New Delhi: More than half a century has passed since then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency in our country, yet it remains one of the most controversial decisions in the history of independent India.
In an interview with The Guardian ahead of the release of her memoir ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, Sonia said her mother-in-law was never comfortable imposing the Emergency on June 25, 1975.
Recalling the turbulent period in the mid-70s, Sonia said the decision was a “mistake” and remarked that keeping her brother-in-law Sanjay Gandhi “in check” could have prevented much of the damage that followed its imposition.
Sonia believes that the decision to impose Emergency divided the family.
She said while her husband Rajiv Gandhi advised his mother to wait for the next general election, Sanjay pushed for it. Though Sanjay held no Cabinet or government post, he wielded a lot of influence over her mother. He was widely seen as the second-most powerful figure in the country, which created tensions within the family also, Sonia felt.
The final push to impose Emergency came from Sanjay during a family dinner. “They must be stopped,” Sanjay told Indira, referring to the Opposition, according to Sonia. Elder son Rajiv tried to confront his mother, but Indira refused to listen, Sonia revealed.
“Keeping Sanjay in check could have prevented much of the damage that followed,” Sonia mentions in her book, according to The Guardian.
The Emergency was imposed amid widespread and mass protests against Congress governments in several states and the Allahabad High Court ruling Indira’s election from Raebareli void.
It lasted for nearly two years – till March 21, 1977 – a period during which civil liberties were suspended and a brutal crackdown unleashed on Opposition leaders and freedom of the press.
