Delhi Assembly holds symposium commemorating 50 years since Emergency

The Delhi Legislative Assembly on Saturday hosted a symposium titled "Na Bhoolein, Na Shama Karen" to mark 50 years since the Emergency, with leaders, journalists, and civil society members calling it one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history.

The event aimed to encourage national reflection and a renewed commitment to safeguarding democratic values. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh addressed the gathering, attributing the imposition of the Emergency to a “self-righteous and authoritarian mindset” and warned that such tendencies still linger in Indian politics.

A commemorative booklet — "Emergency at 50: A Call for Justice, Introspection and Accountability" — was released during the event, alongside a documentary screening that revisited the events and consequences of the 1975–77 Emergency.

Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta called for the formation of a new commission to investigate the full scale of abuses during the Emergency. He criticized the 1978 Shah Commission Report for not fully documenting constitutional violations and human rights abuses. He also raised concerns over the insertion of the terms ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ into the Preamble during the Emergency via the 42nd Amendment, arguing such changes require national consensus, not authoritarian decisions.

Former Union Minister Satyanarayan Jatiya emphasized the importance of preserving the Preamble’s sanctity, accusing the then leadership of altering it for personal gain.

Veteran journalist Rajat Sharma shared a personal account of being arrested as a 17-year-old student during the Emergency. Despite press censorship, he and Vijay Goel distributed a pamphlet called "Mashall" to raise awareness and were subjected to police brutality.

Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht, Chief Whip Abhay Verma, former MP Ramesh Bidhuri, MLAs, journalists, scholars, and citizens affected by the Emergency also participated. Speaker Gupta distributed The Emergency Diaries, a book documenting personal experiences from that period.