Scale of Emergency-era atrocities exceed documented cases, says L-G

Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan on Wednesday said the scale of brutalities that took place during the infamous Emergency imposed in 1975 may be of a magnitude that exceeds what has been documented by various inquiry commissions.

Addressing the ‘Samvidhan Hatya Divas’ to mark the 50th anniversary of the dark chapter in India’s modern history, Mr. Kailashnathan said for every known case of brutality and oppression — he referenced the notorious custodial torture and death of Rajan in Kerala and C. Chittibabu, a former Mayor of erstwhile Madras — there were innumerable atrocities that were either not reported or never came to light.

The Lt. Governor noted that unlike today when there were numerous media outlets and social media platforms to bring out the truth, there was only the State broadcaster during the Emergency era.

The Emergency was imposed by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, solely for political motivations and not due to any national exigency, he said.

The 50th anniversary was an important occasion to discuss the dangers of the authoritarianism that characterised the Emergency era, the sacrifices made by its opponents and to reaffirm democratic values, principles of the Indian Constitution and freedom of the press, he said.

Chief Minister N. Rangasamy stressed the importance of preserving democratic norms.

Speaker R. Selvam, Home Minister A. Namassivayam, Consumer Affairs Minister P.R.N. Thirumurugan, A. Nedunchezhiyan, Art and Culture Secretary and others participated.

A photo exhibition and a motorcycle rally by the police personnel were organised on the occasion.