JP Movement + Emergency

Question 1

why did indira gandhi’s popularity decline?

Answer 1

increasing poverty, recession, inflation, food shortages and unavailibility of basic necessities, food riots, law and order degrading and congress proving themselves to be incapable.

Question 2

what was the immediate cause of the jp movement?

Answer 2

to end corruption and instability provided by the congress party the head of which was indira gandhi, and to uphold democracy which was snuffed out by her authoritarian personality (accused her of starting a soviet backed dictatorship)

Question 3

origin of the jp movement?

Answer 3

navnirman movement in gujarat started by students due to the unavailibility of cooking oil and food grains, which led to rioting, looting and anarchy. this caused the chief minister to resign and president’s rule.

Question 4

what did jp ask the students to do?

Answer 4

boycott their classes, to pressurize the bihar government to resign, non payment of taxes

Question 5

why did the jp movement fail?

Answer 5

1. by the end of 1974 everyone went back to their classes and the students formed most of the movement.
2. the concepts of partyless democracy and total revolution were vague
3. took the support of parties that had nothing in common like swatantra, rss, jan sangh party etc.
4. incitement towards civil service and military and police to disobey

Question 6

what happened on 26th june and the day before ?

Answer 6

on 25th jp gave a call for nationwide civil disobedience which meant the gherao of the pm’s residence forcing her to resign or enact a massacre. on 26th indira gandhi declared emergency on the account of internal threat.

Question 7

2 reasons for declaring emergency?

Answer 7

1. allahabad high court confusion allowing her to stay in her position but not allowing her to vote in parliament
2. jp movement

Question 8

what were the features of the emergency?

Answer 8

1. fundamental rights, civil liberties suspended
2. press shut down completely
3. under maintainence of internal security act, arrests of political leaders were warranted
4. 20 pt economic program

Question 9

what was gandhi’s 20 pt economic program

Answer 9

this included land reforms, abolition of bonded labour, reduced prices of commodities,higher wages, lower taxes

Question 10

why did people initially not oppose to it?

Answer 10

1. no experience of authoritarian rule before
2. govt running smoothly, trains running, officials on time
3. less crime and rioting
4. drastic changes in pricing
5. 20pt program
   6.black marketeers caught
6. repressive measures mostly against the extreme political members

Question 11

why did they eventually withdraw?

Answer 11

1. failure of 20pt program
2. not being able to voice their opinion, constant fear
3. might be permanent
4. crash in agricultural output
5. sanjay gandhi as a parallel authority + his 4 pt program
6. bureaucracy and police taking advantage of the power