External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Sunday recalled his UPSC journey and said that his interview for the civil service exam was held in Delhi on March 21, 1997, a day when the Emergency was revoked. Jaishankar made the remarks while addressing a gathering of a new batch of entrants to the UPSC.
In his address, the External Affairs Minister likened the UPSC exam to an 'agni pariksha', calling the interview the 'real challenge'. "My interview was on March 21, 1977. That was the day the Emergency was revoked. Revoked! So, I go in for an interview at Shahjahan Road... First person that morning," he said.
Recalling his interview, Jaishankar said he was asked about the 1977 elections as he was a student of political science. In his response, Jaishankar said he forgot he was in the interview and his communication skills "somehow came together".
"We had taken part in the 1977 election campaign. We had all gone there and worked for the defeat of the Emergency," he said, citing his association with Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as a student.
Jaishankar, who has also served as foreign secretary, said it was difficult to explain to those people who were "quite connected, sympathetic to the government, what had happened, without offending them". He also said he had learnt that day that important people may be living in a "bubble".
"These people were really shocked, they could not believe that this election result had happened, whereas for us, the ordinary students, we could see that there was a wave against the Emergency," he said. "How do you persuade, how do you explain. This was one carry-away. The second carry-away was that important people may be living in a bubble and not realising what is happening in the country."
Modi govt marks 50 years of Emergency
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre marked 50 years of Emergency nearly a month ago. The Emergency was imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 25, 1975, and was lifted on March 21, 1977.
After the Emergency, the Janata Party won the 1977 general elections, with Morarji Desai becoming the Prime Minister.
The Modi government, thus, organised various events across the country on June 21. The Union Cabinet had even passed a resolution to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Emergency.
However, the Congress criticised the NDA government, saying the country has been placed under an "undeclared Emergency" for the past 11 years under Prime Minister Modi. The grand old party even claimed that the BJP-led NDA was commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Emergency to hide its failure.
