Latest news with #TheEmergencyDiaries–YearsthatForgedaLeader
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'Swamiji' in jail: Book chronicles PM Modi's daring underground role during Emergency
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. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 3BHK Transformation Possible for ₹4.5 Lakh? HomeLane Get Quote Undo 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)
India Gazette
4 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Severest challenge to our democratic existence posed by Emergency": Former PM Deve Gowda
New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Wednesday lauded Blue Kraft Digital Foundation's efforts in chronicling the role played by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the period of Emergency imposed in the country in 1975. In a foreword for the book 'The Emergency Diaries - Years that Forged a Leader', which delves into the compelling role that PM Modi played in the fight against the Emergency, Deve Gowda said, 'The history of the Republic of India in its early decades is defined by its struggles to remain a democracy. The severest challenge to our democratic existence was posed by the imposition of the Emergency. It is important to ensure that the youth of India are aware of this part of our contemporary history.' 'It is important for the country to be fully aware of the dark days of the Emergency, and also the manner in which our Constitution was subverted by the political executive. I am happy that Blue Kraft Digital Foundation is making a laudable effort in this direction. I am happy they are chronicling the role played by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during that time,' the former PM said. Deva Gowda said that the anti-Emergency movement, of which he was a part, brought together people across age groups and thought processes with one common objective - to protect our democratic fabric. 'To save our democracy and to save our Constitution was the only big aim of the movement that shaped spontaneously and organically. If it had not been done then, we would be in a very different India today. An India where we probably could not have existed,' Deve Gowda said. Recalling his days during the Emergency, he said, 'During the Emergency, I was a young non-Congress politician, but people like Narendra Modi were even younger. While we were in prison, people like him who were into social work built a formidable network of communication and resistance. For a young man like him to witness such a turbulent phase in our history, I am sure, was not just eye-opening and educative but also shaped his future and his politics.' 'As a leader of the Opposition in Karnataka, I suffered personally during the Emergency. I was arrested, but this arrest did not weaken me. It became a great opportunity to learn and come in contact with a diverse set of leaders from across India,' he said, stressing the role he played during the emergency as the leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka legislative assembly. Remembering all the leaders who fought against the emergency, Deve Gowda said, 'At this juncture, when we are commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, I am reminded of my mentors, colleagues and friends: Loknayak JP, Shri Morarjibhai Desai, Chaudhary Charan Singh, Biju Patnaik, George Fernandes, Madhu Dandavate, Chandra Shekhar, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, LK Advani, Shyam Nandan Mishra, Ramakrishna Hegde, JH Patel, M Chandrashekar, Nagappa Alva, S. Mallikarjunaiah, Rama Jois, P.G.R. Sindhia, A.K. Subbaiah, Lawrence Fernandes and many others. The list is long. The Emergency had a deep personal consequence for me. My imprisonment during the period deeply affected my parents, especially my father. He passed away in a short period in the grip of fear that I would never come out alive.' 'To keep the memories of the Emergency alive for our future generations is very important because it is they who are tasked with protecting our democracy and our Constitution. In this respect, I welcome the decision of the Union Government under Prime Minister Modi to mark 25th June every year as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas,' he said. He further called upon scholars, academics, authors and journalists to make extensive efforts to chronicle the Emergency in its every detail and profile those who resisted it at small and big personal cost---after all, each one of them who fought the Emergency was a dedicated soldier of our nation and a torchbearer of our democracy. The Emergency Diaries - Years that Forged a Leader book is based on first-person anecdotes from associates who worked with young Modi, and using other archival material, the book is a first of its kind that creates new scholarship on the formative years of a young man who would give it his all in the fight against tyranny. Prime Minister took to X to write a series of posts. ''The Emergency Diaries' chronicles my journey during the Emergency years. It brought back many memories from that time. I call upon all those who remember those dark days of the Emergency or those whose families suffered during that time to share their experiences on social media. It will create awareness among the youth of the shameful time from 1975 to 1977.' PM Modi posted on X. He recalled how, for a young RSS Pracharak, the anti-Emergency movement was a learning experience. 'It reaffirmed the vitality of preserving our democratic framework. At the same time, I got to learn so much from people across the political spectrum. I am glad that BlueKraft Digital Foundation has compiled some of those experiences in the form of a book, whose foreword has been penned by Shri HD Deve Gowda Ji, himself a stalwart of the anti-Emergency movement,' PM Modi said. (ANI)
News18
11 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Disguises, Dissent & Fight Against Emergency: New Book Reveals Modi's Underground Years
Last Updated: The book to be released by Amit Shah on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency features the 'compelling role' that Modi, then a young RSS Pracharak, played against tyranny Narendra Modi adopted many disguises—of a Sikh wearing a turban, one sporting a French beard, and introducing himself as 'Swamiji' and Batuk Bhai—to evade the police during the dark days of the Emergency, a new book has revealed. The book, 'The Emergency Diaries – Years that Forged a Leader', will be released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday on the 50th anniversary of the imposition of the Emergency. Published by Bluekraft Digital Foundation, the book will feature the 'compelling role" that Modi, then a young RSS Pracharak, played in the fight against Emergency. A special foreword of the book has been written by former prime minister HD Devegowda. Today marks fifty years since one of the darkest chapters in India's democratic history, the imposition of the Emergency. The people of India mark this day as Samvidhan Hatya Diwas. On this day, the values enshrined in the Indian Constitution were set aside, fundamental rights…— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2025 Based on first-person anecdotes from associates who worked with a young Modi, and using other archival material, the book is a first-of-its-kind that creates new scholarship on the formative years of a young man who would give it his all in the fight against tyranny. Emergency Diaries paints 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. This book is a tribute to the grit and resolve of those who refused to be silenced, and it offers a rare glimpse into the early trials that forged one of the most transformative leaders of our time. In an introduction of the book, it is said in the mid-1970s, as India was caught in the iron shackles of the Emergency, democracy was in captivity, and Narendra Modi, then a young Pracharak of the Sangh, along with several other prominent leaders and karyakartas, found himself on the front lines of a covert resistance against the autocratic regime of Indira Gandhi. This compelling narrative delves into his untold experiences during one of the darkest periods in Indian democracy. From distributing banned literature to organising undercover meetings, PM Modi's journey during the Emergency offers a unique, ground-level perspective on the struggle against authoritarianism, as per the publishers. 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. At the same time, I got to learn so much from people across the political spectrum. I am… — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 25, 2025 The book invites readers to witness Modi's clandestine operations, his narrow escapes, and his unwavering commitment to restoring democracy as he navigates through a landscape of fear and repression. Drawing from Modi's memoir, 'Sangharsh Ma Gujarat', and other first-hand accounts, the book illuminates a pivotal moment in India's history and unveils a formative chapter in the life of a leader who would later assume the responsibility of holding the highest office in the world's largest democracy, the publishers say. 'It's a tale of resilience, ingenuity, and relentless dedication to preserving democratic ideals and institutions enshrined in our Constitution—a testament to how the resolve of the masses, led by diligent young karyakartas like Modi, shaped one of the most important movements that reshaped a nation's destiny," the book adds. First Published: June 25, 2025, 09:08 IST
