Marking the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reflected on his formative years during the anti-Emergency movement, calling it a “learning experience” that reaffirmed his commitment to protecting India’s democratic values.
A new book titled “The Emergency Diaries – Years that Forged a Leader”, published by the BlueKraft Digital Foundation, delves into PM Modi’s experiences as a young RSS Pracharak during the 1975 Emergency. The book offers a rare, first-person account of Modi’s underground activism, supported by archival material and testimonies from close associates who worked with him during that time.
“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,” PM Modi wrote in a post on X.
He further urged those who lived through the Emergency or had family members impacted by it to share their stories on social media to raise awareness among the younger generation.
The book includes a special foreword by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, who himself played a significant role in resisting the Emergency. It is set to be officially launched by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and is being hailed as an important contribution to India’s democratic historiography.
The publisher described the book as: “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.”
The Emergency, declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, led to the suspension of civil liberties, press freedom, and the jailing of political opponents under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). The period lasted for 21 months, ending in March 1977, and is often regarded as one of the darkest phases in India’s democratic journey.
The book serves as both a tribute to those who resisted authoritarianism and a documentation of the events that shaped PM Modi’s political ideology and leadership.
With India commemorating five decades since the Emergency, the release of The Emergency Diaries underscores a continued national reflection on the importance of safeguarding constitutional values and resisting any form of democratic erosion.
