Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor has rocked the party with a thought-provoking article on the Emergency period, condemning the excesses perpetrated during the rule of Sanjay Gandhi. This came in an article for Malayalam language daily Deepika. The Emergency declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from June 25, 1975 to March 21, 1977 should not be regarded as a dark history alone, but as a lesson for the current and future as well, Thiruvananthapuram MP said.
Tharoor did not mince the words while criticising the actions taken during the 21-month period during emergency time, He highlighted that the government’s pursuit of “discipline and order” often turned into “acts of cruelty.” Tharoor also pointed out specifically to Sanjay Gandhi’s controversial forced mass sterilisation campaign and the demolition of slums in New Delhi, which displaced thousands of urban poor and marginalised population..
Shashi Tharoor criticised sterilisation drive
In rural poverty zones, violence and coercion were employed to achieve arbitrary sterilisation targets. In urban areas, slums were brutally cleared, making many homeless, without caring for their well-being,” wrote Tharoor.
He referred democracy as a “precious legacy,” and urged that it should be kept safe all the time. “Let it stand as a constant reminder to people all over the world,” Tharoor clarified. He also noted that while today’s India is more developed and self-assured, the authoritarianism remains.
As a sign of warning, Tharoor has also remarked that the tendency to centralise authority, silence opposition, and overlook constitutional restraints could return in different forms, always in the guise of national interest or stability. “In this sense, the Emergency is a sobering warning. The custodians of democracy should always be on guard,” he said.
The comments that are particularly about Sanjay Gandhi, are made at a moment when the Congress is attempting to reestablish its history and differentiate itself from the current ruling party BJP. Tharoor’s tweet may be read as both a flashback and a prod towards self-reflection in the Congress.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
