Memory Must Be Kept Alive: Shah
Recalling his own experience, Shah said that he was 11 years old at the time and a Bal Swayamsevak of the RSS. "I heard firsthand accounts of the excesses committed during those dark days and still have vivid memories.
New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah on Wednesday described the Emergency as a dark chapter in post-Independence India and said its memories must be kept alive so that no one can ever impose dictatorial rule on the country again.
Speaking at the launch of the book "The Emergency Diaries - Years that Forged a Leader," a compilation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's experiences during the anti-Emergency movement, Shah said, "When it comes to national and social life, such events must be remembered forever so that the youth and future generations are aware of past injustices and are prepared to resist them."
"The country will never forget the injustice and atrocities committed by the Congress during the Emergency. Prime Minister Modi has rightly decided to observe this day as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas," Shah stated.
The event marked the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of Emergency, imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975. The Modi government observes this day as 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas' (Constitution Killing Day).
In his address, the home minister recalled how Prime Minister Modi fought against the Emergency by going underground and participating in the 19-month-long resistance against what he described as "dictatorial governance."
"The Emergency was imposed to preserve dynastic politics. But Mr. Modi went door-to-door, village-to-village, and city-to-city to protest against it, and in 2014, he uprooted dynastic politics from the entire country," Shah said.
Appealing to the youth, Shah urged them to read the book to understand that "the young man who stood up against dictatorship is today the one strengthening the roots of democracy in India, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi."
Earlier in the day, Shah posted on X (formerly Twitter): "Emergency, imposed 50 years ago by a despotic ruler whose sole aim was to preserve her dynastic rule, was one of the darkest chapters in India's history."
He emphasised that the Emergency was not a national necessity but a result of the "anti-democratic mentality" of the Congress and one individual, referring to Indira Gandhi.
Recalling his own experience, Shah said that he was 11 years old at the time and a Bal Swayamsevak of the RSS. "I heard firsthand accounts of the excesses committed during those dark days and still have vivid memories. I take immense pride in having been associated with a movement that stood up against tyranny and with a leader who fearlessly defended India's democracy and Constitution," he said.
Paying tribute to those who suffered during the Emergency, Shah said the day serves as a reminder that when power turns dictatorial, it is the people who ultimately hold the power to resist and overthrow it.
"The Emergency was the 'Age of Injustice' born out of the Congress's hunger for power," he said. "Freedom of the press was crushed, the hands of the judiciary were tied, and social workers were jailed."
Concluding his remarks, Shah recalled the public's resistance, saying: "The people raised the slogan 'Sinhasan Khali Karo' (Vacate the Throne) and uprooted the dictatorial Congress. A heartfelt tribute to all the heroes who sacrificed their lives in this struggle."