The Darkest Hour
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If the Emergency was so terrible, why didn’t voters punish Indira Gandhi more severely?
In 1977, Congress got 34.5% of national vote (BJP got 31% in 2014). By 1980, voters had completely forgiven it for the Emergency.
Shoaib Daniyal
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In media's Emergency analyses, Indira stood as proxy for anxieties about Narendra Modi
Many commentators alluded to a very contemporary situation: the persistence of a personality cult that could perhaps be used to stamp out liberties.
Ajaz Ashraf
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First person: The story behind how Sanjay Gandhi slapped Indira six times at a dinner party
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lewis M Simons recounts how he got the story and the reaction of Sonia and Rajiv Gandhi when he met them long after the Emergency had been lifted.
Ajaz Ashraf
Trending
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‘Be freed from what holds you back’: Poems by Buddhist women from the Murty Classical Library
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By mixing Carnatic and Hindustani, Mysore’s kings helped create a unique body of music
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We will leave India if told to break encryption: WhatsApp tells Delhi HC
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Why is BJP wooing Bengali-origin Muslims in Assam?
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Canada: Amid anti-immigration rhetoric, curbing international students is a knee-jerk reaction
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What drove Sanjay Gandhi and his coterie during the Emergency?
While the forcible sterilisation programmes appeared aimed at the poor population at large, Muslims were a special target.
John Dayal
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Five hilarious defences from people who insist: 'All India needs is a dictator'
Indian people, other than B-Tech graduates, don't know what's good for them.
Rohan Venkataramakrishnan
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Five reasons why the BJP loves the Emergency
The party looks back at the 21 months during which the Constitution was suspended with the sense of nostalgia many people have for their childhoods.
Vrinda Gopinath
Video
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Watch: K-Pop singer Aoora sings in Assamese as he collaborates with Nilotpal Bora in a new folk song
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Watch Anu Malik and Sonu Nigam’s impromptu performance of ‘Main Hoon Na’ at Farah Khan’s home
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Watch: Doordarshan newsreader faints on live TV in Kolkata owing to severe heat
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Watch: Spice Girls sing ‘Stop’ as bandmates reunite to celebrate Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday
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Watch: Over 350 ballerinas come together to break the world record for standing on tip toes
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What if the Emergency hadn’t happened: would the Jan Sangh still be ‘political untouchables’?
The Emergency is a well known but little examined event. It is for this reason that the BJP claims itself as the winner of the episode in history.
Arvind Rajagopal
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The midnight knock of the Emergency: how Indira Gandhi arrested her opponents
All the arrests were to be made simultaneously so that there was an element of surprise, and those on the list could not be forewarned and thus evade arrest.
Coomi Kapoor
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BJP is mythicising its anti-Emergency role ‒ it did not face the brunt: academic DL Sheth
'This is the only thing they have to celebrate,' says the renowned political scientist. 'Behind its celebration they can hide their past'.
Ajaz Ashraf
The Reel
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The story of India’s unique ‘Milk Revolution’ is going to the Cannes Film Festival
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The story behind the ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ title track: ‘Just write very simple poetry’
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‘Juna Furniture’ review: A simplistic crusade against the neglect of senior citizens
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‘Late Night with the Devil’ review: A deft satire on the price of success
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Watch: In ‘The Big Cigar’, the Black Panther founder flees America through a fake movie
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The Emergency at 40: you know the facts, now read the fiction
The finest novels about the darkest period for Indian democracy have all become modern classics.
Anu Kumar
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'Himmat' during the Emergency: When the Press crawled, some refused to even bend
When Indira Gandhi suspended the Constitution, some journalists maintained their independence despite State repression. Why can't today's journalists find ways to resist corporate control to tell readers the truth?
Kalpana Sharma
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How Sanjay Gandhi and his coterie implemented a programme of conveyor-belt sterilisations
Forty years ago this month, Indira Gandhi suspended the Constitution and declared an Emergency. This excerpt from 'For Reasons of State' recalls the programme of forced vasectomies and tubectomies that was instituted during the period.
John Dayal and Ajoy Bose
The Field
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IPL 2024: Jonny Bairtsow shines as Punjab Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders in record-breaking match
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IPL 2024: ‘Save the bowlers’ – Reactions as Punjab chase down record total against Kolkata
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Paris Olympics 2024: Nethra Kumanan secures India’s second quota in sailing
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ISL: Kerala Blasters FC axe Ivan Vukomanovic as head coach
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Archery, World Cup Shanghai: Jyothi Vennam and Abhishek Verma reach the mixed compound final