'Swamiji' in jail: Book chronicles PM Modi's daring underground role during Emergency

Time of India

6 hours ago

NEW DELHI: A new book sheds light on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's covert operations during the 1975-77 Emergency, including a daring visit to a jail in Bhavnagar disguised as a 'swamiji' to meet incarcerated activists.
Titled 'The Emergency Diaries – Years that Forged a Leader' and published by BlueKraft, the book chronicles Modi's underground work as a young RSS pracharak. Evading detection under a government ban on the RSS, Modi adopted various disguises—most frequently a convincing Sikh identity—and helped run an anti-Emergency campaign through secret meetings, family support drives, and literature distribution.
'He not only ensured the regular publication of anti-Emergency literature but also took on the perilous responsibility of distributing it throughout Gujarat,' the book notes.
One of the standout incidents comes from journalist Vishnu Pandya, who recalls that in September 1976, Modi entered Bhavnagar jail disguised as a spiritual leader. 'He stayed with us for about an hour. We discussed the jail administration, the families of prisoners, and how to promote anti-Emergency literature further. No one suspected it was Modi,' Pandya said.
PM Modi also proposed innovative tactics — such as hiding pamphlets in barber shops and delivering documents via trains instead of the postal system — to reduce the risk of arrest.
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Longtime RSS member Nagar Bhai Chavda recalled that Modi used code words like 'Chandan ka Karyakram' for meetings and only stayed in houses with multiple exit routes in case of police raids.
The book highlights his collaboration with senior RSS leaders Nath Zagda and Vasant Gajendragadkar, and how he advised volunteers to keep community contact alive despite the ban on RSS shakhas.
Sharing his reflections on social media, PM Modi wrote: 'The Emergency Diaries brought back many memories. I urge all those who remember or whose families suffered during the Emergency to share their stories online to create awareness among the youth of those dark days.'
(With PTI inputs)