Page 50 - Mann ki Baat June 2022 - English

light for our future endeavours. printed without approval, and
when the famous singer Kishore
Treading on the path of
Kumar refused to applaud the
democracy, the country held its
Government, his songs were
first General Elections in 1952.
banned on AIR and Doordarshan.
Universal suffrage is considered
Despite the ordeal and hardships,
a sine qua non of democratic
the democratic spirit of Indians
rule and India lost no time after
prevailed. As Prime Minister Modi
gaining Independence to provide
in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ proclaimed,
this basic right to all its citizens.
“For us, the people of India, the
Since then, free and fair elections
sanskars of democracy which
to all the three tiers of Government
have been a central feature of the we have been carrying on for
working of the largest democracy centuries; the democratic spirit
in the world. which is in our veins, finally won.
The people of India got rid of the
Article 21 of the Constitution of
Emergency and re-established
India states that “No person shall
democracy in a democratic way.”
be deprived of his life or personal
liberty except according to a India has shown that democracy
procedure established by law.” can deliver and has delivered.
th
However, on 25 June, 1975, this Today, India is moving fast on
fundamental right of the citizens building a strong foundation
of the country was taken away. for the next 25 years, following
The imposition of Emergency the Prime Minister’s mantra of
for almost two years marked ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka
the dark period of democracy, Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas’. The most
when Indians faced brutal trials important resolution related to this
and tribulations. With the ‘Right foundation is the creation of a New
to Life and Personal Liberty’ India which includes all, benefits
wrenched away, the democratic all, which is strong and also self-
framework of the country was reliant. The journey till now and
endangered. The country’s courts, ahead would not be possible
constitutional institutions, and the without the active participation
press were put under control for and vibrancy of ideas of its 1.3
a 21-month period between 1975- billion-strong population.
1977.
Talking about its citizens, the Prime
The condition of censorship Minister once remarked that India
was such that nothing could be has a billion solutions to a million

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