Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site uscvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!uscvax!balaji From: balaji@uscvax.UUCP (Balaji Narasimhan) Newsgroups: net.nlang.india Subject: News Bulletin 3/1/86 (from Kapur@ge-crd) Message-ID: <92@uscvax.UUCP> Date: Wed, 5-Mar-86 00:02:35 EST Article-I.D.: uscvax.92 Posted: Wed Mar 5 00:02:35 1986 Date-Received: Sat, 8-Mar-86 07:47:29 EST Distribution: net Organization: CS&CE Depts, U.S.C., Los Angeles, CA Lines: 172 From KAPUR@ge-crd.arpa Tue Mar 4 20:46:05 1986 News Bulletin 3/1/86 General Strike against Price Hikes A one day all India general strike on Febrary 26 against recently announced increases in the prices of essential commodities by Rajiv Gandhi government was largely peaceful. The city of Bombay was reportedly paralyzed by the strike which was organized by oppposition parties and trade unions. Over 7000 people were arrested nationwide. Protestors denounced the government as being "anti-poor and pro-rich." Many newspapers and magazines marked this first nation-wide protest against the Rajiv Gandhi government as the end of the honey-moon between Rajiv and the middle classes. The government said the increases were necessitated to curb oil imports, reduce energy consumption and raise revenue for development programs. The dissidents within Congress(I) itself have used this issue as a way to challenge Rajiv Gandhi and his close circle. According to one columinist, Rajiv Gandhi earlier successfully managed to avert a crisis in his party by calling the meeting of the party executive which passed a resolution demanding a cut in price increases. Punjab situation Punjab Chief Minister Surjit Singh Barnala warned that army rule will be imposed in the state if extremist violence continued. Barnala delivered his warning at a memorial service held on February 21 for a moderate Sikh student leader killed by gunmen in early February. Barnala added that increasing violence in the state could lead to army rule in which popular government could not function. On the same day, another Sikh moderate and his bodyguard were shot dead as they were coming to the same service where Barnala was speaking. The situation in Punjab remained tense as leaders of All India Sikh Students Federation and Damdam Taksal continued to control the Golden Temple. Curfew was imposed in Gurdaspur, Batala, and other cities of Punjab. A procession by Hindu Shiv Sena was cancelled on Feb. 22 following a request by the state government. Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee had announced a meeting in Amritsar on March 1 to consider Gurcharan Singh Tohra's resignation. Tohra resigned at the Sarbat Khalsa in the interests of what he termed as Panthic unity. Some news commentaries have accused Tohra of harbouring extremists and agreeing to their conditions in early January to begin kar sewa for the Akal Takhat; these gestures reportedly emboldened the extremists resulting in their finally taking over the Golden Temple complex. The credibility of Barnala government has also damaged because of the center's decision to postpone transfer of Chandigarh to an indefinite date. According to the agreement reached by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and late Akali leader Sant Harchand Singh Longowal, Chandigarh was to be transferred on January 26 to Punjab. Two Convicted in Indira Gandhi murder Win Appeals Two Sikhs, Kehar Singh and Balbir Singh, who were convicted earlier by a Delhi Sessions Court, of having conspired to murder Indira Gandhi and sentenced to death, won appeals on February 21. The Delhi High court said that it would have to confirm the death sentences on Gandhi's former bodyguard Balbir Singh and civil employee Kehar Singh before they become effective. Their lawyer told the court that they were shifted to heavily-guarded separate cells, powerful search lights were put on them, they were not allowed to wear shoes and their traditional turbans and they were denied books, newspapers, and writing material. Sri Lanka sets 9 conditions to solve Tamil Crisis Sri Lanka President Junius Jayewardene set on Feb. 20, 9 conditions for resolving the Tamil crisis. He told the opening session of the parliament that Tamils must accept Sri Lanka's constitution and abandon their demands for a separate state. Further, all militants must renounce violence, disband their groups, close training camps and surrender their weapons. Jayewardene said that his government was prepared to reduce security operations in the Tamil areas and lift the 33 month old state of emergency if Tamils agreed to the proposals. He also said that his government was ready to introduce legislations to set up provnicial and district councils on which power could devolve. He however rejected the latest proposals made by the moderate Tamil United Liberation Front. Brain Drain at 70% About 70% of India's brightest science and engineering graduates have reportedly gone to the United States and West European countries in the past 5 years, and this number is increasing. The brain drain was reportedly greater in the areas of software technology, aeronautics and operations research. These were the findings of a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. According to the Dean of Undergraduate Affairs at IIT Delhi, Prof. Ray, "the Indian government must do something to tackle with this problem... We can ask students seeking admission to the IITs to sign a bond to serve the nation for a minimum period of 10 yers. I do not know how far this wil be successful, but there is no harm in trying out a proposal." According to a England-based journal Nature, the ratio of students returning to India after attaining a doctorate degree is only 18%. Over600 students reportedly migrate to the US every year. And, more than 11,000 students have gone to the US, West Germany, France, England, and Sweden for "further research and job opportunities" not available in India. Rajiv's India: Victim of Inner party Bickering According to the syndicated columnist Jack Anderson, his movie Rajiv's India became a pawn in the chess game of two Congress party factions. Andreson added that these two factions were struggling for power and one of them made an issue for political reasons. Rajiv's India was scheduled to be telecast on Doordarshan on Feb. 7 following a screening for the press at the Taj Hotel. It was cancelled at the last moment reportedly at the instructions from Prime Minister's office. It is rumored that a former Indira Gandhi aide, Yashpal Kapoor complained to Rajiv Gandhi that the movie was anti-Indira Gandhi and made him to cancel its telecast despite that the movie was earlier praised by the Information and Broadcasting Minister. Sources: India Now, India Abroad, the New York Times --------