It’s the 45th anniversary of the Emergency that India’s then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had imposed on the nation. India is confused to weather celebrate this day or take it as a reminder of the dark phase. And why not?
No one can ever forget the misery and guilt that filled the air for 21 long months from 1975 to 1977. No one can ever forget how the press, media, bureaucracy, legislature, and the judiciary were all brought to dust by a single stroke of a pen. No one can ever forget the greed for power by a lady. No one can ever forget what Congress did to India.
Perhaps it is this reason that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has opted for a direct attack on the Congress Party. Perhaps he knows it is always good to go head-on with Congress leadership. Just like a ‘family-run business’ where all the employees believe that it’s their duty to protect the owner of the business. Similarly, all the part members, senior or junior, get busy in protecting the ‘first family’. Here, it is interesting to note that Congress and particularly it’s Prime Ministerial Candidate’ Rahul Gandhi has been vocal enough on India China border issues. He has been attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has even termed him as ‘Surrender Modi’. Amit Shah aims at calming him down with this attack.
But why choose this occasion? Why Amit Shah chose the 45th anniversary of the Emergency in India to launch an attack on Congress. Maybe, the reason is that the Congress Party is still carrying the legacy. The Grand Old Party still follows the same mentality. Silence the voice that rises against you!
In a recent development, Sanjay Jha, a senior Congressman and one of the sensible spokespersons of the party, was removed from his position. People see this as a reaction to Sanja Jha’s article that was published in a newspaper. Jha had written that “there was no sense of urgency” in the party. Clearly, he tried to raise the voice. Clearly, he was duly silenced. Amit Shah chose to mention these facts as well in his attack.
So, as Amit Shah asks Congress, why this emergency mindset remains? Why Congress’s vision is getting myopic. Why it can’t see beyond the first family.
Well, as someone has rightly said, you are as good as your company. And the Congress leadership has always been surrounded by a particular kind of yes-men. And this has always been there with the Congress leadership. Be it Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, or now Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, they have always been surrounded by a set of bureaucratic-mentality people. Those who have always carried the colonial mentality. Those who always like to discuss the drought in India while sitting in an AC room with bottles of mineral water in their hands. Congress’s vision is as good as its advisors’ vision. Congress has never seen beyond. And if this prevails, Congress can never ever see beyond.
So, coming back to the confusion weather to celebrate the day or take it as a reminder. Well, it seems there is still a group of intellectuals that prefer to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the emergency. It suits their myopic vision. But as a nation, India should take it as a reminder of the dark phase. India should awaken against such atrocities. India should write its own destiny.
