New Delhi: The Government of India has officially declared June 25th as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas,’ to be observed annually. This decision, announced by Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, commemorates the imposition of the Emergency on June 25, 1975, by the then Prime Minister, a move that is widely regarded as a dark period in Indian democracy.
In his posts on the X platform, Amit Shah stated, “On June 25, 1975, the then Prime Minister, in a brazen display of a dictatorial mindset, strangled the soul of our democracy by imposing the Emergency on the nation. Lakhs of people were thrown behind bars for no fault of their own, and the voice of the media was silenced. The Government of India has decided to observe the 25th of June every year as ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’. This day will commemorate the massive contributions of all those who endured the inhuman pains of the 1975 Emergency.”
Shah emphasized that this decision, taken by the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to honor the spirit of millions who struggled to revive democracy despite facing severe persecution. “The observance of ‘Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas’ will help keep the eternal flame of individual freedom and the defense of our democracy alive in every Indian, thus preventing any dictatorial force from repeating those horrors,” he added.
The Emergency, which lasted from 1975 to 1977, was marked by widespread curtailment of civil liberties, imprisonment of political opponents, and strict censorship of the press.