Indian Emergency

The Indian Emergency was a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency across India. This allowed the government to suspend civil liberties, enforce strict censorship, detain political opponents without trial, and govern by decree. The emergency was officially declared citing threats to national stability, but it led to widespread suppression of political dissent, curtailed democratic processes, and was seen by many as an abuse of power. It ended in 1977 when elections were restored, and democratic norms were re-established.