Shashi Tharoor Warns: Learn from India's Emergency Era

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has emphasized that the Emergency period in India should not simply be viewed as a dark chapter in the country's history, but rather, its lessons need to be comprehensively understood.

In an article published in the Malayalam daily Deepika, Tharoor, who is also a member of the Congress Working Committee, reflected on the Emergency declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from June 25, 1975, to March 21, 1977. He noted that while the period was supposedly intended to promote discipline and order, it often resulted in unwarranted acts of cruelty. Sanjay Gandhi, Indira Gandhi's son, led a forced sterilization campaign that became notoriously infamous. In rural areas, coercion and violence were employed to achieve arbitrary targets, and in cities such as New Delhi, slums were ruthlessly demolished, leaving thousands homeless with no concern for their welfare.

Tharoor underscored the importance of cherishing democracy as a precious legacy that demands constant nurturing and protection. "Let it serve as a lasting reminder to people everywhere," he stated. According to Tharoor, the India of today is markedly different from the India of 1975. "We are more self-assured, more advanced, and in many ways a stronger democracy. Yet, the lessons of the Emergency remain pertinent even today in troubling ways," he asserted.

He warned against the temptation to centralize power, silence dissent, and circumvent constitutional safeguards, noting that such tendencies might resurface under the guise of national interest or stability. "In this sense, the Emergency stands as a strong warning. The guardians of democracy must always remain vigilant," Tharoor concluded.

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