A DARK HOUR FOR INDIA’S FOURTH ESTATE (1975-1977)

When Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared the Emergency, the press was the first target. Censorship was absolute, and free expression was brutally suppressed. Yet, media professionals found powerful ways to resist.

THE SILENT SCREAM: BLANK EDITORIALS

• The Protest: On June 28, 1975, major newspapers like The Indian Express and The Statesman published their editorial pages completely blank.

• The Message: This audacious act was a silent, deafening declaration of war against government censorship, signaling to the nation that the truth had been forcibly silenced.

THE PEN VERSUS THE PRISON: KULDIP NAYAR’S STAND

• The Price of Truth: Esteemed journalist Kuldip Nayar openly defied the regime and rallied colleagues against the censorship order. For this courage, he was one of the first journalists thrown into jail under the draconian MISA.

• The Legacy: His imprisonment embodied the persecution of the independent press. After his release, his book, The Judgement: Inside Story of the Emergency in India, became the definitive, fearless account that broke the silence and ensured the truth was preserved.

A FIGHT FOR FREEDOM: These heroic acts of defiance by journalists and editors kept the flame of press freedom burning, reminding the nation that democracy cannot survive without a free and courageous press.

“When freedom of speech is seized, what is your most powerful weapon?”