Archive · 26 Jun 2025
Cartoons Under Siege: Expressing Dissent During India's Emergency
During India's Emergency, when the government restricted freedoms, cartoons became a way for people to express their views.
Cartoonists created art that dodged censorship.
One cartoonist's work was like a small miracle, expressing ideas that regular news couldn't.
After the Emergency, a popular satire magazine disappeared.
The article looks back at this period and how cartoons helped people understand and discuss important events.
Cartoons provided a crucial form of expression during the Emergency in India.
Cartoonists like Abu Abraham, Rajinder Puri and O V Vijayan were critical of the state.
Abu Abraham's cartoons in The Indian Express offered commentary on national events.
Satire magazine 'Shankar's Weekly' shut down after the Emergency's imposition.
The article reflects on the role of cartoons and freedom of speech during a period of censorship.
- Who
- Cartoonists like Abu Abraham and the readers.
- What
- The role of cartoons and freedom of expression during India's Emergency.
- When
- During the Emergency period, around 1975, and its aftermath.
- Where
- India
- Why
- To highlight the impact of censorship on the press and the importance of free speech.
- Event
- Emergency and Cartoons
- Key Figures
- Abu Abraham, Rajinder Puri, O V Vijayan
- Main media
- The Indian Express, Shankar's Weekly
- Core topic
- Censorship and Free Speech
Sources
Blank Columns During Indira Gandhi’s Emergency Marked Protest—Where Else In The World Has Newspapers Gone Silent?
Images of Emergency proclamation notification, Modi in disguise, blank editorial at exhibition
UPSC Issue at a Glance | 50 Years of Emergency: From causes to constitutional implications
