A generation of young activists faced Emergency head-on, writes Prakash Karat

Emergency declared in 1975 marked a crucial struggle for democracy, revealing the fragility of rights and the rise of authoritarianism in India.

When the Emergency was declared on June 25, 1975 the CPI(M) leadership, at first, viewed it as a draconian measure to permanently enforce an authoritarian set-up. It was felt that parliamentary democracy would remain truncated for a long period of time. However, after the first few weeks, it became clear that the Emergency was a manoeuvre resorted to by a beleaguered Indira Gandhi to outwit and thwart the opposition.

Students of JNU demonstrating and demanding for the removal of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as the Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (HT Archives)

Soon after the big “Garibi Hatao” victory in the Lok Sabha