Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath, one of the few active politicians with a close-up view of India’s Emergency period, has said that Sanjay Gandhi was in favour of lifting the Emergency before general elections, but then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi insisted on going to the polls first.
Speaking in an interview marking the anniversary of the 1975 Emergency, Nath, a former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and long-time confidant of Sanjay Gandhi, recalled that he was present at the Prime Minister’s residence the night before the Emergency was imposed. He said the atmosphere was tense and senior Congress leaders including Siddhartha Shankar Ray, D.K. Barooah and Rajni Patel were present when the final decision was taken.
Nath described the Emergency as a time of order and discipline. “I look at it as a period when the country was very disciplined. Of course, there was the downside of arrests and detentions. But we must understand, all the trains worked on time. Law and order was perfect,” he said.
He acknowledged the excesses of the Emergency, including press censorship and mass arrests, but emphasised the prevailing sense of control and efficiency in governance. Nath recounted that Sanjay Gandhi had supported the Emergency at its inception, believing it was necessary to contain widespread law and order issues.
Reflecting on the months leading to its end, Nath said, “Mrs Gandhi was always inclined towards calling elections. Around New Year’s in December 1976, Sanjay and I had gone to Srinagar. He booked a call to Mrs Gandhi, and she asked him to return to Delhi immediately. When he got back, she said, ‘I am going to lift the Emergency’. He disagreed. He said, ‘First lift the Emergency, then call elections’. But she insisted on calling elections first.” After the Congress party’s defeat, Nath said, Indira Gandhi promptly called a Cabinet meeting and lifted the Emergency.
Nath also spoke about his interactions with media mogul Ramnath Goenka, saying he respected him deeply. “When Mr Goenka had a heart attack in 1976, I went to visit him in Kolkata. I assured him I wouldn’t hold any Board meetings until he recovered. I also remember urging Sanjay to ensure the release of journalist Kuldip Nayar from jail.”
Commenting on the present state of democracy, Nath drew parallels between the Emergency era and current media restrictions. “It is already happening. You are seeing how the press is being throttled. You must admit it. You are seeing how TV channels are being suppressed, and journalists who are speaking their mind are being silenced.”
Defending Sanjay Gandhi’s controversial policies, Nath said he was “fanatically nationalistic” and driven by a strong work ethic. “He worked 18 hours a day. He was misunderstood, especially over the family planning campaign. People thought it was heavy-handed, but it was necessary. He is the one who gave the slogan ‘Hum do, hamare do’.”
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