Journalist-turned-politician Sagarika Ghosh appeared on News24’s special program ‘Chai Wala Interview’ on Wednesday. During the discussion, she addressed various topics including her career shift and the Emergency imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “undeclared Emergency.”
‘Indira Imposed Emergency and Was Punished by the People’
Regarding the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi, Ghosh stated that Indira did impose the Emergency, held elections, lost, and then went into political exile. She imposed the Emergency for 21 months and was punished by the electorate. If Indira Gandhi had been a dictator, why would she have called for elections?
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Ghosh further noted that prominent Congress leaders at the time advised her against holding elections, suggesting she should remain Prime Minister for life. However, Indira Gandhi chose to hold the elections, lost, and resigned. In contrast, Ghosh criticized the Narendra Modi government for running an “undeclared Emergency” for the past 10 years. She questioned why, if one opposes the Emergency of 1975, they would themselves be implementing an Emergency-like mindset.
Adapting to the Present, Not the Past
When asked about the use of Article 356 by state governments, Ghosh mentioned that Jawaharlal Nehru used it once. She questioned why, if Indira Gandhi and the Emergency were so problematic, the same actions are being repeated. She emphasized that times have changed from 1975 to 2024, and we should focus on how democracy functions today and in the future.
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