Article
- +1
Rudra Chaudhuri, Tejas Bharadwaj, Konark Bhandari, …
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"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Carnegie India"
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"regions": [
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Source: Getty
Other
Re-reading the Indian Emergency: Britain, the United States, and India’s Constitutional Autocracy, 1975–1977
The period known as the “Emergency” in India—June 1975 to March 1977—is widely recognized as one of the darkest episodes in the nation’s 70-year history.
Published on Aug 20, 2018
Source: Diplomacy & Statecraft
The period known as the “Emergency” in India—June 1975 to March 1977—is widely recognised as one of the darkest episodes in the nation’s 70-year history. Fundamental rights were suspended, whilst the courts had little or no authority. The security services received emergency powers to make arrests without explanation. Although the political, social, and economic history of the Emergency remains well known, there is nothing on the international history of this period. This analysis provides the first contribution to its diplomatic history. Examining the role played by the United States and Britain, in particular, finds basis largely on declassified papers available in the Indian, American, and British national archives as well as a survey of over 300 newspaper articles on and around the Indian Emergency.
This article was originally published in Diplomacy & Statecraft.
About the Author
Rudra Chaudhuri
Former Director, Carnegie India
Rudra Chaudhuri was the director of Carnegie India. His research focuses on the diplomatic history of South Asia, contemporary security issues, and the important role of emerging technologies and digital public infrastructure in diplomacy, statecraft, and development. He and his team at Carnegie India chair and convene the Global Technology Summit, co-hosted with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.
- The India-United Kingdom Technology and Security Initiative: Ideas for Change
- Indian Airstrikes in Pakistan: May 7, 2025Commentary
Rudra Chaudhuri
Recent Work
Domestic PoliticsForeign PolicyUnited StatesIndiaNorth AmericaSouth AsiaWestern EuropeUnited Kingdom
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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