Emergency was imposed to bring down morale of the country, says EAM Jaishankar
It's not normal when students are sleeping the hostel, and suddenly some of them are taken away for no reason. This happened during nights. Imagine the trauma everyone had to go through External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar said, speaking at the inaugural session of the Mock Parliament organized by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) on Friday (June 27, 2025).
This whole exercise was done to bring down the morale of the country, he said.
I was studying when the Emergency was imposed in 1975, and I will never forget what happened and what everyone had to go through. The lesson I took away from Emergency was, 'Never take freedom for granted.'
Everybody assumes Emergency is related to politics, but it was always more than that. It affected every aspect of the country, including arts, culture, cinema, education. 'It affected everybody's way of life,' the External Affairs Minister said.
Emergency was imposed based on the rationale that there were imminent internal threats to the Indian state, and some minor internal issues were portrayed as security threats to the country. Many important leaders were arrested, he noted.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India.com
32 minutes ago
- India.com
What Did PM Modi And Shubhanshu Shukla Talk About? From 16 Sunrise And Sunset To Astronaut Strapping His Feet
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a conversation with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the Indian Astronaut, who made a new record by becoming the first Indian to go to the International Space Station (ISS). The chat took place through video conferencing and was streamed live. Shubhanshu Shukla is currently on a space mission, orbiting 400 kilometres above the Earth. Here are the five things PM Modi and Shubhanshu Shukla talked about: 1- 'Hearts Of 140 Crore Indians…' The initial thing that PM Modi told the astronaut was, 'You may be far from us, but the hearts of 140 crore Indians beat with you,' and congratulated Shubhanshu for raising the nation's pride globally. 'Your name itself carries the word 'Shubh' (auspicious). And your journey symbolises the direction in which 'New India' is heading,' he said. 2- PM Modi's Carrot Halwa Question The Prime Minister asked whether the carrot halwa that Shubhanshu Shukla carried from India had been shared with his fellow astronauts. The astronaut said that he brought along several traditional Indian delicacies to the space station, including carrot halwa, moong dal halwa, and aam ras. He expressed his intent to offer his international colleagues a taste of India's rich culinary heritage. Shukla also informed PM Modi that the astronauts all sat together and enjoyed the dishes, which were very well received. 3- 16 Sunrise And Sunset The PM, stating that circumambulation, or 'parikrama', has been a revered Indian tradition for centuries, said that Shukla now had the rare honour of performing 'parikrama' of Mother Earth herself. PM Modi inquired which part of the Earth Shubhanshu might be orbiting over at that moment. Responding to that, the astronaut said a short while earlier, he had seen through the window that they were passing over Hawaii. He shared that they complete 16 orbits a day, witnessing 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets from space, an experience that continues to amaze him. 4- Did Shubhanshu Shukla Strap His Feet? Highlighting that Shubhanshu Shukla was the first Indian to be on board the ISS, the Prime Minister enquired with him about the contrast between his rigorous preparation on Earth and the actual conditions aboard the space station. The astronaut shared that despite knowing about zero gravity and the nature of experiments in advance, the reality in orbit was entirely different He remarked that the human body becomes so accustomed to gravity that even the smallest tasks in microgravity become unexpectedly complex. He humorously noted that during the conversation, he had to strap his feet down—otherwise, he would just float away. 5- Experiments In Space PM Modi asked whether any of the space experiments being conducted would benefit the agriculture or health sector in the future. Shubhanshu Shukla shared that, for the first time, Indian scientists have designed seven unique experiments which he has taken to the space station. He informed that the first experiment, scheduled for that day, focuses on stem cells and explained that in the absence of gravity, the body experiences muscle loss, and the experiment seeks to test whether specific supplements can prevent or delay this loss. He highlighted that the outcome of this study could directly help elderly people on Earth who face age-related muscle degeneration. Shubhanshu further stated that another experiment focuses on the growth of microalgae. He remarked that though microalgae are small in size, they are highly nutritious. He noted that if methods can be developed to grow them in larger quantities based on the findings in space, it could significantly aid food security on Earth. He underlined that one major advantage of conducting experiments in space is the accelerated pace of biological processes, enabling researchers to obtain results much faster than on Earth. Axiom 4 Mission Axiom 4 mission aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft successfully docked at the ISS on Thursday. The Dragon spacecraft was ahead of schedule, autonomously docking at 4:05 pm (IST) to the space-facing port of the space station's Harmony module. As per ANI, former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, ESA (European Space Agency) astronauts Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, and Tibor Kapu of Hungary lifted off at Noon IST on June 25, on the SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The Axiom-4 team will remain aboard the ISS for up to 14 days, engaging in science experiments, outreach, and commercial work.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Modi talks to Group Captain Shukla, says this mission is first step towards India's own space station
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a conversation with astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla , who is at the International Space Station, on Saturday in which the two discussed the experiments the latter is conducting during his stay and how it will benefit the country in sectors like agriculture and health. Modi emphasized that this is 'the first chapter' in the march towards the Gaganyaan mission and establishment of India's own space station in the near future. In an interaction that lasted 18 minutes, Shukla shared his experiences and challenges during his space journey. With the Indian flag as the background, India's second man in space said he is conducting seven unique experiments designed by Indian scientists, including stem cell research. Shukla's message to India's youth was to 'never stop trying and never give up'. Success, he said, will come sooner or later. 'Sky is never the limit. Not for me, not for you and not for the country,' he added. Prime Minister Modi said he sees Shukla's flight as a part of the goals of launching Gaganyaan, establishing India's own space station and landing an Indian on the moon. He emphasized that Shukla's experiences will help in this endeavour. Shukla assured the PM that he is absorbing all knowledge 'like a sponge' and his learnings will help in India's future missions. Live Events The prime minister said this mission will give impetus to India's Viksit Bharat program . 'India is going to open the doors to future space missions of the world. Now India will not just fly missions but prepare the stage for other space flights,' Modi said. Shukla said from space, earth is visible as one without any national boundaries and one gets the feeling of oneness with all its inhabitants. Expressing his gratitude towards 140 Crore Indians for their wishes, he said India appears grander in 3-D from space. Prime Minister Modi gave his good wishes to the astronaut and asked about his well-being. 'You are farthest from your motherland but let me assure you that you are close to the heart of all Indians… Though at present just the two of us are talking to each other, the feelings of 140 Crore Indians are with us. The enthusiasm and excitement of all Indians is a part of this,' Modi said. Shukla maintained that while growing up he had never imagined he would become an astronaut one day and the way India is marching ahead today makes this possible. He shared that he witnesses 16 sunrises and sunsets every day and the space station is moving at a speed of 28,000 kilometres per hour. Shukla said he has shared with fellow astronauts the gajar and moong halwa he is carrying with him. He wanted them to know about India's rich culinary heritage, he added.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
No change in State BJP leadership: Ashok
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok has ruled out the possibility of any changes in the State BJP leadership in Karnataka. Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, Mr. Ashok said there had been no discussions at the party High Command about any change in the post of State BJP president or the Leader of the Opposition. He said he went to Delhi recently and submitted a report as he had been instructed to go to the capital once every three months and submit a report. 'After three more months, I will be submitting a report as the Leader of the Opposition,' Mr. Ashok said. He also ruled out the possibility of any elections for the post of BJP's State president any time now. 'There is a plenty of time for that process to take place,' he said, adding that elections would take place in the State only after the polls in other States. 'New CM by Dasara' Mr. Ashok claimed that a new Chief Minister would be in the saddle by Dasara this year. He said a change of guard in the State was inevitable by September-October. A 'fight' has begun in the Congress to occupy the post of Chief Minister that Mr. Siddaramaiah would have to vacate by that period as per an 'agreement', he said. While some Congressmen admit to the expected changes and claim that only small changes would take place, others were vouching for a drastic overhaul in the State, he claimed. When pointed out that Mr. Siddaramaiah had denied possibility of any such changes, Mr. Ashok said the Chief Minister had no other option, but to deny the same to 'save his chair'. Emergency Mr. Ashok urged the Congress to apologise to the people of the country if it had any respect for the Indian Constitution. He wondered whether the Congress justified imposition of Emergency or opposed it. 'Without saying anything on it, they have allowed 50 years to pass', he said claiming that the Congress now stood exposed before the people of the country. Describing imposition of Emergency as the 'second freedom struggle', Mr. Ashok said a large number of patriots sent to jails during Emergency had died. The then Congress government headed by Indira Gandhi imposed restrictions on the media and arrested the Opposition leaders. With regard of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's allegation that an 'undeclared emergency' had been declared in the country by the BJP Government at the Centre, Mr. Ashok sought to know from the Congress leader whether the government had prevented him from contesting elections or stopped his son from becoming a Minister.
