Press Conference Held on 50th Anniversary of the Emergency

25 June 2025, Hazaribagh: To mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency imposed on 25 June 1975, a press conference was organised by Hazaribagh Zila Lok Samiti at the NBJK-run Rojgar Training Centre, Sardar Chowk. The event was addressed by prominent speakers including Shri Girija Satish (President, National Lok Samiti), senior advocate Shri Swaroopchand Jain, Prof. K.P. Sharma, Shri Gautam Sagar Rana (former MLA and JP movement activist), Shri Arjun Yadav, Shri Bateshwar Mehta, Shri Shamsher Alam, Shri Ganesh Citu, Shri Arvind Jha, and Shri Shankar Rana.

Shri Girija Satish called the Emergency a dark chapter in the democratic history of India. He stressed the need to uphold the true spirit of democracy and warned that certain existing laws still infringe on individual freedoms. Highlighting global patterns of democratic suppression, he advocated for educating citizens to empower them to elect responsible leaders in line with Gandhian Gram Swaraj and JP’s Total Revolution.

Prof. K.P. Sharma referred to the Constitution as a sacred document, stating that only morally upright individuals can truly uphold it. Shri Gautam Sagar Rana recalled the sufferings of the Emergency period and urged citizens to remain alert against any signs of authoritarianism.

Shri Ganesh Citu condemned the imprisonment of many social activists during the Emergency, and Shri Bateshwar Mehta demanded state recognition and honour for JP movement veterans. Shri Shamsher Alam spoke about global conflicts and the urgent need to restore peace. Shri Arvind Jha highlighted the importance of educating youth on the value of democracy, while Shri Shankar Rana called for collective efforts to prevent the recurrence of Emergency-like situations.

In his presidential remarks, Shri Swaroopchand Jain emphasized that during the Emergency, all democratic norms were shattered. He noted that even today, justice remains unaffordable for many, with thousands of undertrials languishing in jails due to poverty.

The vote of thanks was delivered by Shri Shankar Rana. The event was coordinated with support from Shri Rajeev Singh, Shri Rupesh Mallik, and Shri Suresh Kumar.