BJP Is Very Right, Another Emergency Would Be India's Worst Nightmare

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Emergency as a ghoulish ritual more to demonise the Congress and the former prime minister Indira Gandhi than to rededicate themselves to constitutional rule.

They obviously do not have to rededicate themselves to the Constitution because they have never ever violated it by formally imposing an Emergency. The Narendra Modi government scoured the wells of its creative genius to portray the occasion as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas – anniversary of the killing of the constitution. The purpose obviously was to convey a chilling message that the Congress's concern about democracy is a farce and a dreadful return of Emergency cannot be ruled out if Indira Gandhi’s party comes to power.

Let’s imagine that the Modi government falls today and elections are held within the next three-four months. The opposition parties win and someone in the Congress becomes the prime minister. What will they do then? They may start with an address to the nation, sometime in November perhaps, declaring that Indian currency will cease to be legitimate from midnight. They unleash the demonetisation demon on an unsuspecting nation, triggering panic all around, without making adequate arrangements for the continuance of normal life processes. Businesses are destroyed; the economy slumps and people run helter-skelter to manage a good few hundreds in cash. And like an autocrat endowed with an insensitive mindset, the Congress PM giggles before mocking the poor millions, “Ghar mein shaadi hai, paise nahin hain (a wedding at home, there's no money).” The leader who could ruthlessly strangle democracy will go farther, condemning every citizen, every economist and every opponent as “corrupt” for opposing this madness. The prime minister, of that evil party which brought the Emergency, would indeed do that.

No, this PM will foolishly not imitate Indira Gandhi and lift Emergency in less than two years. They do not need lame excuses like presumptions of anarchic conditions. They do not need to spread suspicions of international conspiracy to destabilise India. They have to go a step ahead. They can do it on the pretext of ‘Making India Great Again’.

Unlike in 1975, there will be no temporary restrictions on the media. The PM will capture the media houses and cripple journalism to ensure television channels act like a shield for the government and a hound for the opponents. Independent journalists will be rendered jobless, defiant news portals will be raided and key media institutions will be bought over by crony capitalists. The PM will ensure the judiciary plays ball; with the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court behaving like friends and followers. High courts will produce such gems who merrily sing against constitutional principles.

The new Congress PM will not stop here. Controlling the key institution of the Election Commission of India is a political imperative. They will appoint pliable officers as the chief election commissioners, nullify the Supreme Court’s attempt to rationalise the appointment process and get rules amended to crush transparency. Pliable here does not mean pliable in the traditional sense. Pliable means partner-in-crime; blind executioners of sinister conspiracies. They will also browbeat the officials to exclude at least themselves, their closest minister, and some key chief ministers from the clutches of the model code of conduct. As if these are not regressive enough, they will steamroll doubts about EVMs, manipulate voters’ lists and financially cripple opposition parties before the election. After all, unlike Modi, the Congress party's evil intent has history.

The Congress PM will invent newer ways to misuse central agencies. While the Central Bureau of Investigation will be compelled to remember the addresses of only opposition leaders, the sober Enforcement Directorate will be turned into a witch-hunt monster. Nobody showing dissent will be spared; student leaders will be defamed as pro-terrorists and dumped in jail, reporters on way to cover heinous rape-and-murder cases will be framed under draconian laws, bail petitions will not be heard for years, corrupt opposition leaders will be coopted under coercive pressure and state governments will be toppled and usurped.

The new form of emergency has to be more frightening and morbid than the one imposed 50 years ago. The legal Emergency of 1975 used state apparatus to enforce strict adherence to law. The Congress PM's emergency will empower non-state actors to undermine rule of law. Vigilante gangs will torture and lynch people on the streets, so-called religious groups will give genocide calls and the police will act on illegitimate complaints of ruling party members. Anybody refusing to hail the prime minister on social media will be abused and maligned by organised trolls. False propaganda and false promises will dominate communication and opposition voices will be blacked out from public discourse.

Protests by not only ordinary citizens, even by members of parliament will not be allowed.

Forget raising concerns about unemployment and price-rise, even a peaceful march on such distant issues like the genocide in Gaza will be disallowed. Universities will be filled with incompetent ideological bigots. Pro-people instruments like Right to Information will be weakened. Not enough? These corrupt Congress leaders will hand over national assets to a crony capitalist; allowing him to violate laws and use governmental influence to grab contracts the world over. They will go to any extent to block investigation into corrupt deals; so far as to mislead the judiciary through secret missives in sealed envelopes.

Beware of the Congress! It will allow not only non-state actors to keep surveillance on the citizens and vitiate public life, it will encourage apolitical actors and cultural organisations to suggest deformities in the Constitution. Babas will emerge to dance on the debris of constitutional culture. Thugs will direct custodians of law and regulate public behaviour; telling citizens what to say, what to eat, what to wear, whom to love and marry. Historical facts will be erased and new history will be written. Films will be made to create divisions in society, creative freedoms will be suppressed and unconditional loyalty will be demanded from autonomous institutions. Even Parliament will be regulated like petty government departments; the opposition will struggle to debate even basic issues like prices and unemployment, what to talk about external aggressions and violation of territorial integrity. Any adverse remarks about a few leaders and their corporate buddies will be expunged by obedient presiding officers.

No, this scenario is scary. We don’t want Emergency to be imposed again. We are happier today. Why should we barter this Amrit Kaal for the nightmare of another Emergency? Let's sing aloud in praise of Modi.

Sanjay K. Jha is a political commentator.

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