When the wind blows: India's ballot-box revolution

The Parliamentary election of March 1977 was an event of revolutionary significance in the political development of India. It uprooted the formidable power structure of the Congress Party; it catapulted to the Central Government a new party the creation of which was itself an extraordinary event; it set in motion incalculable forces and threw into turmoil the internal politics of the Congress Party. But most important of all, it gave the country a chance to return to democracy.

When the Wind Blows tells the story of this Ballot-Box Revolution against the dark background of the emergency and the suspension of freedom and the Rule of Law. With careful documentation, judicious use of underground material and information which appeared in the foreign Press India's recent political experience is analysed. This study brings into sharp focus the inherent authoritarianism of Mrs Gandhi's eleven-year rule and the ingredients in her political style. For the first time, the character of the Resistance during the Emergency is told in detail.

Since the announcement of the election on January 18. what seemed a hopeless situation was rapidly transformed. The Great Wind which swept the Janata Party to power resembled an organic force of nature and the atmosphere of these heady days is sought to be recaptured.
Is there hope of the revolution of March 1977 being fulfilled or will it be arrested by the internal contradications in the Janata Party? The last chapter "In Perspective" provides a powerful and objective analysis of trends as they developed. during the nine months which elapsed since the euphoria of March 1977.