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Indian Express
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
July 12, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Assassination foiled
The Sri Lankan government said that a plot by Tamil separatists to assassinate President Junius Jayewardene was foiled when the police discovered 120 kg of gelignite wired to a timing device in a parked van. A statement by the Information Minister said the alleged conspirators 'told police that the target was to be the presidential secretariat'. The government said a group called the Eelam Revolutionary Organisation of Students was responsible. The five militant groups and the TULF delegation participating in talks with the Sri Lankan government condemned the alleged attempt and in a joint statement, denied involvement. The United States is rushing to Pakistan 100 AIML sidewinder air-to-air missiles and an unspecified number of shoulder-fired surface-to-air Stinger missiles worth $8.5 million. In addition, a Pakistani request for ground or airborne radar for improved detection and interception of Afghan aircraft remains under study. A state department statement said that the defence equipment is 'in response to repeated violations of Pakistan's airspace and territory by Communist aircraft approaching from Afghanistan'. Chief Justice Y V Chandrachud retired after seven years in the post and 25 years as a judge. Justice P N Bhagwati, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court, will be sworn in as the new Chief Justice. While Chandrachud had the longest term as CJI, Justice Bhagwati will have one of the shortest — one-and-a-half years.
Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
July 8, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Punjab Solution
Favouring consensus on all domestic and international problems, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi rated the chances of normalcy returning to Punjab and finding a solution within the framework of the Constitution as 'high' though President's Rule might have to be extended if holding elections before October 6 is not feasible. He also hoped to begin talks soon with the leaders of the Opposition parties on both the Punjab and reservation issues. Black Box Search Both the black boxes of the Air India jumbo which crashed on June 23, have now been located. The operation continued in the Atlantic Ocean off Ireland to salvage the instruments which may provide clues to the cause of the accident in which 329 people died. Reporting substantial progress in the operation, an official source said the area of sea being scanned for the flight data recorder and the voice recorder by a remote controlled-submarine has been reduced to about 200 square metres. Thimphu Talks With the departure of representatives of five Tamil militant groups and the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) leaders for Thimphu, the stage is now set for talks to begin on the ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka, the first such exercise between the militant groups and the government. Ten representatives from the militant organisations and three from the TULF flew from New Delhi to the capital of the Himalayan kingdom. Bhindranwale's Ghost The ghost of the militant Sikh leader, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, has virtually been laid to rest in this border district of Ferozepur, which provided him his name — Bhindranwale. A majority of people in Bhindranwale's erstwhile area of influence — a 60-km belt north-east of Ferozepur — are today reluctant to talk about him. For them, he is a gladly forgotten aberration.
