Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut defended the 1975 Emergency on Thursday after the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) added a chapter on the era to a Class nine textbook [1, 2].
The controversy highlights the deep ideological divide in India over the legacy of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the current administration's approach to historical education.
The NCERT introduced the chapter in a Class nine social science textbook [2]. This academic addition sparked a political row, as the 1975 Emergency remains one of the most contentious periods in Indian democratic history [1].
Raut used the curriculum update to criticize Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said that Indira Gandhi did not break any political party during her tenure [1]. By defending the former Prime Minister, Raut linked the historical event to current political rivalries between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the BJP.
The debate centers on how the 1975 period is presented to students. The inclusion of the Emergency in the Class nine curriculum provides a formal academic framework for discussing the suspension of civil liberties, but it has also become a tool for contemporary political maneuvering [2].
Raut said the move reflects the ongoing tension between his party and the ruling government. The dispute underscores the role of textbooks as battlegrounds for national narrative, and political legitimacy in India [1].
“Sanjay Raut defended the 1975 Emergency on Thursday”
The clash over the NCERT textbook illustrates how historical memory is weaponized in Indian politics. By defending the Emergency, the Shiv Sena (UBT) is not only challenging the BJP's narrative of the era as a 'dark age' for democracy but is also attempting to draw parallels between past and present governance styles to undermine the current administration.
