Emergency Chronicles: Indira Gandhi and Democracy’s Turning Point

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By Gyan Prakash

Published March 6, 2019

In 1975, Indian premier Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency, an unprecedented action that consolidated power under herself and led to months of substantial and sometimes violent violations of Indian citizens’ constitutional rights. Emergency Chronicles (Princeton University Press) assesses the Emergency as an event not only brought about by the will of Gandhi, but also the result of political malpractice that was present since India’s independence in 1947.

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PAW's July/August 2025 issue cover, featuring a photo of people dressed in orange and black, marching in the P-rade, and the headline: Reunions, Back in Orange & Black.
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On the cover: Wilton Virgo ’00 and his classmates celebrate during the P-rade.