Reflections during emergency

The incredible has just happened. On 21 March, after 633 days of rest in the grave, the Lazarus of Indian Democracy was miraculously on his feet again.

Posterity will remember with indignation and shame this long spell of darkness and desperation, terror and trepidation, suspense and silent suffering of millions of people of India-the victims as well as mute witnesses of the hurricane of Emergency.

It is too early to expect a comprehensive history of Emergency covering its every aspect. Only when the reports of the various commissions of enquiry, official records, reminiscences of the victims of emergency and the collection of underground publications of the period are available, could the experts in history embark upon the gigantic project. The present work is, therefore, not a history of emergency. It is a collection of articles which (except II) were written during emergency embodying the meditations and reflections of the author on some vital issues popularised during the emergency which are quite significant for a student of social and political philosophy. It is an attempt to analyse and understand the impli cations of some basic concepts and values preached by the Congress Party and its allies as integral part of their so-called 'progressive' social philosophy.

The Chapters III, IV, V, VI and VIII were sent to some leading journals for publication but, except VI, were returned by the terror-stricken editors with regrets for their inability to make use of this material. The articles are here produced in their original form. However, where some additions from subsequent press reports seemed useful, a few footnotes have been added. But the articles, on the whole, are to be read as if these were read at the time these were written.