Tharoor Terms Emergency A ‘Dark Chapter’ In India's History, Flags Authoritarian Risks Amid Congress Strains

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has described the 1975 Emergency as a “dark chapter” in India’s history, drawing renewed attention to Sanjay Gandhi’s controversial role during that period, Times of India reported.

His remarks, published in an article in Malayalam daily Deepika, come amid simmering tensions between Tharoor and the Congress leadership.

Tharoor criticised the excesses committed during the Emergency, particularly forced sterilisation drives led by Sanjay Gandhi.

“Sanjay Gandhi, the son of Indira Gandhi, led forced sterilisation campaigns which became a notorious example of this,” Tharoor wrote.

“In poor rural areas, violence and coercion were used to meet arbitrary targets. In cities like New Delhi, slums were mercilessly demolished and cleared. Thousands of people were rendered homeless. Their welfare was not taken into consideration,” he added.

Reflecting on the broader implications of that era, Tharoor cautioned against the rise of authoritarianism: “Let it serve as a lasting reminder to people everywhere,” he wrote.

Tharoor observed that India today is a more self-confident, developed, and in many ways a stronger democracy.

However, he added that the lessons of the Emergency still hold relevance in 'troubling ways'.

He further cautioned that the impulse to centralise authority and suppress dissent can resurface in new forms.

Tharoor noted that such tendencies are often justified in the name of 'national interest or stability'.

In this context, he said, the Emergency serves as a strong warning and emphasised that the guardians of democracy must always remain vigilant.

Tharoor’s remarks arrive in the backdrop of ongoing friction with the Congress top brass, particularly since his unsuccessful bid for party president against Mallikarjun Kharge.

His exclusion from the party’s Operation Sindoor outreach and occasional praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have further strained his standing, especially within the Kerala unit of the party.

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