Opinion 40 years ago December 10, 1985: India cautions Sri Lanka

This is the front page of The Indian Express published on December 10, 1985.

December 10, 2025 07:30 AM IST First published on: Dec 10, 2025 at 07:24 AM IST

India has cautioned the Sri Lankan government against attempting a military solution to the ethnic problem, the External Affairs Minister, B R Bhagat, told the Lok Sabha. Replying to a five-hour debate on the foreign policy, Bhagat said the futility of any attempt to seek a military solution or to set a deadline had been impressed upon Sri Lanka. India also referred to the need to control security forces in view of violations of the ceasefire.

PM on SAARC

The Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi, dismissed as unfounded apprehensions that India would dominate SAARC as the largest country. “Everyone in SAARC is equal,” he told newsmen on board the special Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft shortly before landing in Delhi before the Dhaka summit.

Cyanide storage

Over 20 tonnes of highly dangerous sodium cyanide and potassium cyanide are stocked in the congested and narrow lanes and bylanes of the walled city alone. A survey conducted by an expert committee appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, H L Kapur, in the wake of the oleum gas leakage from Shriram Food and Fertilisers, has revealed terribly unsatisfactory storage conditions of these chemicals.

Airport fraud

The Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Jagdish Tytler, has stated that the “severest punishment” would be meted out to those found guilty of misuse of funds in the construction of the new international airport in Delhi. Replying to the debates on the International Airports Authority (Amendment) Bill, 1985, in the Rajya Sabha, Tytler, however, declined to give details of the investigations into the allegations against several officials including the chairman of Air India and Indian Airlines, Captain A M Kapur.