Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday recalled the Emergency imposed 50 years ago, calling it one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history in his monthly Mann ki Baat address.
Referring to the Emergency imposed in 1975, Modi said, “Those who imposed Emergency not only murdered the spirit of the Constitution but also tried to suppress the judiciary as puppets.”
He said the country marked 50 years since the Emergency was imposed a few days ago and observed it as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Divas’. “We must remember those who bravely fought against Emergency. This inspires us to remain vigilant to safeguard our Constitution,” he said.
During the address, Modi also played archival audio recordings of speeches by leaders such as Morarji Desai, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Jagjivan Ram, who had recounted the atrocities faced by people during the Emergency period.
The Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975, and lasted 21 months until March 1977. It was marked by the suspension of civil liberties, press censorship, and widespread arrests of political leaders.
PM Modi’s criticism of the Emergency-era actions, delivered without directly naming the Congress or then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, came at a time when the ruling BJP and opposition parties are engaged in a sharp exchange, with the opposition alleging that an undeclared Emergency exists under the Modi government.
WHO declares India free of Trachoma: Prime Minister Modi on Sunday said that India has been declared free of Trachoma — an eye disease.
In the 123rd episode of Mann ki Baat, Modi said, “I am delighted to share with you that World Health Organisation [WHO] had declared India free of Trachoma, an eye disease.”
Trachoma is a bacterial infection of the eyes caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. It’s a leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide, particularly in impoverished areas with poor access to clean water and sanitation.
Modi further said that around 95 crore people are benefiting from one social security scheme or the other, while till 2015, government schemes reached less than 25 crore people.
“Presently, most of the populace in India is taking advantage of one social protection benefit or the other and recently a very important report of the International Labour Organisation [ILO] has come out. It has been mentioned in this report that more than 64% of the population of India is now definitely availing some sort of social protection benefit or the other,” Modi said.
From health to social security, the country is moving ahead with the feeling of saturation in every field, he said.
“This is also a great picture of social justice. These successes have instilled a belief that the coming times will be even better; India will become even stronger at every step,” Modi said.