Emergency Chronicles: Indira Gandhi and Democracy's Turning Point

I wish Mr Prakash writes a tv series on it and he definitely has a knack for it. It was a great ride.

Less a biography about Indira Gandhi than it is about the people around her and all the events, small and large, that lead to Indira deciding to declare Emergency. Still a very good breakdown and full of fascinating information, I especially liked the analysis of Maruti and what the Indian automobile industry was like, the lesser-known communist uprisings and an examination of communism in India more generally as well as the references to Indian pop-culture. Read for an episode of my podcast, Hard Fried History.

Do not expect an unbiased historical commentary. The writer displays clear contempt for the Gandhis and has thrown a lot of shade at them.What you read it for? Factors that led to the Emergency, the socio-economic landscape before and after the Emergency, and the incredible foresight of constitution drafters about the survivability of Indian democracy. There are some dramatic narrations of individual tragedies mingled with political books and cinema of the time as well which adds that personal touch to keep readers like me invested and interested.

Tell it as it is. The story of commitment with corrupted power.

This book looks at emergency starting from independence years to the events leading to it. Very well written. It will be helpful for those who haven't known much about emergency.