Emergency period was 'era of atrocities': Kerala Guv

Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 24 (PTI) Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Tuesday denounced the Emergency period in the country as an "era of atrocities" and said the 21 months saw the suppression of people’s freedom and subversion of democratic institutions.

He stressed the need for people and the civil society to remain vigilant to uphold democratic values and safeguard institutions, an official statement said.

Arlekar was speaking at a function here after releasing two books on the excesses of the Emergency authored by the Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai.

According to the Governor, the 21-month Emergency saw the suppression of people’s freedom and subversion of democratic institutions.

It was an era of atrocities and it was people’s faith in democracy that paved the way for lifting of the Emergency, he said.

The Governor noted that Pillai's books serve as an important resource for the new generation who were not fortunate to have lived during the period.

The people in general and the civil society has to remain eternally vigilant, so that democratic values are upheld and institutions are safeguarded, he added.

Andhra Pradesh Governor Syed Abdul Nazeer outlined the evolution of the country's Constitution that made freedom of speech and expression an inalienable part of democratic nations, the statement said.

Various dignitaries including G Gopakumar, former Vice Chancellor of Central University of Kerala, Abdul Salam, former Vice Chancellor, Calicut University, M R Hariharan Nair, retired High Court Judge and K Raman Pillai were present at the function, it added. PTI LGK ROH