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Narendra Modi: The Underground Warrior Against the Emergency

Published By : Admin | June 25, 2024 | 14:25 IST

During the infamous Emergency period in India (1975-1977), when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed a dictatorial regime, Shri Narendra Modi emerged as a critical figure in the resistance movement. Shri Modi's activism during this period, marked by his innovative and fearless approach, significantly contributed to the underground communications network and sustained the fight against the oppressive regime.

The Beginnings of Resistance

Shri Narendra Modi's journey into the heart of the resistance began before the official declaration of the Emergency on June 25, 1975. The student-led agitations against the corruption of the Congress Party were already sweeping the nation, and Gujarat was a significant epicentre of this movement. During the Navnirman Andolan in 1974, Shri Modi, then a Yuva Pracharak of the RSS, was deeply influenced by the power of student voices in driving change. He actively participated in these agitations, leveraging his Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad role to deliver fiery speeches that galvanized the youth.

Role in the Underground Movement

Once the Emergency was imposed, censorship and repression became the norm. Shri Modi and other volunteers organized secret meetings and took on the dangerous task of disseminating underground literature. Collaborating closely with senior RSS leaders like Nath Zagda and Vasant Gajendragadkar, he developed ingenious methods to bypass tight security measures.
One of Shri Modi's remarkable strategies involved using the railway network to spread information. He would load materials related to the Constitution, laws, and the Congress government's excesses onto trains departing from Gujarat, ensuring the messages reached remote areas with minimal risk of detection. This innovative approach was pivotal in maintaining the flow of information across the country.

Leadership and International Outreach

With the RSS forced to go underground, the Gujarat Lok Sangharsh Samiti was established, and Shri Modi, at the young age of 25, quickly rose to the position of General Secretary. His leadership was instrumental in sustaining the revolt against the Congress government, especially during the challenging periods when key movement leaders were imprisoned under the MISA Act.

Shri Narendra Modi also extended his efforts internationally, reaching out to individuals abroad and urging them to publish underground publications to amplify global resistance. He coordinated the collection of articles from the Gujarat Newsletter and Sadhana Patrika, which were then disseminated through platforms like the BBC. Shri Modi ensured that international publications critical of the Emergency, such as 'Satyavani,' were circulated back to India, including inside jails.

Covert Operations and Disguises

Shri Modi frequently adopted various disguises to evade detection. His ability to blend in was so effective that even his acquaintances often failed to recognize him. He dressed as a Swamiji in saffron attire and even as a Sikh with a turban. On one occasion, he successfully deceived jail authorities to deliver an important document, highlighting his resourcefulness and bravery.

Post-Emergency Recognition

After the Emergency was lifted in 1977, Shri Modi's activism and leadership during this tumultuous period began to gain recognition. He was invited to Mumbai to discuss the youth's resistance efforts, and his contributions were acknowledged with a modest monetary reward. His relentless efforts during the Emergency led to his appointment as the 'Sambhag Pracharak' of South and Central Gujarat, and he was tasked with preparing official RSS articles documenting the period.

Authoring 'Sangharsh Ma Gujarat'

In 1978, Shri Modi authored his first book, 'Sangharsh Ma Gujarat,' a memoir of his experiences during the Emergency. Remarkably, he completed the book in just 23 days, subsisting solely on lemon water and no solid food. The book, launched by then Chief Minister of Gujarat Babubhai Jasbhai Patel, received widespread acclaim for its objective coverage of the Emergency and was reviewed on national public radio and in prominent newspapers.

The memoir not only chronicled the events of the Emergency but also served as a testament to the collective resistance. It was praised for its wealth of information and objective approach, earning personal accolades from numerous leaders.

Legacy, Continued Vigilance and Solemn Vow

Fifty years later, as Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi continues to remind the nation of the dark days of the Emergency. He emphasizes the importance of preserving democracy and vows never to let the recurrence of such authoritarianism again. His legacy as a fearless warrior against the dictatorial regime of Indira Gandhi during the Emergency remains a significant chapter in India's history, inspiring current and future generations to uphold the values of democracy and freedom.

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Praise has been showered on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charismatic presence and organisational leadership. Less understood and known is the professionalism which characterises his work — a relentless work ethic that has evolved over decades when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat and later Prime Minister of India.

What sets him apart is not a talent for spectacle but a discipline that turns vision into durable systems. It is action anchored in duty, measured by difference on the ground.

A charter for shared work

That ethic framed the Prime Minister’s Independence Day address from the Red Fort, this year. It was a charter for shared work: citizens, scientists, start-ups and States were invited to co-author Viksit Bharat. Ambitions in deep technology, clean growth and resilient supply chains were set out as practical programmes, with Jan Bhagidari, the partnership between a platform-building state and an enterprising people, as the method.

The recent simplification of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure reflects this method. By paring down slabs and ironing out friction points, the GST Council has lowered compliance costs for small firms and quickened pass-through to households. The Prime Minister’s focus was not on abstract revenue curves but on whether the average citizen or small trader would feel the change quickly. This instinct echoes the cooperative federalism that has guided the GST Council: States and the Centre debating rigorously, but all working within a system that adapts to conditions rather than remaining frozen. Policy is treated as a living instrument, tuned to the economy’s rhythm rather than a monument preserved for symmetry on paper.

I recently requested a 15- minute slot to meet the Prime Minister and was struck by the depth and range that he brought to the discussion — micro details and macro linkages that were held together in a single frame. It turned into a 45 minute meeting. Colleagues told me later that he had spent more than two hours preparing, reading through notes, data and counter-arguments. That level of homework is the working norm he sets for himself and expects of the system.

A focus on the citizen

Much of India’s recent progress rests on plumbing and systems which are designed to ensure dignity to our citizens. The triad of digital identity, universal bank accounts and real-time payments has turned inclusion into infrastructure. Benefits move directly to verified citizens, leakages shrink by design, small businesses enjoy predictable cash flow, and policy is tuned by data rather than anecdote. Antyodaya — the rise of the last citizen — becomes a standard, not a slogan and remains the litmus test of every scheme, programme and file that makes it to the Prime Minister’s Office.

I had the privilege to witness this once again, recently, at Numaligarh, Assam, during the launch of India’s first bamboo-based 2G ethanol plant. Standing with engineers, farmers and technical experts, the Prime Minister’s queries went straight to the hinge points: how will farmer payments be credited the same day? Can genetic engineering create bamboo that grows faster and increases the length of bamboo stem between nodes? Can critical enzymes be indigenised? Is every component of bamboo, stalk, leaf, residue, being put to economic use, from ethanol to furfural to green acetic acid?

The discussion was not limited to technology. It widened to logistics, the resilience of the supply chain, and the global carbon footprint. There was clarity of brief, precision in detail and insistence that the last person in the chain must be the first beneficiary.

The same clarity animates India’s economic statecraft. In energy, a diversified supplier basket and calm, firm purchasing have kept India’s interests secure in volatile times. On more than one occasion abroad, I carried a strikingly simple brief: secure supplies, maintain affordability, and keep Indian consumers at the centre. That clarity was respected, and negotiations moved forward more smoothly.

National security, too, has been approached without theatre. Operations that are conducted with resolve and restraint — clear aim, operational freedom to the forces, protection of innocents. The ethic is identical: do the hard work, let outcomes speak.

The work culture

Behind these choices lies a distinctive working style. Discussions are civil but unsparing; competing views are welcomed, drift is not. After hearing the room, he reduces a thick dossier to the essential alternatives, assigns responsibility and names the metric that will decide success. The best argument, not the loudest, prevails; preparation is rewarded; follow-up is relentless.

It is no accident that the Prime Minister’s birthday falls on Vishwakarma Jayanti, the day of the divine architect. The parallel is not literal but instructive: in public life, the most enduring monuments are institutions, platforms and standards. For the citizen, performance is a benefit that arrives on time and a price that stays fair. For the enterprise, it is policy clarity and a credible path to expand. For the state, it is systems that hold under stress and improve with use. That is the measure by which Narendra Modi should be seen, shaping the next chapter of the Indian story.

Hardeep S. Puri is Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India