New Delhi, July 10: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has described the 1975 Emergency as a “dark chapter” in India’s democratic journey, emphasizing that it serves as a stark reminder that democracy should never be taken for granted.
In a powerful Op-Ed published in a leading daily, Tharoor, a three-time MP and former UN Under-Secretary General, reflected on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, which was imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, and lasted 20 months. During this period, civil liberties were suspended, media freedom was curbed, and the judiciary was muzzled.
Tharoor noted that the Emergency exposed the fragility of democratic institutions and showed how even robust systems can be undermined when power goes unchecked. “It demonstrated how a government can lose its moral compass and its sense of accountability to the very people it purports to serve,” he wrote.
Drawing key lessons from that era, Tharoor emphasized the need for a free press, judicial independence, and strong institutional checks. “When the fourth estate is besieged, the public is deprived of the information it needs to hold political leaders accountable,” he warned. He also noted the dangers posed by an overreaching executive backed by a legislative majority, particularly when driven by a belief in its own infallibility.
Interestingly, Tharoor pointed out that “India of today is not that of 1975,” describing the current nation as “more confident, more prosperous, and in many ways, a more robust democracy.”
Tharoor’s remarks — a rare public critique of the Emergency by a senior Congress figure — may trigger internal party tensions and provide fresh ammunition to the BJP, especially ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament beginning July 21.
