June 25 remembered as ‘Black Day’ by BJP, youth to learn of press censorship, mass arrests
Vikram Sharma
JAMMU: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to launch a comprehensive public awareness campaign to mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, which was imposed on June 25, 1975.
This year, the party aims to generate grassroots awareness by actively engaging the public through various programs and events across the state.
The campaign is intended to remind citizens, especially the younger generation, about what the BJP calls one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history.
As part of this initiative, the BJP will organize seminars in all 17 organizational districts of the state. These seminars will focus on educating people about the grave consequences and suppressive nature of the Emergency declared by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The party continues to observe June 25 as “Black Day” in remembrance of the democratic institutions that were undermined during that period.
BJP President Sat Sharma stated that the seminars will highlight how democratic values were trampled during the Emergency, with opposition leaders jailed and press freedoms curtailed.
Sat Sharma emphasized that these events aim to strengthen nationalist forces and instill awareness about the importance of protecting democratic institutions. He stressed the importance of informing the younger generation about this “dark chapter” in Indian history.
Arun Prabhat, President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), added that the BJP has also invited the families of democracy warriors who resisted the Emergency. These families will be honored at the seminars, and their personal accounts of resistance and struggle will be shared with the audience to inspire and educate.
In addition to the Emergency remembrance events, the BJP will commemorate the sacrifice of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, on June 23, observed as Balidan Diwas. Seminars and remembrance programs will be held across all districts.
Furthermore, on June 29, the BJP plans to observe Balidan Diwas at all 11,068 polling booths in the state, in coordination with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat.
The Emergency, which lasted for 21 months from 1975 to 1977, was declared after the Allahabad High Court found Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices.
On June 12, 1975, the court annulled her election and barred her from contesting elections for six years, prompting the declaration of Emergency—a move the BJP continues to criticize as the most severe blow to Indian democracy.
