Yatish Bajpai

The Conscience Network, a groundbreaking new book by acclaimed journalist and author Sugata Srinivasaraju, has just been released by Penguin, offering a powerful and deeply researched account of international resistance to India’s Emergency period (1975–1977).

While much has been written about the Emergency as it unfolded within India—marked by censorship, arrests, and civil liberties violations—this book turns its gaze outward, toward the United States, where a remarkable but little-known solidarity movement quietly unfolded.

Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, Srinivasaraju reconstructs a parallel history of how American pacifists, Quakers, civil rights leaders, academics, writers, and Indian diaspora activists formed a “network of conscience” in opposition to Indira Gandhi’s authoritarian rule. These individuals—rooted in Gandhian principles and civil rights values—mobilized international opinion, engaged with U.S. lawmakers, and worked to safeguard Indian democracy from afar.

“This is not a story of protest marches alone,” the author writes. “It is a chronicle of moral resistance, constructed slowly but surely through courage, conviction, and global solidarity.”

A Parallel, Untold History
Spanning the turbulent years between 1975 and 1977, The Conscience Network offers readers an intimate and historiographically rich narrative, framed through the lives of key protagonists who took great personal and political risks to confront a rising dictatorship.

This resistance was not merely reactive, but deeply ideological. The book captures the philosophical underpinnings of the time—debates around democracy, nonviolence, sovereignty, and diaspora identity—and shows how these themes were negotiated across continents.

Through extensive archival research—drawing from personal papers and declassified documents both in India and the U.S.—Srinivasaraju constructs an alternative lens through which to understand this pivotal era in Indian history.

Diaspora Awakening and International Pressure
Crucially, The Conscience Network also sheds light on the nascent Indian diaspora in America during the 1970s—a community just beginning to find its voice on the global stage. Their efforts, though often overlooked, were instrumental in shaping international opinion and putting democratic pressure on the Indira Gandhi government.

The book avoids simplistic explanations or speculative claims—such as the oft-repeated belief that international pressure alone forced the Indian government to end the Emergency. Instead, it presents a textured and rigorous portrayal of resistance that honors the complexity of the era.

About the Author
Sugata Srinivasaraju is an award-winning journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience chronicling the intersections of politics, history, and culture. A former newspaper editor and television executive, he has been a Chevening Scholar, a Homi Bhabha Fellow, and a fellow of the Aspen Institute. His previous books include Strange Burdens, Furrows in a Field, and Keeping Faith with the Mother Tongue.

A Timely and Thoughtful Contribution
At a time when the ideas of democratic dissent and international solidarity are more relevant than ever, The Conscience Network stands as both a historical revelation and a moral reminder. It fills a vital gap in the collective memory of India’s Emergency period and challenges readers to consider how global conscience, grounded in principle, can shape the destiny of nations.