Hon’ble Union Home Minister & Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah released the book 'The Emergency Diaries: Year that Forged a Leader' at an event organized on 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' in Delhi to mark the completion of 50 years of Emergency
Remembering the Emergency is crucial to ensure that no one can ever again impose a dictatorial mindset on the Constitution of India
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The book 'The Emergency Diary: Years that Forged a Leader' captures how Shri Narendra Modi Ji, as a young RSS pracharak, resisted the Emergency from underground
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It was this early struggle during the Emergency that later inspired Shri Narendra Modi Ji, as Prime Minister, to strengthen the foundations of Indian democracy
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The same young Modi Ji who travelled across villages to oppose the Emergency and resist dynastic politics went on to dismantle Congress’ family rule in 2014
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With a single sentence, "The President has declared Emergency" Indira Gandhi crushed the very spirit of the Constitution
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Recalling the Emergency is not just about remembering history, it serves as a warning for the future
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During the Emergency, the nation turned into a prison, the soul of the country was silenced, the judiciary was made deaf, and writers were stripped of their ink
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The world knows that there was no threat to national security, the real threat was to Indira Gandhi’s chair, which led to the imposition of the Emergency
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The widespread detentions, sterilizations, and demolitions during the Emergency created an atmosphere of fear across the country, unmatched in history
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Contrary to the Emergency-era mindset of 'an individual above a family, the family above the party, and the party above the nation,' today, under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, the idea of 'Nation First' resonates deeply with the people
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Union Home Minister & Minister of Cooperation and Senior BJP leader Shri Amit Shah today on Wednesday released the book 'The Emergency Diaries: Year that Forged a Leader' on the occasion of 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' organized in New Delhi to mark the completion of 50 years of Emergency, which describes in detail the tragic experiences of that period and the role of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Shri Shah said that the Emergency period was a dark chapter in Indian democracy, and it is important to remember it so that such an event is never repeated. During that time, the media, judiciary, and democratic rights were crushed. During the event, Union Ministers Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw and Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta, Lieutenant Governor Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, and Professor Shri Rambhadur Rai- a prominent voice against the Emergency, among others were present.
Shri Shah stated that it is often said that certain unpleasant incidents should be forgotten in life, and while this may be appropriate in one’s personal life, when it comes to society and nation, such incidents must be remembered for a long time so that they are never repeated. With this very objective, it is necessary to keep the youth and adolescents of the country cultured, organised, and ready to struggle. With this thought in mind, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji decided to observe June 25 as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. When the decision to commemorate this day was made, there were many suggestions regarding its name. Some people felt that the term Samvidhan Hatya Diwas sounded harsh and ruthless. However, after serious deliberation, this name was chosen because during the Emergency, the entire country had been turned into a large prison. The soul of the nation had been silenced, the ears of the judiciary were shut, and ink was snatched from the pen. That entire period must be described using such strong words so that the new generation can truly understand what actually happened during that time.
Union Home Minister said that on this occasion, a book titled “The Emergency Diaries: Year That Forged a Leader” was also released, which describes Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji’s experiences during the Emergency period. At that time, he was a young RSS pracharak who remained underground and was actively involved in the 19-month-long movement. He played a significant role in the people's movement led by Shri Jayaprakash Narayan and Shri Nanaji Deshmukh. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji met with the families of those imprisoned under MISA during the Emergency, listened to their problems, and arranged medical treatment for them. He distributed underground newspapers among shopkeepers, at street corners, to students and women, and led the resistance movement in Gujarat. All of this was done at the young age of just 24–25, and his entire journey is chronicled in this book. The book also highlights the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Jana Sangh, the efforts of the Lok Sangharsh Samiti, and the challenges faced during the satyagraha and public awakening campaigns. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji was working underground during that time. He disguised himself in various forms—sometimes as a sadhu, sometimes as a Sikh, at times as an incense stick seller, and at other times as a newspaper distributor—to continue his work.
Shri Shah said that when destiny delivers justice, it does so in its own way. The 25-year-old young man who, at that time, opposed the dictatorial mindset of Congress Prime Minister Indira Gandhi—traveling from house to house, village to village, city to city—today, that very person is the Prime Minister of the country. The Emergency was imposed to entrench dynastic rule, but in 2014, that very individual uprooted dynasty politics from across the nation. This book is divided into five chapters: censorship of the media, government oppression, the struggle of the RSS and Jana Sangh, the suffering of those affected by the Emergency, and the journey from dictatorship to public participation. This book is especially a must-read for the youth of the country. A young man in his adolescence who began his journey by resisting dictatorship—today, that very individual is Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji, the leader who is strengthening the roots of democracy in India.
Union Home Minister stated that on the night of June 24, 1975, Emergency was imposed, and an ordinance came into existence to implement a dictatorial mindset on the ground. Many times, history does not merely recount events; it also exposes intentions and perspectives. Babasaheb Ambedkar, who crafted the Constitution through discussions spanning 267,000 spoken words, saw all those deliberations nullified by a single sentence spoken by Indira Gandhi: "The President has today declared Emergency." This one sentence destroyed the soul of the Constitution. Following this, Jayaprakash Narayan ji led the struggle against it. The root cause behind the imposition of the Emergency was also linked to the judgment delivered on June 12. On that day, two significant events occurred simultaneously—Allahabad High Court annulled the election of the Prime Minister and declared her ineligible to contest elections for six years. A silence spread across the entire country, and a stay was obtained from the Supreme Court on the matter. On the same day, that is, June 12, the Janata Party ousted the Congress from power in Gujarat and formed its own government. Alarmed by this, Emergency was imposed on the 25th. The reason given was that the security of the nation was in danger, whereas the whole world knows that the threat was not to the nation's security but to Indira Gandhi's chair.
Shri Shah said that JP’s slogan of “Total Revolution” had shaken the entire nation. The movement that began in Gujarat reached Bihar. The government in Gujarat fell, elections were held, Congress was removed, the opposition united, and a Janata Party government was formed. This was a major warning for Indira Gandhi. In the JP movement, students came together against inflation, railway workers united against injustice, anti-corruption movements were held across the country, and finally, on the 12th, the Allahabad High Court declared Indira Gandhi ineligible for membership of Parliament. When the stay was granted by the Supreme Court on June 24, the very same night, Emergency was imposed, silencing the court that had granted the stay, silencing the newspapers, and silencing All India Radio as well. 1,10,000 social and political activists were thrown into prison cells. At 4:00 a.m., a Cabinet meeting was convened without any agenda being circulated, and the Emergency was declared.
Union Home Minister said that after a thorough investigation, the Shah Commission concluded that the atmosphere of fear and terror created across the country through detentions, forced sterilizations, and demolitions was unprecedented and had no parallel anywhere in the world. Prominent leaders such as Smt. Vijayaraje Scindia, Shri Jayaprakash Narayan, Shri Morarji Desai, Chaudhary Charan Singh, Raj Narain, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Shri Lal Krishna Advani, Acharya Kripalani, Shri George Fernandes, Shri Arun Jaitley, Jaykishan Gupta, Satyendra Narayan Sinha, Gayatri Devi, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and leaders of the DMK were thrown behind bars without committing any crime. A total of 253 journalists were arrested, 29 foreign journalists were expelled from the country, and many newspapers protested by leaving their editorial columns blank—The Indian Express and Jansatta being among the most prominent. Their electricity supply was cut off, and even parliamentary proceedings were censored. The judiciary was brought under control, and democratic rights across the country were suspended. The Constitution was amended through the 38th and 42nd Amendments, altering Articles 223-A and 223-B. Additionally, Articles 123, 213, 352, 519, and 356 were invoked to extend the tenure of the Lok Sabha.
Shri Shah said that judges who delivered verdicts against the government were prevented from becoming Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Three senior judges were bypassed to appoint Justice A.N. Ray as Chief Justice. Shri Shah said that Kishore Kumar was banned from All India Radio, Manoj Kumar's films were censored, Dev Anand was barred from Doordarshan, and even films like ‘Aandhi’ and ‘Kissa Kursi Ka’ were banned.
Union Home Minister said that after murdering the Constitution, it was silenced, freedom of expression was taken away, and later, in an attempt to deceive the opposition, the Emergency was lifted. Elections were held in the country. All opposition parties united under the leadership of Shri Jayaprakash Narayan, and the people of the country punished Indira Gandhi, who held a dictatorial mindset, so severely that she lost the election from Rae Bareli. For the first time, a non-Congress government with an absolute majority was formed in the country. This day must be remembered so that in the future, no individual can ever impose a dictatorial mindset on the Constitution of this country. It is for this very reason that Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has decided to observe this day as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. Contrary to the mindset that emerged during that time—“The party is bigger than the nation, the family is bigger than the party, I am bigger than the family, and power is above national interest”—today, under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, the idea of “Nation First” echoes in the hearts of the people across the country.
Shri Shah said that this transformation has come because of the relentless struggle of thousands of warriors of democracy, who spent 19 months in jail and turned the slogan “Indira is India” into “Indira Against India.” It is because of this very legacy that today, under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, a population of 140 crore is committed and moving forward with the resolve to make India number one in every field globally by 2047. Shri Shah said that today’s teenagers and youth should come forward to explain history to children and young people. They must help them understand this dark chapter so that no dictator dares to do such a thing again in the future. In conclusion, Shri Amit Shah paid tribute to the guardians of democracy who fought to defend it.
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