Shekhar Gupta: Back to the inglorious past

History is repeating itself and there is a back-to-1974 feeling. But India is living in totally different circumstances for Modi to emulate Indira Gandhi all the way

In the non-stop hail of worsening economic indicators, one stands out. That the unemployment levels today are the worst they’ve been in 45 years. It takes us right back to 1974.

Indira Gandhi was still popular but some disillusionment was building up. Yet, even disappointed voters were still caught in a There Is No Alternative (TINA) trap. All economic indicators were in free fall, inflation was at almost 35 per cent and yet nationalism was still rampant and high.

Sounds familiar? Barring inflation, much else looks, sounds, and feels more than a bit like 1974. A phenomenally popular leader, with