Anti-emergency movement reaffirmed vitality of democracy: PM Modi

On the 50th anniversary of the imposition of Emergency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the anti-emergency movement reaffirmed the vitality of preserving democracy.

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Recalling his days as a young RSS volunteer during 1975, Modi also used the occasion to announce a new book titled ‘The Emergency Diaries’, published by BlueKraft, which chronicles the many covert operations Modi undertook at the height of the Emergency and how it shaped his life.

“When the Emergency was imposed, I was a young RSS Pracharak. The anti-Emergency movement was a learning experience for me. It reaffirmed the vitality of preserving our democratic framework. At the same time, I got to learn so much from people across the political spectrum. I am glad that BlueKraft Digital Foundation has compiled some of those experiences in the form of a book, whose foreword has been penned by Shri HD Deve Gowda Ji, himself a stalwart of the anti-Emergency movement,” PM said on Samvidhan Hatya Divas.

A description of ‘The Emergency Diaries - Years that Forged a Leader’ says it delves into the compelling role Modi, then a young RSS Pracharak, played in the fight against Emergency.

Based on first person anecdotes from associates who worked with a young Modi, along with other archival material, the book is a first of its kind that creates new scholarship on the formative years of a young man who would give it his all in the fight against tyranny.

“Published by Bluekraft Digital Foundation it paints a vivid picture of Narendra Modi fighting for the ideals of democracy and how he has worked all his life to preserve and promote it. This book is a tribute to the grit and resolve of those who refused to be silenced, and it offers a rare glimpse into the early trials that forged one of the most transformative leaders of our time,” the publishers said.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will release the book later on Wednesday.

Shah speaking on the anniversary of the Emergency said, “Emergency was the 'Age of Injustice' of Congress's power lust. With the objective of making the new generation aware of the pain and torture that the countrymen faced during the Emergency imposed on 25 June 1975, the Modi government named this day as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'. This day tells us that when power becomes dictatorial, the people have the power to overthrow it.”

He said the Emergency was not a national necessity, but a reflection of the anti-democratic mentality of the Congress and one person.

“Freedom of the press was crushed, the hands of the judiciary were tied and social workers were put in jail. The countrymen raised the slogan of 'vacate the throne' and uprooted the dictatorial Congress. Heartfelt tribute to all the heroes who sacrificed their lives in this struggle,” Shah added.