Dear reader,
“How is this butchery of democracy being sought to be justified?” asked A.K. Gopalan (AKG) of the CPI(M) in the Lok Sabha on July 21, 1975, referring to the Emergency. Calling out Indira Gandhi’s claims that it was introduced to defeat the “right reaction” and the “left extremists”, AKG said: “All this manoeuvring is meant only to deceive the public opinion in the country and abroad… The politics and ideology of these parties have to be fought and defeated politically and ideologically.”
In his autobiography, In the Cause of the People: Reminiscences, AKG wrote: “If this [Parliamentary] system is to yield any beneficial results, one prerequisite is a strong Opposition. This can only be when the Government does not have a huge majority to swamp the Opposition, and the latter is strong enough to threaten the Government’s existence whenever it sidesteps the public interest. It is also necessary that public opinion is responsive and alert. Otherwise, this Parliamentary System tends to become a farce. An important point in this matter is that the very future of Parliamentary Democracy depends on the mutual cooperation of Opposition parties and their unity in the face of common issues.”
Interestingly, in 1975, AKG, who was once the Leader of the Opposition, was not the government’s only vocal critic in Parliament. There was an army of leaders, including Jayaprakash Narayan (JP), Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, Ram Manohar Lohia, Raj Narain, E.M.S. Namboodiripad, George Fernandes, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Madhu Limaye, Minoo Masani, and many more. All of them voiced their objections to the way Indira Gandhi operated during the Emergency and beyond.
Although Indira Gandhi tried her best to use Central agencies to crush dissent, she was unable to hold on to power. She was soon forced to call elections, which she comprehensively lost. There are several theories about why Mrs Gandhi gave in to public pressure to withdraw Emergency, but among the most interesting is the one about the Nehruvian idea of the role of the opposition in a democracy.
Jawaharlal Nehru realised the importance of a strong opposition and respected most opposition leaders of the time. As a dedicated Parliamentarian, he attended most sessions, heard the speeches, and made it a point to learn from them. It was Nehru who, in March 1956, mooted the idea of electing an opposition member as Deputy Speaker, and Sardar Hukam Singh, one of the only two members of the Shiromani Akali Dal, was unanimously elected. Remember, this was a time when the Congress held 364 of the 489 seats in the Lok Sabha. The absolute majority didn’t hinder Nehru from suggesting this.
Juxtaposing the words of AKG or Nehru in today’s context gives us much food for thought, especially given the current dispensation’s strong majority and its readiness to use constitutional agencies to crush dissent, in what many have termed a de facto Emergency.
India is at a critical juncture when it requires the idea of the opposition more than ever. And requires the idea of democracy to be defined more than ever. Clearly, the upcoming Lok Sabha election will be a litmus test in more ways than one.
In this context, Frontline’s latest cover tries to understand the state of the opposition in India, but also to understand the nation’s understanding of the opposition. And the opposition’s understanding of the challenge ahead. The cover essays are accompanied by a set of field reports from 12 States where it seems that a real electoral battle might ensue. We encourage you to start dipping into this rich offering with this insightful essay by Satish Deshpande, 2024: A leap year for Indian democracy?
Postscript: Last night, this writer met a middle-aged man in a lane in Ernakulam in Kerala. He was a worker hired by political parties to paste posters of candidates. As we chatted, our discussion gravitated towards electoral bonds, Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, and how the Modi government is employing Central agencies against adversaries. The man was aware of current affairs. He spoke of why opposition parties must address these issues in their campaigns and mount a robust challenge to restrain the excesses of the government. “It’s crucial, brother,” he said, “for the country to stay on the right path. It’s imperative that we grasp these issues.” After a brief pause, he quipped, “I think the public understands, but do the opposition parties?” He shrugged and proceeded to the next wall.
As always, write back with your comments.
For Team Frontline,
Jinoy Jose P.
