The News Minute| New Delhi| June 25, 2014|

By this time 39 years ago, India was in a state of Emergency declared by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. 

It has been described as the darkest hour of Indian democracy as civil and political liberties were suspended and India came as close as it has ever been to fascism.

Ramnath Goenka and his Indian Express challenged Indira Gandhi. The newspaper ran blank editorials in protest and coped with harassment, but managed to put out a paper every day. Goenka dug-in and went eye-to-eye with the government. 

Here is a secret order from the Department of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP) to public sector undertakings to stop government advertisements to the newspaper Indian Express and it sister publications that not only refused to fall in line, but actively went against a government that had suspended human rights. 

We at The News Minute (TNM) salute the courage and conviction of Ramnath Goenka and many other journalists.