‘The Emergency period was a dark chapter in Indian democracy’

Union Home & Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah on 25 June 2025 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 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, Lieutenant Governor Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena, Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta, and Professor Shri Rambhadur Rai- a prominent voice against the Emergency, among others were present

     Shri Amit Shah said 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, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji decided to observe June 25 as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas.

Union Home Minister said on this occasion, a book titled “The Emergency Diaries: Year That Forged a Leader” was also released, which describes 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.

Shri Modi met with the families of those imprisoned under MISA

Shri Narendra Modi 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. Shri Narendra Modi 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.

“Total Revolution”

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.

Atmosphere of fear and terror created

Shri Shah said 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.

Democratic rights across the country were suspended

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.

Kishore Kumar was banned from All India Radio

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.

“Indira Against India”

Shri Amit Shah said the end of the Emergency 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.

Highlights

• The same young Modi who travelled across villages to oppose the Emergency and resist dynastic politics went on to dismantle Congress’ family rule in 2014
• 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
• The real threat was to Indira Gandhi’s chair, which led to the imposition of the Emergency
• The widespread detentions, sterilizations, and demolitions during the Emergency created an atmosphere of fear across the country, unmatched in history.