Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, has said that late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, at a later stage in her life, publicly expressed regret and apologised for the excesses committed during the Emergency
NEW DELHI — Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, has said that late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, at a later stage in her life, publicly expressed regret and apologised for the excesses committed during the Emergency, while refusing to put the entire blame for the period on Sanjay Gandhi.
In an interview with English daily The Hindu's N. Ram, Sonia Gandhi said that Sanjay Gandhi was often perceived as synonymous with the Emergency, but Indira Gandhi was also under considerable pressure from some of her senior colleagues at the time.
"It was not only Sanjay, though in the public mind he is often seen as synonymous with the Emergency. There was a lot of pressure from some of her senior colleagues, and I think there were very few people around her like Rajiv who had a different point of view," Sonia Gandhi told the newspaper.
She added that her husband, former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi, used to convey to his mother complaints and feedback that he had heard from the people.
Sonia Gandhi's remarks come ahead of the worldwide release of her memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey Of Love', scheduled for November 10.
Asked whether the Emergency should be recognised as an anti-democratic and authoritarian chapter in India's history, the 79-year-old Congress leader acknowledged that democratic rights had been curtailed, while also explaining the circumstances that preceded the proclamation.
"It was only after the Emergency that I came to know the true gravity of what had been happening. Yes, democratic rights had been curtailed, and there was a suspension of habeas corpus, but it was done constitutionally," she said.
Explaining the situation from Indira Gandhi's perspective, Sonia said the then Prime Minister was struggling to cope with rapidly deteriorating circumstances, including violent protests, attacks on government offices and public transport, widespread organised unrest and calls for the bureaucracy and armed forces to disobey orders.
"Yet, when I take myself back to that period and try and see it from Mrs Gandhi's point of view, I see her struggling to cope with the rapidly deteriorating prevailing circumstances: Violent protests, government offices and public transport set on fire, widespread organised unrest and even a call for the bureaucracy and armed forces to disobey orders," she said.
Sonia Gandhi further said that with hindsight, the events could be viewed in a better perspective, pointing out that Indira Gandhi herself eventually recognised the situation and called for elections in March 1977.
"Hindsight allows us to put things better in perspective. Let's not forget that it was Mrs. Gandhi herself who came to recognise what was happening and called for the March 1977 election. And you know very well that she herself later publicly expressed regret and apologised for excesses during the Emergency," she added.
Indira Gandhi declared the Emergency on June 25, 1975. The period witnessed the curtailment of civil liberties, suspension of constitutional safeguards, restrictions on the Press and the expansion of executive powers under the central government.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi praised his mother Sonia Gandhi and shared this interview on social media platform X saying: “Sixty years in public life, and still the same person. Proud of you, Ma."
He also shared one of her quotes: "The values that I learnt growing up survive. I have tried my best to be true to them: Loyalty to family and friends, sincerity and feeling for others, the idea of being dutiful and responsible. I think I can say that in these I am the same person Rajiv met sixty years ago."