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| (Source: X- @narendramodi) |
YMAM Desk
New Delhi, June 25, 2025:
Fifty years ago, on June 25, 1975, a state of Emergency was imposed in India — a time when democracy was stifled and dissent was crushed. Marking the 50th anniversary of this event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history.
Referring to the day as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas, Prime Minister Modi recalled how the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution were set aside, fundamental rights were suspended, press freedom was extinguished, and numerous political leaders, social workers, students, and ordinary citizens were jailed. He stated that it was as if the then Congress Government had placed democracy under arrest.
"We also reiterate our commitment to strengthening the principles in our Constitution and working together to realise our vision of a Viksit Bharat. May we scale new heights of progress and fulfil the dreams of the poor and downtrodden," the Prime Minister wrote on X.
He paid tribute to all those who stood firm against the Emergency, noting that people from all walks of life and across ideological lines came together to protect India’s democratic fabric. He emphasized that their collective struggle compelled the then Congress Government to restore democracy and call for fresh elections, which it badly lost.
Reflecting on his personal experience, the Prime Minister
wrote that during the Emergency, he was a young RSS Pracharak.
He described the anti-Emergency movement as a significant learning experience that reaffirmed the importance of preserving India’s democratic framework.
Mr. Modi also acknowledged the contributions of people across the political spectrum and expressed appreciation for BlueKraft Digital Foundation for compiling these experiences into a book, with a foreword by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, a stalwart of the anti-Emergency movement.
In another message, the Prime Minister mentioned ‘The Emergency Diaries’, a book that chronicles his journey during those years. He said it brought back many memories and called upon all those who remember the Emergency or whose families suffered during that time to share their experiences on social media to help raise awareness among the youth about the shameful period from 1975 to 1977.