India, June 24 -- It has been 50 years since democracy in India was given a serious blow with the imposition of the internal Emergency, for the first time, on June 25, 1975. It is crucial to recognise the background of this dark chapter in the history of free India. Under the leadership of Jayaprakash Narayan, a legendry freedom fighter who never sought any office, students and young people in India were agitating for democratic, economic, and political reforms. The movement began in Bihar, and as a young student activist, I had the privilege of being an active participant. Soon, it evolved into a mass movement across the country starting with the Gujarat Nav Nirman Movement , followed by the Bihar Chhatra Sangharsh Movement.

Indira Gand...