NEW DELHI: Amidst the ongoing campaign by the BJP against the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975, Sunil Ambekar, the national media chief of RSS on Saturday said that “a bad incident like the Emergency” should be remembered so as to prevent others from repeating the same. Ambekar was speaking at the annual ‘Devrishi Narad Patrakar Samman’, organized by the Inderprastha Vishwa Samvad Kendra. Ambekar emphasized that people must recall and remember the tyrannies of the Emergency period. He asserted that understanding the events of Emergency era is crucial for the current generations to know how bad it was damaging to democracy and the Constitution. Ambekar underscored the role of vigilant citizens and the RSS in resisting the Emergency’s authoritarian measures, noting their “efforts in restoring democratic values.” He urged journalists, honoured at the event for their exemplary reporting, to prioritize national interest and contribute to societal well-being. Stressing the responsibility of the media, he called for upholding the ‘nation first’ mantra to foster an informed and responsible citizenry. The Emergency, declared on June 25, 1975, under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, has witnessed widespread political arrests, media censorship, and suspension of fundamental rights. Ambekar’s condemnation of the Emergency came after the President of India in her address to the Parliament’s joint sitting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the first day of the ongoing session in his customary address to media, RS Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and LS speaker Om Birla among others echoed the BJP’s ongoing campaign. RSS’s publicity head further cautioned against forgetting the political circumstances that allowed such authoritarianism to flourish.Addressing contemporary issues, Ambekar highlighted concerns about artificial intelligence, advocating for human intelligence to guide technological advancements. He said that human-intelligence must control the Artificial Intelligence. He emphasized the RSS’s commitment to “societal equality and nation-building”, positioning their opposition to the Emergency as part of a broader commitment to democratic principles. The event honoured several journalists for their exceptional reporting. Prominent who graced the event included Avinash Pandey, CEO of ABP News, Shubh Karan Bothara from the Bothara Foundation Trust, Ashok Sachdeva, Ritesh Aggarwal, president and the vice president of the Inderprastha Vishwa Samvad Kendra respectively.
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