Shashi Tharoor’s recent article on the Emergency has reignited tensions within the Congress party, becoming the latest flashpoint between him and party loyalists. A fellow Congress leader, without naming Tharoor directly, took a subtle jab at him using a bird analogy, highlighting the growing unease within party ranks.
The Emergency — declared on June 25, 1975 — has become a politically charged topic in recent years, especially since the BJP-led government began officially observing the date as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Divas’ (Constitution Murder Day). Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and other BJP leaders have frequently described the period as the darkest chapter in independent India’s history, using it to attack the Congress.
In this context, eyebrows were raised when Tharoor — the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram — published an article in Project Syndicate critiquing the Emergency. He acknowledged that the “excesses” committed during the period were “downplayed” and highlighted the brutal forced sterilization campaigns spearheaded by then PM Indira Gandhi’s son, Sanjay Gandhi.
Tharoor’s stance in the article added to speculation about his growing proximity to the ruling BJP. His recent support for Operation Sindoor, India’s response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, and his public praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi further fueled this perception. He also led a Congress-delegated international outreach effort to five countries — including the U.S. — where he projected India’s zero-tolerance stance on terrorism, a move that earned him praise from BJP leaders.
This perceived alignment led to a veiled criticism from Manickam Tagore, the Congress whip in the Lok Sabha. Without naming Tharoor, Tagore posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“When a colleague starts repeating BJP lines word for word, you begin to wonder — is the bird becoming a parrot?”
He added pointedly:
“Mimicry is cute in birds, not in politics.”
‘Unchecked Power and Unspeakable Cruelty’
In his article, Tharoor did not mince words about the dark side of the Emergency.
“The quest for ‘discipline’ and ‘order’ often translated into unspeakable cruelty,” he wrote. “This was exemplified by the forced vasectomy campaigns led by Sanjay Gandhi and targeted largely at poor, rural populations, where coercion and violence were rampant.”
He also criticized the slum demolition drives in cities like Delhi, describing them as being executed with “ruthless efficiency,” leaving thousands homeless with scant regard for their welfare.
Tharoor acknowledged that some viewed the post-Emergency period as a brief respite from chaotic democratic politics. However, he argued this illusion of order came at an unacceptably high cost.
“Whatever order the Emergency delivered came at a very high price: the soul of our republic,” he concluded.
