Question

How do we know that the political situation in India in the 1970s was unstable?

• A. Indira Gandhi had misused her power.
• B. India had gone to several wars in this decade.
• C. India had lost a war to Pakistan.
• D. Bangladesh had been created.

Answer 1

The correct option is A Indira Gandhi had misused her power.

In 1974, the Allahabad High Court had declared that Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister, had misused government machinery during her election campaign, leading to nationwide strikes and protests. At the same time, Jayaprakash Narayan, an Indian independence activist and political leader, led the Bihar Movement, calling for ‘Total Revolution’. These two events help us realise that the political situation in India in the 1970s was unstable.