Interesting 1978 British TV interview of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India
Firstly I would like to say that I do think that the period of emergency in India imposed by then PM Mrs. Indira Gandhi, was a big blot on Indian democracy.
Also please note that I have a PUBLICLY POLITICALLY NEUTRAL role in these social media posts that I put up related to Indian political leaders which may include leaders in government currently and those not in government. I am an Indian citizen and resident of India. I do vote in Indian elections but I keep who I vote for as a private matter. I should also say that I am a beneficiary, a lover and an open supporter of democracy in India.
An extract from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emergency_(India) :
In India, "the Emergency" refers to a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a state of emergency declared across the country. Officially issued by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution because of the prevailing "internal disturbance", the Emergency was in effect from 25 June 1975 until its withdrawal on 21 March 1977. The order bestowed upon the Prime Minister the authority to rule by decree, allowing elections to be suspended and civil liberties to be curbed. For much of the Emergency, most of Gandhi's political opponents were imprisoned and the press was censored. Several other human rights violations were reported from the time, including a forced mass-sterilization campaign spearheaded by Sanjay Gandhi, the Prime Minister's son. The Emergency is one of the most controversial periods of independent India's history.
The final decision to impose an emergency was proposed by Indira Gandhi, agreed upon by the president of India, and thereafter ratified by the cabinet and the parliament (from July to August 1975), based on the rationale that there were imminent internal and external threats to the Indian state.
--- end wiki extract ---
Ravi: I was in my early teens living in Govt. Colony, Bandra (East), Bombay (Mumbai) for most or all of this emergency period. I do have some recollections of this period in the area where I lived, with fear of the police and other people in authority being much more than usual (non-emergency periods) but also that some people liked the discipline that that fear had brought in those involved in delivery of some govt. services including public transport (buses and trains). But I was just too young to know the political conditions in the country then and know whether the decision to impose an Emergency was warranted or not.
In later years, the view that I have formed is that this period of authoritarian rule in India led to significant excesses by people in authority against the other citizens of the country. The worst excess perhaps was forcible and/or coerced sterilization carried out in some parts of the country (to combat overpopulation).
Today I came across this youtube video having a 1978 British Television (Thames Television) interview of Mrs. Indira Gandhi. The emergency period was over and she had lost the elections held after that. Perhaps there was a possibility that she might be arrested in India.
In this kind of atmosphere, the British journalist asks tough questions of Mrs. Indira Gandhi while she is in UK. What I appreciate of Mrs. Gandhi is the way she answered the questions, even if some of her responses seem very harsh (e.g. defending forced and/or coerced sterilization as a way to save India from the anticipated terrible dangers of overpopulation). She surely was very articulate in her responses. Her English was excellent.
Whether one agreed or disagreed with the policies of Mrs. Indira Gandhi (one of my uncles who had studied marine engineering at least partly in Britain was heavily critical of her), I think she was a well recognized political leader both in India and outside India. It also has to be remembered that she laid down her life while serving India when she won the elections later and again became Prime Minster of India. [She was assassinated in 1984, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Indira_Gandhi.]
As a person interested in the history of India, I find that this TV interview is a very notable one as it gives Mrs. Gandhi's views on the Emergency period in response to pretty effective and tough questions from the interviewer: Indira Gandhi - Interview - TV Eye - 1978, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8aETK5pQR4, 21 mins, published by ThamesTv.
[I thank wikipedia and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extract from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
Also please note that I have a PUBLICLY POLITICALLY NEUTRAL role in these social media posts that I put up related to Indian political leaders which may include leaders in government currently and those not in government. I am an Indian citizen and resident of India. I do vote in Indian elections but I keep who I vote for as a private matter. I should also say that I am a beneficiary, a lover and an open supporter of democracy in India.
An extract from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emergency_(India) :
In India, "the Emergency" refers to a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a state of emergency declared across the country. Officially issued by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution because of the prevailing "internal disturbance", the Emergency was in effect from 25 June 1975 until its withdrawal on 21 March 1977. The order bestowed upon the Prime Minister the authority to rule by decree, allowing elections to be suspended and civil liberties to be curbed. For much of the Emergency, most of Gandhi's political opponents were imprisoned and the press was censored. Several other human rights violations were reported from the time, including a forced mass-sterilization campaign spearheaded by Sanjay Gandhi, the Prime Minister's son. The Emergency is one of the most controversial periods of independent India's history.
The final decision to impose an emergency was proposed by Indira Gandhi, agreed upon by the president of India, and thereafter ratified by the cabinet and the parliament (from July to August 1975), based on the rationale that there were imminent internal and external threats to the Indian state.
--- end wiki extract ---
Ravi: I was in my early teens living in Govt. Colony, Bandra (East), Bombay (Mumbai) for most or all of this emergency period. I do have some recollections of this period in the area where I lived, with fear of the police and other people in authority being much more than usual (non-emergency periods) but also that some people liked the discipline that that fear had brought in those involved in delivery of some govt. services including public transport (buses and trains). But I was just too young to know the political conditions in the country then and know whether the decision to impose an Emergency was warranted or not.
In later years, the view that I have formed is that this period of authoritarian rule in India led to significant excesses by people in authority against the other citizens of the country. The worst excess perhaps was forcible and/or coerced sterilization carried out in some parts of the country (to combat overpopulation).
Today I came across this youtube video having a 1978 British Television (Thames Television) interview of Mrs. Indira Gandhi. The emergency period was over and she had lost the elections held after that. Perhaps there was a possibility that she might be arrested in India.
In this kind of atmosphere, the British journalist asks tough questions of Mrs. Indira Gandhi while she is in UK. What I appreciate of Mrs. Gandhi is the way she answered the questions, even if some of her responses seem very harsh (e.g. defending forced and/or coerced sterilization as a way to save India from the anticipated terrible dangers of overpopulation). She surely was very articulate in her responses. Her English was excellent.
Whether one agreed or disagreed with the policies of Mrs. Indira Gandhi (one of my uncles who had studied marine engineering at least partly in Britain was heavily critical of her), I think she was a well recognized political leader both in India and outside India. It also has to be remembered that she laid down her life while serving India when she won the elections later and again became Prime Minster of India. [She was assassinated in 1984, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_Indira_Gandhi.]
As a person interested in the history of India, I find that this TV interview is a very notable one as it gives Mrs. Gandhi's views on the Emergency period in response to pretty effective and tough questions from the interviewer: Indira Gandhi - Interview - TV Eye - 1978, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8aETK5pQR4, 21 mins, published by ThamesTv.
[I thank wikipedia and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extract from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
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