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Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty: CM blogs on 37th anniversary of Emergency

Published By : Admin | June 25, 2012 | 14:37 IST

Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty

 

Dear Friends,


“At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom.”- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to the Constituent Assembly on 15th August 1947.
 

But, at the stroke of midnight on 25th-26th June 1975 as the world slept, India awoke to spell of authoritarianism as Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi clamped down a state of emergency across the nation. The very basic tenets of free speech and democracy on which our great founding fathers created this nation suddenly came under cloud. And few missed the irony that the leader doing this not only belonged to Pandit Nehru’s party but also his own family.

Today 37 years may have passed since the Emergency was imposed but the lessons learnt from those 2 years are extremely relevant not only now but also for years to come.

This Emergency was the final assault of an insensitive Government intoxicated with power, one that had become completely disconnected from the very people that voted it to office. The nation reeled under extreme price rise as the promise of ‘Garibi Hatao’ seemed both a distant memory and a cruel joke played on the people of this Country. Long lines for essential commodities and families struggling to make ends meet had become very common. Corruption had become a part and parcel of those occupying the high offices.

Finally, on 12th June 1975 the Judiciary put the brakes on none other than the Prime Minister herself. Unable to digest the bitter pill prescribed by the Allahabad High Court combined with the fear of being routed at the hustings, a helpless Government took the easier way to simply trample down on public opinion.

It would be appropriate to call the Emergency as one of the darkest periods in the history of India. All leading Opposition leaders were arrested immediately, irrespective of which part of the country they were in.

Even social and patriotic organizations were not spared. The RSS was banned and a large number of people arrested were RSS Swayamsevaks. The role played by the RSS in the underground movement to resist the Emergency is extremely inspiring, serving as a rock of support to patriots across India irrespective of what one’s ideological inclinations were. Since Mrs. Gandhi perpetually saw a ‘RSS hand’ in ‘destabilizing’, the RSS faced the highest brunt of state repression in those dark days.

Censorship became the other cruel aspect of the Emergency. Along with Opposition leaders, newspaper and media houses saw the ugly side of totalitarianism. There were blackouts on the press and if something had to be published, it could only be done after prior approval from the Government. Who can forget the blank page of the Indian Express that appeared on the next day of the imposition of the Emergency, which became the notable exception to the worst form of censorship? Matters were so bad that even Congressmen who were relatively more inclined to democratic politics were not spared. They were shunted out of their posts into the realm of obscurity. Opposing the anti-people Congress government was nothing less than a hideous national crime.

During the Emergency, the people of India showed yet again that they were not those who could take such things lying down. No sooner was the Emergency imposed than the murmurs of discontent began to spread, which eventually turned into the mammoth anti-Emergency movement that resisted tooth and nail this lethal assault on values of freedom and democracy. I remember thousands of people shunned any fear of arrest and coordinating protests against the Government. In every sense, the anti-Emergency protests demonstrated a true mass movement that involved people from all sections of society.

A striking facet of the anti-Emergency protests was the participation of the youth across the nation to resist tyranny and authoritarianism. Just like the Freedom Struggle in 1942, we had a situation in which all senior social and political leaders were arrested. This is when the youth came forward and displayed immense passion, vision, courage and dedication.

No mention about the Emergency is complete without remembering Shri Jay Prakash Narayan. In every sense, JP was the anchor that guided the anti-Emergency protests across the length and breadth of India. If there a single leader who had sent shivers down the throats of the insensitive Congress Party, it was JP! In JP we saw a fresh ray of hope, a star that could end the misery of the disadvantaged sections of society. It was on his call that the entire country got united to resist this Constitutional savagery.

It finally took a little less than 2 years and combined might of the people of India for the rulers to realize their mistake. Fresh elections were called in 1977 and Mrs. Gandhi who was till then considered invincible was comprehensively rejected through the ballot.

It is also heartening to share that Gujarat played a major role not only in the build up but also in the protests against the Emergency. The situation in the state almost mirrored the situation in the country. The Navnirman Movement exposed the chinks in the Congress armour and demonstrated the might of student power.

Dear Friends, to me the struggle against Emergency was all about people power. In ways more than one, it made us value our democratic foundations even more. The Emergency is the story of scores of brave individuals many of whom devoted their entire life to the cause of Mother India! Today is the day we should remember these brave men and women who sacrificed themselves at the altars of democracy and free speech.

I too have many memories attached with the Emergency. I also had the opportunity to share them in my book ‘Apatkalme Gujarat’ (Gujarat During the Emergency) where I have charted out the historical context, the mass movement and the heroic deeds of brave individuals separated by age and creed but united in their commitment to some of the basic values of India like Freedom of Expression that were threatened by the Emergency. I hope you enjoy reading it.

 

Yours,

Narendra Modi

 

Read 'Apatkalme Gujarat', Shri Narendra Modi's absorbing work on Gujarat during the dark Emergency days

Also Read in Gujarati : "Sangharshma Gujarat"

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Da u Myntri Rangbah duh, Narendra Modi

Ka Mahakumbh ka la kut ha ka nongbah ba kyntang jong ka Prayagraj. La pyndep ia ka Mahayajna jong ka jingiatylli. Haba ka jingsngewthuh jong ka ri ka don, haba ka lait na ki jingiateh ha ka rukom pyrkhat kiba rim, ka ring mynsiem laitluid ha ka bor kaba la pynthymmai. La sakhi ia kane ha ka Ekta Ka Mahakumbh (Mahakumbh jong ka jingiatylli) ha Prayagraj naduh ka 13 tarik Kyllalyngkot

Ha ka 22 tarik Kyllalyngkot, 2024 ha ka Pran Pratishtha jong ka Ram Mandir ha Ayodhya, nga la kren shaphang ka Devbhakti bad Deshbhakti – ka jingaiti sha ka bor ba kyntang bad sha ka ri. Ha ka Mahakumbh ha Prayagraj, ki Blei bad ki riewkhuid, ki longkmie, ki khynnah, ki samla, ki riewtymmen bad ki briew na baroh ki bynta jong ka jingim ki la iawanlang. Ngi la sakhi ia ka jingkhie ka jingsngew jong ka ri. Kane kadei ka Ekta Ka Mahakumbh, ha kaba la pyniasoh ia ki jingsngew jong 140 klur ki briew jong ka ri ha kajuh ka jaka, ha kajuh ka por, na ka bynta kane ka jingialang ba kyntang.

Ha kane ka thain ba kyntang jong ka Prayagraj ha Shringverpur, ka jaka ba kyntang jong ka jingiatylli, ka shongsuk shongsain bad ka jingieid, kaba u Prabhu Shri Ram bad Nishadraj ki iakynduh. Ka jingiakynduh jong ki ka pyni ia ka jingiakynduh ka jingaiti bad ka jingsngew jan ia kiwei. Wat mynta, ka Prayagraj ka ai mynsiem ia ngi da kane kajuh ka jingngeit

Haduh 45 sngi, nga la sakhi da ki klur ngut ki briew na man ki kyndong kynshrot jong ka ri ki leit sha ka Sangam. Ki jingsngew ba khlain ha kane ka jingiakynduh ka la kiew bha. Man u riewngeit u wan bad kawei ka thong- ban ioh ngam ha ka Sangam. Ka jingiakynduh ba kyntang jong ka Ganga, Yamuna, bad Saraswati ka pyndap ia man u pilkrim da ka mynsiem shitrhem, ka bor bad ka jingngeit skhem.

Kane ka Mahakumbh ha Prayadraj kadei ka phang jong ka jingpule na ka bynta kito kiba pyntbit ha ka jingpyniaid kam, ka jingpynkhreh kam bad ki riewshemphang ha ka polisi. Ym don ha kano kano ka bynta jong ka pyrthei ka nuksa kaba kum kane.

Ka pyrthei ka peit da ka jingsngewlyngngoh kumno da ki klur ngut ki briew ki ialumlang ha Prayagraj ha ki rud jong ki wah ba iakynduhlang. Kine ki briew kim don kano kano ka jingshah khot sngewbha, kim don jingtip lypa halor lano ban leit. Hynrei da ki klur ngut ki briew ki mih ban leit sha Mahakumbh da la ka jong ka bor bad sngewthuh ia ka jingsuk mynsiem hadien ba ki la dep sum ha kane ka um kaba kyntang.

Ngam lah ban klet ia kito ki durkhmat ba dap da ka jingkmen ba khraw bad ka jinghun hadien ka jingngam ba kyntang. Ki longkmie, ki riew rangbah, ki para jong ngi kiba don jing duna ha ki dkhot met – baroh ki ioh ka lad ban poi sha ka Sangam.

ki samla jong ka ri. Ka jingdon jong ki samla ha ka Mahakumbh ka long ka khubor ba ki samla jong ka ri kin long ki dei kiba rah shakhmat ia ka deiriti bad ka dustur ba khraw jong ngi. Ki sngewthuh ia ka jingbahkhlieh jong ki ban pynneh pynsah ia ka bad ki kut jingmut ban rah ia ka shakhmat.

Ka jingdon jong ki briew kiba poi ha Prayagraj na ka bynta kane ka Mahakumbh khlem artatien ka la thaw ia ki rekod ba thymmai. Hynrei nalor kito kiba leit dalade, ki don ruh da ki klur ngut ki briew ki bym lah ban poi sha Prayagraj kiba iasoh ia kane ka kam lyngba ka ki jingsngew jong ki. Ka um ba kyntang ba rah da ki pilkrim kalong ka tyllong jong ka jingsuk mynsiem kaba kyntang ia ki million ngut. Bun kiba leitphai na ka Mahakumbh ki la ioh ka jingpdiang burom ha ki shnong jong ki, bad la pynkup burom da ka imlang sahlang

ka la buh nongrim ia ki spah snem ban wan.

Ka jingpoi bun ki riewngeit ha Prayagraj kadei kaba ym shym la mutdur. Ki bor pyniaid ki la antad ia ka jingdon kiba wan katkum ki jingshem ha ki por ba la leit jong ka Kumbh.

Ki nongiashim bynta ha kane ka Ekta Ka Mahakumbh ki la jan tam arshah ia baroh ki briew kiba don ha United States.

Lada ki briew kiba pule shaphang ka jingngeit ki peit bniah ia ka jingiashim bynta shitrhem da ki klur ngut ki briew jong ka ri, kin lap ba ka India, ka sngewsarong ia ka pateng jong ka, mynta ka jam shaphrang sha ka bor ba thymmai. Nga ngeit ba kane kadei ka jingsdang jong ka juk ba thymmai, ka ban thoh ia ka lawei jong ka India kaba thymmai

Da ki hajar snem, ka Mahakumbh ka la pynkhlain ia ka jingsngew jong ka ri. Ha man ka Purnakumbh la sakhi ia ka jingialum lang ki riewkhuid, ki riewshemphang kiba iakren shaphang ka jinglong ka imlang sahlang ha ki por jong ki. Ki jingshem jong ki ki dei kiba ai ka lynti ia ka ri bad ka imlang sahlang. Man ka hynriew snem, ha ka por jong ka Ardhkumbh, la peit biang ia kine ki jingshem. Hadien ki 12 tylli ki Purnakumbh kiba long ha ki 144 snem, ki rukom bym iahap shuh ki dei kiba la ieh noh, bad la pdiang ia ki jingmut kiba kham thymmai, bad ki rukom ba thymmai kiba la wanrah ki iaid shakhmat katkum ka por.

Hadien 144 snem, ha kane ka Mahakumbh, ki riewkhuid jong ngi sa shisien ki la ai ka khubor kaba thymmai na ka bynta ka jingiaid lynti ka India sha ka roi ka par. Kane ka khubor ka long Ka India kaba la Kiew Shaphrang – Viksit Bharat.

Ha kane ka Ekta Ka Mahakumbh, man u pilkrim, la u dei uba riewspah ne duk, la u dei na ki jaka nongkyndong ne ki jaka sor, na India ne nabar ka ri, na ka thain Mihngi ne Sepngi, ka thain shatei ne shathie, la u dei na kano kano ka bynta jong ka imlang sahlang ne kano kano ka rukom pyrkhat, ki la iawan lang. Kane ka dei ka dak jong ka jing thmu Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat kaba la ai ka jingskhem jingmut ia ki klur ngut ki briew. Mynta, ngi dei ban iawan lang ha kane ka juh ka rukom na ka bynta ka kam ban tei ia ka India kaba la kiew shaphrang.

Nga kynmaw ia ka jingjia ha kaba u khynnah rit, Shri Krishna u la pyni ia ka dur jong baroh kawei ka jingthaw hapoh ka shyntur jong u sha ka kmie jong u ka Yashoda. Kumjuh, ha kane ka Mahakumbh, ki briew jong ka India bad ka pyrthei ki la sakhi ia ka lad kaba heh jong ka bor ba iatylli jong ka India. Mynta ngi dei ban iaid shakhmat da kane ka jingskhem jingmut bad aiti ialade na ka bynta ka jingtei ia ka India kaba la kiew shaphrang.

Ha ki por ba la dep, ki riewkhuid jong ka jingiakhih Bhakti ki la shem bad pynshlur ia ka bor jong ka jingiakut jingmut kaba tylli ha kylleng ka India. Naduh u Swami Vivekananda haduh u Sri Aurobindo, baroh ki riewshemphang kiba khraw ki pynkynmaw ia ngi shaphang ka bor jong ka jingiakut jingmut lang. Wat u Mahatma Gandhi ruh u la sakhi ia kane ha ka por jong ka jingiakhih na ka bynta ka jinglaitluid. Hadien ba la ioh jinglaitluid, lada kaba ka bor jong ka jingiatylli ka dei kaba la ithuh bad pyndonkam ban kyntiew ia ka bha ka miat jong baroh, kan la kylla sha ka bor kaba khlain na ka bynta ka ri kaba dang shu ioh jinglaitluid. Hynrei, ym shym la leh ia kane. Hynrei mynta, ng kmen ban sakhi ia ka rukom ba kane ka bor jong ka jingiatylli ki briew ka iawan lang na ka bynta ka India kaba la kiew shaphrang.

Naduh ki Veda haduh u Vivekananda, naduh ki jingthoh ba hyndai haduh ki satellite ha kine ki por ba mynta, ki dustur ba khraw jong ka India ki la tei ia kane ka ri. Kum u briew jong kane ka ri, nga duwai ba ngin ioh mynsiem na ki jingkynmaw ia ki longshuwa bad ki riewkhuid. To ai ba kane ka Ekta Ka Mahakumbh kan iarap ia ngi ba ngin jam shakhmat da ki jingkut jingmut ba thymmai. To ngin pynlong ia ka jingtylli kum ka nuksa kaba ialam lynti ia ngi. To ngin trei da ka jingsngewthuh ba ka jingai jingshakri ia ka ri ka dei ka jingai jingshakri ia U Blei.

Ha ka por ialap elekshon jong nga ha Kashi, nga la ong, “Ka Maa Ganga ka la khot ia nga." Kane kam la dei tang ka jingsngew hynrei ka jingkhot na ka bynta ka jingbahkhlieh, na ka bynta ka jingkhuid jong ki wah ba kyntang jong ngi. Haba nga ieng ha ka jaka ba iakynduh ka Ganga, Yamuna, bad Saraswati ha Prayagraj, ka jingkut jingmut jong nga ka la kham khlain. Ka jingkhuid jong ki wah jong ngi ka don ka jingiadei kaba skhem bad ka jingim jong ngi. Ka dei ka jingbahkhlieh jong ngi ban ithuh ia ki wah jong ngi, la ki dei kiba heh ne rit, kum ki kmie kiba ai ka jingim. Kane ka Mahakumbh ka la ai mynsiem ia ngi ban bteng ka jingtrei na ka bynta ka jingkhuid jong ki wah jong ngi.

Nga tip ba ka jingpynlong ia ka kam kaba heh haduh katne katne kam dei ka kam kaba suk. Nga duwai ia ka Maa Ganga, Maa Yamuna, bad Maa Saraswati ban map ia ngi lada ka la don kano kano ka jing duna ha ka jingngeit jong ngi. Nga iohi ia ki Janata Janardan, ki briew, kum ka dak jong ka jinglong kyntang. Lada ka la don kano kano ka jing duna ha ki jingpyrshang ban ai jingshakri ia ki, nga pan map na ki briew.

Da ki klur ngut ki briew ki la wan sha ka Mahakumbh da ka jingsngew kyntang. Ka jingai jingshakri ia ki ka la dei ka jingbahkhlieh ba la pyndep da kane ka juh ka jinglong kyntang. Kum u dkhot ka Parliament na Uttar Pradesh, nga lah ban ong ba hapoh ka jingialam jong u Yogi Ji, ki bor ba dei peit bad ki briew ki la iatrei lang ban wanrah jingjop ia kane ka Ekta Ka Mahakumbh. La ka dei ka Jylla ne ka Sorkar Pdeng, ym shym la don ki nongsynshar, hynrei baroh ki la long ki sevak. Ki nongtrei na ka bynta ka jingkhuid, ki pulit, ki nongking lieng, ki nongniah kali, ki briew kiba sam mar bam – baroh ki la trei shitom. Ka rukom ha kaba ki briew ka Prayagraj ki la pdiang burom ia ki pilkrim da ka mynsiem kaba kylluid watla ki la hap ban mad ia ki jingeh, ka dei kaba ai mynsiem bha. Nga ai ka jingsngewnguh ia ki bad ki briew jong ka Uttar Pradesh.

Nga ju ngeit beit ha ka lawei kaba phyrnai ia ka ri jong ngi. Haba nga sakhi ia kane ka Mahakumbh, kane ka jingngeit jong nga ka la kiew bun bun shah.

Ka rukom ha kaba 140 klur ngut ki briew jong ka India ki la pynkylla ia ka Ekta Ka Mahakumbh kaba paw sha kylleng ka pyrthei ka dei kaba itynnad shisha. Da kaba ioh mynsiem na ka jingtrei shitom bad ka jingngeit kaba skhem jong ki briew jong ngi, shen ngan leit sha Shri Somnath, kaba nyngkong na ki 12 tylli ki Jyotirlinga, ban rah ia ki jingseisoh jong kine ki sienjam ba la iatreilang ha ka ri sha U bad duwai na ka bynta baroh ki briew jong ka ri.

Ka Mahakumbh ka dei kaba la dep ha ka Mahashivratri, hynrei kum ka jingtuid kaba shirta jong ka Ganga, ka jingkhlain ka jingngeit, ka jingsngew jong ka ri bad ka jingiatylli ba ka Mahakumbh ka la wanrah kan bteng ban ai mynsiem ia ngi ha kine ki por ban wan.