Where doubts exist, reference may and should be made to the nearest press adviser.” As the media was under an attack in the country during the 21-month emergency period, the foreign media was on its heels to get the stories out about the situation in the country where Constitutional rights were suspended. Sharma said among many rules, one was - “Where news is plainly dangerous, newspapers will assist the Chief Press Adviser by suppressing it themselves.

Three years ago, Kalpana Sharma, former Editor of Himmat said by the time they came to know what exactly was happening in the nation, many leaders and activists were in jail. The Indira Gandhi Government laid out some ground rules for the journalists across the country and they were told about certain “guidelines” to follow. With freedom of speech being suspended as a fundamental right, the printing presses were raided and for the next two days, the newspapers went out of circulation. While things changed overnight and India was in the face of a Constitutional crisis during the Emergency, the Press freedom was one that took a dark turn. There is nothing to panic about,” declared Indira Gandhi on All India Radio.

During the emergency, journalists, Opposition leaders, and activists were thrown in jail under the Draconian rule of Indira Gandhi government. The then prime minister Indira Gandhi suspended the civil liberties - free press among other things - and the Constitution was amended and altered. In the early hours of June 26, 1975, then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed declared a state of Emergency in India citing threat to the national security by 'internal disturbances'.

Kuldip nayar book on emergency