March 27, 1977 was a day of freedom for the people of India, who were faced with the draconian Emergency imposed on the country by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi . Faced with the election debacle, Indira Gandhi promulgated the Emergency on 25th June 1975. Democratic rights were taken away, the press was made silent, free speech was taboo. Almost all opposition political leaders were put in jail. Fundamental rights bore the maximum attacks. Trade unions were derecognised and no struggles could take place. No increase in DA, even after 5 DAs were eligible. The country became one big prison, with a complete nation gagged.
Trade Union leaders were also arrested in large numbers and jailed. I was taken in to custody twice, but was released after long hours' interrogation. But many other P&T comrades both in Kerala and W.Bengal were jailed including Com. N.J.Iyer.
The Emergency was revoked by Indira Gandhi in the miscalculation that the Congress will win in the election just announced. But the people reacted to the hated Emergency completely by routing the Congress. For the first time, a non-Congress Government, headed by Janata Party came in to power.
Let there be no such 'Emergency' again.