{
  "id": 15450543,
  "title": "Agitation Is Not Anti-National, Never Has Been So In India",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/agitation-is-not-anti-national-never-has-been-so-in-india",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-18T16:41:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/agitation-is-not-anti-national-never-has-been-so-in-india"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The current government in India is attempting to justify its aggressive actions against peaceful protesters demonstrating for democracy by claiming they seek to incite chaos and destabilize the nation. This argument is not only supported by supporters of the government, including the mainstream media, but also by those with little understanding of India's history of pro-democracy protests.\n\nNotably, the ruling party, including its leader, has consistently criticized the imposition of Emergency in 1975 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, yet remains silent on the inflammatory and violent protests that preceded her drastic decision. One such example is the Navnirman agitation in Gujarat, which preceded the Emergency. In late 1973, students at Morbi Engineering College protested against rising mess fees, leading to the destruction of classrooms and administrative offices. As the unrest spread to other colleges and universities in Gujarat, it grew more intense and violent. By January 1974, the movement had expanded to include workers, traders, and citizens, who resorted to burning public buses, looting banks and ration shops, and vandalizing government offices. The agitators also targeted legislators, forcing them to resign and demanding action against corruption, price inflation, and the resignation of the state government. The Jana Sangh, later the BJP, and its student wing, the ABVP, played a significant role in these violent protests, which were also backed by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).\n\nNotably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then a young RSS pracharak and ABVP member, actively participated in the movement. He later claimed that he was a key figure in the organization of the protests, issuing a message to the students urging them to pick up \"appropriate weapons\" to lead the country out of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, immorality, corruption, and oppression. This perspective is now held by the Prime Minister, who views unarmed youth waving the Constitution and national flag as threats to the nation.\n\nThis historical context raises questions about the government's stance on protests and regime change. For instance, in 1977, Morarji Desai, after the Janata Party's electoral victory following the Emergency, suggested that thousands surround Indira Gandhi's house to prevent her from receiving visitors, stating that street protests were necessary to defeat her in elections. Jaiprakash Narayan, a key figure in the movement, appealed to the police and armed forces not to follow government orders, while Lal Kishan Advani, who later became Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, declared that using extra-constitutional means to oust the Prime Minister was now legitimate. George Fernandes, a later Defense Minister in the NDA government, even threatened a nationwide railway strike to cripple the economy. These statements from the ruling party's past make it difficult to accept the current government's accusations of anti-national sentiment and threats to public order.",
  "summary": "It is no small irony that the BJP-led regime seeks to justify the sweeping crackdown on peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators in the capital, Delhi, and other cities and towns on the plea that they are out to create anarchy and destabilise the country. This is being touted not only by cheerleaders of the government, including compliant sections of the mainstream media, but even those unaware of…",
  "key_points": [
    "Agitation in India is not anti-national, contrary to government claims.",
    "Navnirman agitation in Gujarat preceded 1975 Emergency, involved violent protests.",
    "BJP and RSS played role in violent protests, Prime Minister Modi participated."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}