Teaser | Indira Gandhi’s 1975 Emergency
On 25 June 1975, just before midnight, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of internal Emergency that would last for 22 months. Widely regarded as one of the darkest chapters in Indian democracy, it was marked by censorship of the press, the suppression of civil liberties, and forced sterilisation campaigns. As this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre has declared 25 June as ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’. The ruling party has frequently invoked the Emergency, with parliamentarians, including Union Ministers, staging demonstrations outside Parliament, demanding an apology from the Congress for “betraying” the nation. Meanwhile, amid the political tensions, the release of Kangana Ranaut's film Emergency, in which she depicts the political life of Indira Gandhi, was scheduled for 6 September but has been delayed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Ultimately, the question remains: is the Emergency of 1975 all that different from the censorship and suppression of dissent we see today?
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