Title: I Will Never Forget That Day: Amit Shah on the 1975 Emergency
On June 25, 2025, Home Minister Amit Shah attended the ‘Aapatkaal Ke 50 Saal’ program, where he shared his personal experience of the 1975 Emergency. Shah, who was just 11 years old when Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency, said that he will never forget that day until he dies. His words were filled with a mix of emotions, as he recounted the events that took place in his small village in Gujarat.
As Shah began to speak, he was visibly emotional, his voice trembling as he recalled the memories of that fateful day. He spoke of how the Emergency was imposed, and how it affected his family and community. “I was just 11 years old when the Emergency was imposed,” Shah said, his eyes welling up with tears. “I will never forget that day, until I die.”
Shah’s words were a testament to the impact that the Emergency had on the lives of ordinary people, like him, who were caught in the midst of a political crisis. He spoke of how his family was affected, and how they had to live in fear of the authorities. “My father was a small businessman, and he was arrested by the police,” Shah said. “My mother was left to manage the family on her own. It was a very difficult time for us.”
But Shah’s experience was not unique. He spoke of how from his small village in Gujarat alone, 184 people were sent to jail. “It was a cruel and heartbreaking sight to see so many people, including my friends and neighbors, being taken away by the police,” Shah said. “It was a time of great uncertainty and fear, and it was difficult to understand why such a thing was happening.”
The Emergency was a dark period in Indian history, marked by widespread human rights abuses, suppression of free speech, and detention of thousands of people. It was imposed by Indira Gandhi, who was the Prime Minister of India at the time, in response to a judiciary-led crisis that threatened her government.
Shah’s words were a powerful reminder of the impact that the Emergency had on the lives of ordinary people. It was a time of great fear and uncertainty, and it was difficult to understand why such a thing was happening. But despite the challenges, Shah’s family and community remained strong, and they continued to fight for their rights and freedoms.
As Shah finished speaking, the audience was silent, moved by his words. It was a powerful reminder of the impact that the Emergency had on the lives of ordinary people, and the importance of never forgetting the past.
