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Declared by PM Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, the Emergency was a dark 21-month period marked by suspended civil liberties, mass arrests, censorship, and state-sponsored authoritarianism.
• Triggered by the Allahabad High Court verdict disqualifying Indira Gandhi for electoral malpractices, the Emergency sought to stifle rising opposition, especially from the JP-led Total Revolution and movements like Gujarat’s Navnirman Andolan.
• Over 1,00,000 people—political opponents, journalists, student leaders—were jailed under MISA; the RSS was banned on July 4, 1975. Its cadres went underground.
The Emergence of Narendra Modi
• Aged just 25, Shri Narendra Modi, a full-time RSS Pracharak, operated in Gujarat, where he was tasked with keeping the organization alive underground.
• He worked under key Gujarat RSS figures like Laxmanrao Inamdar (Vakil Saheb), Keshavrao Deshmukh, and Vasanta Gajendragadkar, and also closely coordinated with Nanaji Deshmukh and Dattopant Thengadi, who led the national Lok Sangharsh Samiti.
Master of Disguise: Modi’s Underground Avatars
• Shri Modi evaded police capture for the entire duration of the Emergency, despite Gujarat Police being highly alert.
• He used ingenious disguises: a sadhu, a sardarji, an incense stick seller, and even an elderly Sikh with a turban to traverse districts undetected.
• He once posed as the son of Makarand Desai, a future BJP leader, during a mission to Mumbai—a plan he personally crafted to avoid surveillance.
The Clandestine Communicator and Mobilizer
• Shri Modi oversaw the printing, translation, and nationwide distribution of anti-Emergency literature, especially the RSS’s underground publications, using smuggled cyclostyle machines.
• He pioneered code systems, such as:
o Swapping digits in phone numbers
o Disguising meetings as religious ceremonies like Satyanarayan Puja
o Chandan ka Karyakram – a code phrase for secret RSS meetings.
• He advised volunteers to scatter their slippers outside meeting venues to avoid police suspicion.
Organizer of Resistance and Secret Networks
Shri Modi organized key visits of anti-Emergency leaders like George Fernandes, Dattopant Thengadi, and V.M. Tarkunde to Gujarat.
• He oversaw:
o Secret meetings in safe houses with multiple escape routes.
o Satyagrahas in Gujarat, including in Dholka, Mehsana, Jamnagar, Palanpur, and Rajkot, with hundreds voluntarily courting arrest.
• He ensured the movement stayed decentralized, with each district and volunteer working independently but connected via covert channels.
Innovator in Street-Level Protest Strategy
• Shri Modi encouraged students to stencil graffiti using steel frames for slogans like “Release JP” and “Remove Emergency”—enabling swift execution before police could respond.
• He assigned children as couriers to deliver files and messages—believing they would not attract suspicion.
Moral Anchor and Youth Motivator
• In Porbandar, when all senior karyakartas were arrested and a young volunteer felt demoralized, Shri Modi told him:
“Even if you are alone, it doesn’t matter. One person is enough if his intent is right. Democracy must win.”
• He held motivational sessions with medical students, encouraging them to use their mobility for pamphlet distribution.
Supporting Families of the Incarcerated
• Shri Modi took personal responsibility for:
o Delivering financial support and food to the families of jailed Swayamsevaks.
o Organizing their medical treatment and emotional reassurance.
o Ensuring no one felt abandoned, thus keeping morale high across the Sangh.
Recognized by Senior Leaders and the Global Press
• PM Shri Modi authored Sangharsh Ma Gujarat, documenting the anti-Emergency struggle. It was praised by then Gujarat CM Babubhai J. Patel.
• Foreign media like The Economist, The New York Times, and The Guardian acknowledged the RSS’s unique and organized resistance, particularly highlighting Gujarat as a key hub.
Legacy and Lessons from the Emergency
• Shri Modi’s Emergency experiences deeply influenced:
o His commitment to democracy and decentralization
o His organizational style and crisis management capabilities
o His resolve to protect civil liberties and expose authoritarian tendencies.
• As PM, he often references the Emergency as a cautionary tale and an ideological touchstone for democratic vigilance.
The Emergency was the crucible that forged Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership ethos. Operating in the shadows but with unwavering resolve, he embodied the underground heartbeat of Indian democracy.
While others were silenced, he strategized. While others saw no option but to surrendered, he strengthened networks of resistance.
His journey from Pracharak to Prime Minister is not just political—it is the story of how India’s most defining democratic crisis shaped one of its most loved leaders.