NEW DELHI, June 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described the anti-Emergency movement as a crucial learning phase in his life, underscoring its role in shaping his commitment to democratic values. His remarks came ahead of the release of The Emergency Diaries – Years that Forged a Leader, a book chronicling his experiences during the 1975–77 Emergency, published by BlueKraft.
Scheduled for release by Union Home Minister Amit Shah later in the day, the book reflects on Modi’s role as a young RSS pracharak during the turbulent period. “The anti-Emergency movement was a learning experience for me. It reaffirmed the vitality of preserving our democratic framework,” Modi said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
He urged those who lived through the Emergency or whose families were affected to share their memories on social media, aiming to raise awareness among younger generations about the excesses of the era. The Prime Minister expressed gratitude to the BlueKraft Digital Foundation for compiling these personal narratives into a single volume.
The book features a foreword by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, who was also a key figure in the anti-Emergency struggle. According to the publisher, The Emergency Diaries draws from first-hand anecdotes and archival material to offer rare insights into Modi’s early political journey and his steadfast resolve in resisting authoritarianism.
BlueKraft describes the book as “a tribute to the grit and resolve of those who refused to be silenced,” painting a vivid portrait of a young man who would later rise to become one of India’s most influential leaders. The release comes on the anniversary of the imposition of Emergency in India, a period widely viewed as one of the darkest chapters in the country’s democratic history.
