50 Years After India's Emergency: How news censorship has evolved
Unveiled Strategies during the Emergency Period, According to Coomi Kapoor's Insider Perspective
This June marks the 50th anniversary of India's Emergency, a dark period (1975-1977) when Indira Gandhi rampantly suppressed media freedom with censorship, blackouts, and arrests. Fifty years later, a complete news blackout is unlikely due to the explosion of private TV channels, internet bloggers, social media influencers, and other digital platforms.
During the Emergency, there was only one government-controlled TV channel, Doordarshan, and a few hundred newspapers. Fifty years on, the print media is just one segment in the vast news operations spectrum. There are over 400 privately owned TV news channels, a myriad of bloggers, vloggers on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and the WhatsApp universe available to anyone with a cell phone. Even during the Emergency, news spread by word of mouth.
Indira Gandhi's tactics to suppress the media were merciless. Before the Emergency proclamation, electricity supply to Delhi newspapers was shut off. Censorship was rigid to the point that not a single line could be published about the mass arrests of opposition politicians, censorship, or the shutting down of publications.
Foreign correspondents were told to either adhere to the government's stringent media guidelines or leave. National Herald editor Chalapathi Rao, after a meeting with the I&B Minister V C Shukla and his fellow editors, commented, "I have not seen such a performance of sycophants even at the height of the British Raj."
A Modern-Day Emergency: Possible or Far-Fetched?
A common question is, can India face an Emergency-style repression of the media again? While a complete blackout of news is now unlikely, modern governments may still attempt to control news dissemination. The methods may be more subtle and sophisticated, using legal and political pressures instead of direct censorship.
Keeping Media Free in a Powerful World
In today's world, there's a strong focus on media freedom, as highlighted by the annual ranking of countries on the World Press Freedom Index. India, with its diverse set of opinions, news outlets, and myriad of critical voices, ranks poorly on this index. Yet, our openness compared to the Emergency may not be satisfactory.
To assess the index of media independence, consider these factors:
- Financial Stability: Media outlets should not be dependent on government funds.
- Conflict of Interest: The media should not have business interests that could compromise their role as truth-tellers.
- Chill Factor: Self-censorship due to fear of reprisal from powerful entities can limit media freedom.
- Accessibility: The degree to which the government engages with the media is a crucial indicator of media freedom.
We have stronger media institutions today, but is that good enough? Are we fully living up to Tagore's immortal words, "Where the mind is without fear"?
Sources:
- Reporters Without Borders (2025). World Press Freedom Index.
- Human Rights Watch (n.d.). India: Crackdown on Dissent.
- Committee to Protect Journalists (n.d.). Attacks on the Press in India.
- Universal Rights Group (n.d.). India's Internet Shutdowns: Human Rights implications and Recommendations.
- National Democratic Institute (n.d.). Strengthening Media Legislation in India: Challenges and Opportunities.
The 'defi' market could potentially pose challenges in maintaining media freedom, as via digital platforms, powerful entities might leverage financial means to influence the 'finance' of media outlets, thus increasing the 'chill factor'. In the realm of politics, the interplay between government and media might be impacted, raising questions about media independence and accessibility.
In the broader context of general news, the evolution of news censorship over the past five decades demonstrates that while the means of suppression may evolve, the need for media independence persists. In today's world, it is essential to ensure that media remains free from encroachments, lest we face a resurgence of the oppressive measures seen during India's Emergency.
