was supported by the CPI.

What happened during Emergency?

• After emergency, an investigation was done by Shah Commission. It found that in some areas excess restrictions were implied during emergency.
• The government argued that in a democracy, the opposition parties must allow the elected ruling party to govern according to its policies.
• The critics say that Indira Gandhi misused constitutional provision meant for saving the country to save her personal power.
• The Shah Commission estimated that nearly one lakh people were arrested under preventive detention laws.
• Apart from the arrests of political workers and the restrictions on the press, the emergency directly affected lives of common people in many cases.

Lessons from Emergency

• It is extremely difficult to do away with democracy in India.
• ‘Internal’ emergency can be proclaimed only on the grounds of ‘armed rebellion’. Advice to the President to proclaim it must be given in writing by the Council of Ministers.
• The emergency made everyone more aware of the value of civil liberties.

Politics after Emergency

Lok Sabha Elections, 1977

• The Janata Party made this election into a referendum on the emergency.
• For the first time since Independence, the Congress Party was defeated in the Lok Sabha elections.
• The Congress could win only 154 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. The Janata Party and its allies won 330 out of 542 seats in the Lok Sabha; Janata Party itself won 295 seats and thus enjoyed a clear majority.

Janata Government

• After the election of 1977 there was stiff competition among three leaders for the post of Prime Minister Morarji Desai, Charan Singh and Jagjivan Ram. Finally Morarji Desai became the Prime Minister.
• The Janata Party split and the government which was led by Morarji Desai lost its majority in less than 18 months.
• Fresh Lok Sabha elections were held in 1980 in which the Janata Party suffered a comprehensive defeat and Congress Party came back in power.

Return of Congress

• By 1970s the Congress Party identified itself with a particular ideology, claiming to be the only socialist and pro-poor party.
• In an indirect manner the issue of welfare of the backward castes also began to dominate politics since 1977.
• The issue of reservations for ‘other backward classes’ became very controversial in Bihar and following this, the Mandal Commission was appointed by the Janata Party government at the centre.