POL112H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Narmada Bachao Andolan, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi
17 Sep 2013
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In june 1975, when a high court ruling invalidated her election to parliament and banned her from office for six years, indian prime minister indira gandhi suspended the constitutional democracy that her father, jawaharlal. Nehru had nurtured, and built from independence nearly three decades earlier. Instead of stepping aside and challenging the questionable ruling judicially the autocratic prime minister claimed a conspiracy to subvert social order and economic development in india, invoked emergency powers and ruled by legal order. Her two thirds parliamentary majority signed her claim to amend the constitution thereby weakening the judiciary. India, as a country was just too big to be pressured successfully. For over a year, mrs. gandhi seemed secure reducing the world"s biggest democracy to a pseudodemocracy. But neither india"s civil society nor its opposition parties accepted such a fate. Mrs. gandhi was defeated badly in elections she had called in march 1977.
