My Memories of Emergency – The Darkest Period in Independent India’s History As decades tick on in our lives, some memories, good or otherwise, stay on top of all others. Being the son of a journalist who was also closely associated with Indian politics for over 50 years, my most vivid memories are of developments in Indian politics over the decades. I remember the outcome of each Lok Sabha (lower house of Indian parliament) election, right from 1977. And then there are memories of the 1990s being overcrowded with Lok Sabha elections, of coalition governments that lasted and those that didn’t, the nuclear tests conducted in 1998, and many others. But the most unforgettable of my memories – also the oldest – are of the Emergency (25-Jun 1975 till 21-Mar 1977) declared in India. Although there was growing resentment towards the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government in the mid-seventies, the immediate trigger for her imposing Emergency was the Allahabad High Court verdict , decla...