Some continued to wield political power even after the Emergency, others had their children enter politics & there are even those who retreated into the political wilderness.
In ‘Sweets and Bittersr’, Satish Arora recounts his time from his family kitchen to becoming the world’s youngest executive chef of Taj Mahal Hotel and then revamping Air India’s on air meals.
Even before Emergency was announced 48 years ago, Bollywood captured the build-up of popular disquiet in movies like Roti Kapada Aur Makaan, Mere Apne, Namak Haraam.
Entitled and 'outstandingly mediocre,' Sanjay didn’t have the makings of an ideal political successor. But there are perks to being your mother’s favourite.
On 19 April 1976, Indira Gandhi govt-ordered demolition drive razed buildings & shops, and as many people ran to protect their homes, the police opened fire.
Before helicopter carrying Gen. Bipin Rawat crashed, many high-profile politicians & prominent personalities have been in similar accidents. While some survived, most perished.
The collusion between the new class of bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen and trade union bosses perpetuates itself partly because of the short-run benefits and partly because they see no way out of the system, wrote author MH Mody in 1980.
IAF is firming up plans to revamp airlift capabilities with medium transport aircraft that will be assembled in India & serve as its main workhorse. Embraer is leading contender as of now.
The reimposition of emergency is not on, however tempting it is for our present Netas, for the unbridled power it bestows.