“Even today, decisions taken during the Emergency cast a long shadow over Tamil Nadu,” says Indian External Affairs Minister
Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on Friday said that the recurring arrests of Indian fishermen by Sri Lankan authorities stem from an agreement signed during the Emergency era, which he claimed lacked democratic debate and transparency.
Speaking at the inaugural session of a mock Parliament hosted by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Jaishankar remarked, “These days, there is a lot of discussion about our fishermen getting arrested by Sri Lankan authorities. That is because of an agreement signed with Sri Lanka during the Emergency, under which India gave up certain fishing rights in Sri Lankan waters.”
His comments come amid mounting pressure from the DMK-led government in Tamil Nadu, which has repeatedly urged the Ministry of External Affairs to take action. The state, headed for elections early next year, has seen political heat rise over the issue, with over 528 Indian fishermen reportedly arrested by Sri Lankan authorities in 2024 alone.
“If there hadn’t been an Emergency Parliament—if it had been a genuine, functioning Parliament—there would have been a proper debate. And I’m not sure such an agreement would have been allowed to pass,” Jaishankar added, emphasizing the lasting implications of decisions made during the 1975–77 Emergency.
The Emergency, imposed between 25 June 1975 and 21 March 1977 under Article 352 of the Constitution, suspended civil liberties, curtailed press freedom, and saw opposition leaders jailed en masse. “At that time, the opposition benches were empty—not because they were silent, but because they were in jail,” Jaishankar noted.
On the 50th anniversary of the Emergency’s declaration, Jaishankar also took a direct swipe at the Congress, saying: “All this happened because of one family. There’s a movie titled Kissa Kursi Ka—those three words sum up the motivation behind the Emergency. When a family’s interests are placed above the nation, democracy suffers.”
The remarks come at a politically sensitive moment, not only as Tamil Nadu gears up for polls, but also as the legacy of the Emergency becomes a renewed talking point in national politics.
