Union Cabinet resolves to honour sacrifices of Emergency victims

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday observed brief silence as a mark of tribute to the victims of the Emergency and resolved to commemorate and honour their sacrifices. At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Cabinet observed a two-minute silence as a tribute to those whose constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights were taken away and who were then subjected to unimaginable horrors. The Union Cabinet resolved to commemorate and honour the sacrifices of countless individuals who valiantly resisted the Emergency and its attempt at subversion of the spirit of the Indian Constitution which began in 1974 with a heavy-handed attempt at crushing the Navnirman Andolan and Sampoorna Kranti Abhiyan, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. "The Union Cabinet paid tributes to their exemplary courage and valiant resistance to the Emergency's excesses," Vaishnaw said.

He said the year 2025 marks 50 years of the Samvidhan Hatya Diwas – an unforgettable chapter in the history of India where the Constitution was subverted, the Republic and democratic spirit of India was attacked, federalism was undermined, and fundamental rights, human liberty and dignity were suspended. "The Union Cabinet reaffirmed that the people of India continue to repose unflinching faith in the Indian Constitution and the resilience of the country's democratic ethos," Vaishnaw said. "It is as important for the young as it is for the old to draw inspiration from those who resisted dictatorial tendencies and stood firm to defend our Constitution and its democratic fabric," the minister said. Vaishnaw said India, as the Mother of Democracy, stands as an example of preserving, protecting and safeguarding constitutional values. "Let us, as a nation, renew our resolve to uphold our Constitution and its democratic and federal spirit," Vaishnaw said.