New Delhi, June 25 (IANS) As the nation observes 50th anniversary of Emergency, imposed by the then Indira Gandhi government on June 25, 1975, it also marks a moment to recall the contributions and sacrifices of those who fought against the ‘murder’ of democracy and the suspension of civil liberties and fundamental rights of citizens for more than 20 months.
Modi Story, a popular social media handle on X, has documented some details of the darkest hours of Emergency and also how a young Narendra Modi struggled to defend democracy and safeguard the Constitution as a 'ground worker’.
The X handle also shared some inspiring instances from the dark era, when Narendra Modi juggled between different roles to strengthen people’s faith in democracy and rally students to stand up against the state oppression. It shared videos of some ‘defenders of democracy’ who worked with young Modi and narrated stories of how he concealed his identity during the Emergency and kept rallying the students to stand up against the dictatorship.
Vijay Rajpal, who met Modi for the first time in 1973 at the RSS office in Ahmedabad, recalled that Narendra Modi once took shelter at his house, and it was here that he learnt the art of wearing turban to avoid police lens.
“Narendra Bhai was under the watch of Gujarat police then because of his association with mass movement against Emergency. We went to Chandni Chowk area, where he bought turban and went to Gujarat disguising himself as Sardar, ” he recalled.
Prakash Mehta, an NRI citizen currently living in Australia, recalled the days of their resistance against Emergency under the banner of ‘Navnirman movement’.
“Police were not allowed inside the campus. We worked as underground workers from this place. Narendra Modi rallied students to stand up against the Emergency. He held secret meetings in hostels and encouraged them to spread the message through graffiti in public spaces. To evade police and act swiftly, he gave them an innovative idea — making steel stencils to spray 'Emergency Hatao' in just two minutes!” he recounted.
Daxesh Mehta, former Councillor in Gujarat, also reminisced the days of fightback against Emergency, where he along with young Narendra Modi worked to contribute to the movement against Emergency.
“During the peak of the Emergency, key documents and literature often had to be moved from the RSS office in Ahmedabad — which was under constant police surveillance. To avoid detection, Modi would send young boys to carry them, instead of older men, slipping past street checks unnoticed. A seemingly small task, but it reflected a young Modi’s foresight and strategic clarity even under intense pressure, ” he shared in video message.
Swami Govind Dev Giri Mahraj, a seer of Shri Ram Janambhoomi Tirth Kshetra Trust disclosed that not many know that during the Emergency, Narendra Modi spent several weeks in solitude, meditating at the Garudeshwar Mandir.
One of the anecdotes refers to young Modi’s role as ‘food transporter’.
Nirmal Motwani, a resident of Surat recalled: “One of Narendra Modi’s key responsibilities during the Emergency was looking after the families of jailed karyakartas. On one occasion, the wife of an imprisoned karyakarta requested him to deliver some home-cooked food to her husband. Modi agreed — and despite the constant threat of arrest, he personally went to the jail and delivered the food!”