Books about the Indian Emergency?
October 17, 2010 11:16 AM Subscribe
Can anyone recommend a non-fiction book about the Indian Emergency period (1975-1977)? I know Rushdie's Midnight's Children uses it as a backdrop but I was looking for a more analytical non-fiction take.
Best answer: I read the brick-like India After Gandhi last year to prepare for writing my BA (which turned out not to be about India, ha). It was a fascinating and well-written book, and there are, as I remember, a few chapters on The Emergency. Guha does a fine job of both being critical of and understanding of Indira Gandhi.
posted by aintthattheway at 5:19 PM on October 17, 2010
posted by aintthattheway at 5:19 PM on October 17, 2010
The Emergency period forms a part of this autobiography. I think biographies and autobiographies of political leaders would be a good place to start looking. Also have a look at this book written by a civil servant in the Prime Minister's Office at the time.
posted by vidur at 5:23 PM on October 17, 2010
posted by vidur at 5:23 PM on October 17, 2010
VS Naipaul's India: A Wounded Civilization was written during the emergency period. I haven't read it, but his work is usually both perceptive and highly readable.
posted by Ahab at 11:13 PM on October 17, 2010
posted by Ahab at 11:13 PM on October 17, 2010
Fiction, but has a lot about the Emergency: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry.
posted by phliar at 4:42 PM on October 18, 2010
posted by phliar at 4:42 PM on October 18, 2010
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emergency_(India)
Disclaimer - Having not read any of them myself, I can't vouch for them one way or another.
posted by AMSBoethius at 11:34 AM on October 17, 2010