New Delhi, 26 June (H.S.): On the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the Emergency imposed in India in 1975, former Governor of Maharashtra and Goa and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Friday launched the book Democracy and Human Rights in India: Reflections on the Emergency (1975–1977) authored by Professor Dr. Sudhir Singh of the University of Delhi. The book launch was held at Tagore Hall in the Faculty of Arts, University of Delhi.

University of Delhi Vice-Chancellor Professor Yogesh Singh attended the event as the Guest of Honour.

The book presents a comprehensive analysis of the Emergency (1975–1977), examining its impact on constitutional institutions, civil liberties, democratic governance and human rights from both historical and theoretical perspectives.

Addressing the gathering, Vice-Chancellor Professor Yogesh Singh emphasised the importance of preserving historical memory to safeguard democratic values. He said it is essential for the younger generation to understand this dark chapter in the history of Indian democracy. He remarked that the launch of the book was akin to reopening an old wound, but warned that a nation which forgets its wounds risks repeating them.

Sharing his personal experiences of the Emergency, Bhagat Singh Koshyari, who spent several months in prison during that period, said June 25 should be remembered as Constitution Murder Day. He described the Emergency as one of the darkest chapters in the history of Indian democracy and said future generations must always remember the lessons it offers.

Author Dr. Sudhir Singh said that Indian democracy remained under the shadow of darkness for nineteen months during the Emergency. He noted that state power was used against democratic institutions, including the judiciary. Referring to the political philosophy of Kautilya, he said that just governance forms the foundation of any political system and described the imposition of the Emergency as a serious assault on democratic values.

Dr. Sudhir Singh was recently appointed as Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Delhi. He is a distinguished scholar who has authored five books, edited twenty-three volumes and published ninety-three research papers in national and international academic journals.

The event was attended by several eminent academicians and intellectuals, including Professor Bharti Sharma, Professor B.K. Singh, Professor M. Rahmatullah, Professor Kumar Ashutosh, Professor Ranjana Mukhopadhyay, Professor Prerna Malhotra, Dr. Kamakhya Tiwari, Professor A.S. Yaruingam, Professor Ravi Prakash Tekchandani, DUTA President Professor V.S. Negi and Dr. Rupesh Chauhan, among others.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar