To mark the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, the AKG Centre for Research and Studies hosted a powerful exhibition on Tuesday, bringing to light the suppressed voices, censored media, and resistance movements of 1975–77. Titled ‘Emergency: 50 Years Since the Semi-Fascist Regime’, the exhibition was a deep dive into one of India’s darkest democratic chapters.
On display were rare newspaper clippings, searing political cartoons, evocative photographs, and posters from the period. One of the standout exhibits was the iconic blank editorial—a symbolic protest against press censorship. Cartoons by R.K. Laxman and Abu Abraham offered biting satire, with one striking image showing President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed signing an Emergency ordinance from a bathtub, reflecting the hasty and unilateral manner of its imposition.
Director C.N. Mohanan stressed the urgency of remembering this era. “It’s not just about history. We are witnessing echoes of Emergency today—in the silencing of dissent, raids on media like NewsClick, and draconian laws like UAPA. These patterns must be challenged,” he said.
Photographs captured mass protests, arrests, and forced sterilisation drives, while underground movements were depicted through leaflets and posters. The exhibition also paid tribute to cultural resistance—featuring film posters of Aandhi and Kissa Kursi Ka, both censored or banned during the Emergency.
A poignant clipping from A Prison Diary by activist and artist Snehalata Reddy, imprisoned for eight months, reminded visitors of personal sacrifices during those grim times.