Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday recalled the contribution of loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan in demolishing “anti-democratic and repressive forces” during Emergency and went on to say that the struggle during the phase gave a new kind of leaders and politics that witnessed emergence of a stronger democracy in the country.
“Emergency was the biggest blow to democracy. The kind of crisis that hit the country during that period had tempered the Indian democracy which came out stronger. I am grateful to those who struggled and fought against it. Emergency should be remembered not to cry or brood over what had happened then, but to strengthen our resolve to fortify and further strengthen the democratic values and framework in our country,” said Modi.
The Prime Minister was paying tribute to Jayaprakash (JP) on his 113th birth anniversary here at a function, ‘loktantra Prahari Abhinandan’, in Vigyan Bhawan where the likes of BJP veteran lK Advani, senior leader Subramanian Swamy and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who played “important role” during Emergency, were felicitated by him.
The Emergency (for internal disturbances) was in effect from June 25, 1975 until its withdrawal by Indira Gandhi on March 21 ,1977.
In his poll rallies, Modi has been attacking JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar and his alliance partner and RJD chief lalu Prasad, both JP’s disciples, for aligning with the very Congress against whom the stalwart and non-Congress parties had pitched together during the mid-seventies, leading to the ouster of Indira’s regime at the Centre in 1977.
lauding JP’s ideological concept of Sampoorna Kranti, the Prime Minister said,
“JP’s message of total revolution should give us the strength to convert it into the form of total development while bringing about ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ and to further strengthen democracy.”
The Prime Minister earlier also visited the residences of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former NDA convener George Fernandes, who had played a significant role in the fight for democracy in those days.
“The biggest message that came out of the anti-Emergency struggle was the inspiration to fight repression. So many people in politics today owe their initial days to those days of Emergency, JP Movement, Navnirman Movement ... They gave birth to a new kind of politics in the nation,” the Prime Minister said.
“We do not want to remember Emergency to criticise someone, but to constantly be reminded of commitment towards democracy and freedom of press,” he said adding the Indian media may have its preferences, but it should never let people of forget the days of Emergency. “Media should not let the country forget Emergency,” he said. “The leadership born during Emergency was not one for TV screens. It was a leadership committed to live and die for the nation,” he pointed out.
Attacking then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for imposing Emergency, Modi said something good emerges even from a bad and the struggle that ensued during that period helped strengthen democracy.
Stressing that JP’s struggle for democracy should be treated as a benchmark, he said his speeches reflected the “deep anguish” of the people who had suffered during Emergency. “Even though he was a soft-spoken man, his speeches were like the boiling lava.”
Modi said though the top political leadership was in jail when elections were announced by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, it was the people who sent home many bigwigs by exercising their franchise.
The Prime Minister said Indira Gandhi was more bothered about her image abroad than within the country and several Opposition leaders went to foreign countries to spread the word against repression.
“JP’s message of total revolution should give us the strength to convert it into the form of total development while bringing about ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ and to further strengthen democracy.”
Modi also recalled how he had worked closely with veteran leader lK Advani, whom he saw closely during the Emergency and highlighted the role played by Akali leaders who differed with the political views of those in power at the time.
Besides Advani, Badal and Swamy, among others felicitated at the function were four Governors -- Kalyan Singh, OP Kohli, Balram Dass Tandon and Valubhai Vala, former Deputy Speaker Kariya Munda, BJP leaders VK Malhotra, Jaywantiben Mehta , NCP leader DP Tripathi, Kameshwar Paswan and Arif Baig.
In his address, Advani said the focus after Independence was not just on freedom from colonialism but also on strengthening democratic framework, while Badal said JP was one who thought of integrating and developing villages. “JP was an institution, he was a light house and a role model,” Badal said.
Advani suggested to the Prime Minister that the Government should commemorate this year in a befitting way -- beginning from June 25, 2016 and ending on June 25, 2017 as also include the history of the Emergency in the curricula of schools and colleges. Advani also gave suggestion of a proper loktantra Prahari Memorial in the national Capital.
Describing JP as “an all-party man”, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said that is why he could bring about such a change in the country.