In Nagaland, the Directorate of School Education issued a directive on June 23 instructing all schools in the state to observe June 25 — the 50th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency in India — as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ (Constitution Murder Day).
The directive follows a nationwide instruction from the Ministry of Education, which announced that the year-long observance, from June 25, 2025 to June 25, 2026, is aimed at promoting awareness of democratic values, civil liberties, and constitutional morality among students and educators.
It may be noted that on June 2024, the Union government announced that June 25 will be observed annually as “Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas” to honor those who opposed and fought against the injustices during the Emergency imposed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975.
The initiative aims to educate students about the 21-month Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Schools have been instructed to highlight the ‘dark days of democracy’ in morning assemblies, participate in a national essay competition on MyGov, and screen films curated by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The materials will be made available through the government’s amritkaal.nic.in portal.
All school heads are required to submit monthly Action Taken Reports via WhatsApp to a centralised number.
The Emergency of 1975 is widely regarded as a period of democratic backsliding, marked by mass arrests, censorship, and suspension of civil liberties. However, critics of the current BJP government point to concerns over press freedom, institutional autonomy, and civil liberties, drawing parallels to the very issues the Emergency period is remembered for.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to the June 23 circular issued in Nagaland by posting: “Classrooms must remain sanctuaries for critical thinking — not tools for political agendas. We urge Nagaland’s educators, District Officers, and the NBSE to reject this circular and reaffirm education as a space for fearless, pluralistic learning.”