This volume marks the fiftieth anniversary of one of the defining moments of Indian history. It examines the Emergency and its aftermath from diverse perspectives – political, historical, legal, economic, philosophical, experiential and cultural, among others. Bringing together leading scholars and writers, it explores how the Emergency transformed Indian polity, and shaped law enforcement and penal practices, the media, student movements, judicial responses, subaltern politics and literary expression, and examines why analysis of the Emergency is still relevant to political discourse in India today. ‘. . . a probing and kaleidoscopic reassessment of the origins, . . . the book prompts us to reconsider the multiple dimensions and layers of a compacted historical period and the many frameworks that continue to influence our understanding of it. . . .’ (Srinath Raghavan, author of Indira Gandhi and the Years that Transformed India) ‘Fifty years after India’s first experiment with dictatorship, this remarkable book explores not only the multiple facets of the Emergency but also the resistance it generated. . . . A very well researched and in-depth analysis of a key moment of India’s history.’ (Christophe Jaffrelot, CERI–CNRS Senior Research Fellow, Sciences Po, Paris) ‘This is the single most valuable, engaging, thoughtful and wide-ranging volume available on the Emergency. . . .’ (Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Princeton University) ‘. . . some of our best minds come together to put together an arresting tableau of troubled memories, and curious associations and conflicted lessons learnt. . . .’ (Harish Khare, former press advisor to Manmohan Singh and former editor of The Tribune)