What was the response of newspapers like the Indian Express and the Statesman to government censorship during the Emergency?
1) They fully complied with censorship orders.
2) They protested by leaving blank spaces in their publications.
3) They encouraged the government's actions.
4) They stopped publishing altogether.

Choose the correct answer from the given options:

2

The correct answer is Option 2 - 2 (They protested by leaving blank spaces in their publications.)

Newspapers like the Indian Express and the Statesman protested against censorship during the Emergency by leaving blank spaces in their publications.

There were many acts of dissent and resistance to the Emergency. Many political workers who were not arrested in the first wave, went ‘underground’ and organised protests against the government. Newspapers like the Indian Express and the Statesman protested against censorship by leaving blank spaces where news items had been censored. Magazines like the Seminar and the Mainstream chose to close down rather than submit to censorship. Many journalists were arrested for writing against the Emergency. Many underground newsletters and leaflets were published to bypass censorship. Kannada writer Shivarama Karanth, awarded with Padma Bhushan, and Hindi writer Fanishwarnath Renu, awarded with Padma Shri, returned their awards in protest against the suspension of democracy. By and large, though, such open acts of defiance and resistance were rare.