50 years on, Emergency lingers as memory and metaphor in Mumbai

On June 25, 1975, India entered Emergency, sparking fear and resistance in Bombay, leading to protests by activists against government repression.

June 25, 1975. Bombay woke up to an announcement on All India Radio that Emergency had been clamped across India in view of “internal disturbances.” Heavy rains darkened the city’s bleak mood.

But initially, there were also some people, especially among the city’s middle class, who were happy to see government officials with their noses to the desk and suburban trains arriving on time. (HT Archives)

“There was a blanket of fear over Bombay in the first few weeks. No authentic information was available thanks to press censorship. I was 23 and scared as the future suddenly seemed grim and uncertain,” said music critic and writer Amarendra Nandu Dhaneshwar, who would go on to