Did ‘The Hindu’ Publish a ‘Don’t Buy Gold’ Appeal From Indira Gandhi in 1967? Here’s the Fact Check of the Viral Photo
The Hindu has debunked a viral, digitally altered 1967 front page claiming Indira Gandhi urged Indians not to buy gold. The fake image is aimed at drawing parallels with current economic appeals made by PM Narendra Modi. The newspaper clarified that the actual June 6, 1967, lead story covered the Six-Day War, and the viral clipping does not exist in its archives.
The Hindu has officially debunked a widely circulated image on social media claiming to be its front page from June 6, 1967. The fabricated clipping featured a headline stating that then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had "urged Indians not to buy gold" as an act of national discipline. On Tuesday, May 12, the national daily clarified that the image is "digitally altered" and does not exist in its historical archives.
Anatomy of the Viral Claim
The viral post featured a lead story titled, "Don’t buy gold, Indira tells people; appeals for 'national discipline'." The report claimed that the then Prime Minister had made an "earnest appeal" to citizens to refrain from purchasing gold to save the country's precious foreign exchange. Why PM Modi Urged Citizens Not To Buy Gold for a Year: Economic Impact Explained.
Fake Image of The Hindu Publishing 'Don’t Buy Gold' Appeal From Indira Gandhi Goes Viral
The image gained traction after Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently urged citizens to temporarily avoid gold purchases and reduce fuel consumption to help the Indian economy tackle global disruptions. Social media users began sharing the fake 1967 clip to draw parallels between the two leaders' economic appeals, with some using it to criticise the Congress party for its reaction to the current government's measures. The fake image was shared by several users, including Gaurav Pradhan, who later deleted his post.
The Hindu Issues Clarification After Fake Image Goes Viral
📢 A digitally altered image purporting to be a front page of The Hindu from June 6, 1967, is currently circulating on social media. We wish to clarify that this is not an authentic page from our archives. The Hindu urges readers to exercise caution and verify before sharing.
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) May 12, 2026
This Is What Social Media Is Capable Of, Says The Hindu Journalist B Kolappan
The first one is a digitally altered page being wrongly presented as the front page of The Hindu on June 6, 1967. The second is the actual page released that day. This is what social media is capable of; it can even alter the front page of India's national English daily. pic.twitter.com/GZ4CHtu90s
— B. Kolappan (@kolappan) May 12, 2026
The Hindu Issues Official Clarification
As the image spread across X (formerly Twitter) and WhatsApp, The Hindu issued a formal statement to set the record straight. Taking to X, The Hindu wrote, "A digitally altered image purporting to be a front page of The Hindu from June 6, 1967, is currently circulating on social media. We wish to clarify that this is not an authentic page from our archives. The Hindu urges readers to exercise caution and verify before sharing." B. Kolappan, a senior journalist with The Hindu, further exposed the fake image circulating on social media by sharing the actual front page from June 6, 1967. The original headline from that day was, "Bitter Fighting Between Israel and Arab States in Air and on Land," referring to the outbreak of the Six-Day War.
Visual Discrepancies and Context
Fact-checkers noted several technical errors in the fake image that distinguished it from the authentic 1867 edition. The masthead in the altered version used a non-cursive font for the subtitle "Indian National Newspaper", whereas the original used cursive for "India's National Newspaper". Additionally, the volume and issue numbers in the viral post were found to be incorrect. Jewellery Stocks Crash After PM Narendra Modi Urges Indians To Avoid Gold Purchases.
While the specific newspaper appeal was fake, historians note that the Indira Gandhi administration did implement strict gold-related restrictions during that era. The Gold Control Act of 1968 prohibited citizens from holding gold in the form of bars or coins and restricted the purity of jewellery to 14 carats, measures aimed at curbing smuggling and preserving foreign exchange. As clarified by The Hindu, the viral image is a digitally altered picture purported to be a front page of The Hindu from June 6, 1967. It further stated that the viral image is not an authentic page from their archives.
Fact check
The Hindu published a "Don't buy gold" appeal from then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1967.
The Hindu clarified that the viral image is fake. It said that the front page featuring Indira Gandhi is not an authentic page from their archives.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 12, 2026 07:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
