Opinion November 5, 1984, Forty Years Ago: Delhi Calmer
This is the front page of The Indian Express published on November 5, 1984.
This is the front page of The Indian Express published on November 5, 1984. 
Barring certain trans-Yamuna areas, life was near normal in the capital. While the official death toll in the four days of rioting was put at 458, reports indicated that an estimated 900 to 1,000 people had been killed. In East Delhi, despite round-the-clock curfew and patrolling by the Army, mobs menaced colonies, particularly areas where refugee Sikhs were huddled together for safety.
PM’s New Cabinet
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi has expanded his five-member Cabinet, inducting almost the entire council of ministers headed by Indira Gandhi. Nine more cabinet ministers, 21 ministers of state and 11 deputy ministers were sworn in. The only new face in Gandhi’s government is Newal Kishore Sharma, a Lok Sabha member from Rajasthan, who has been made Minister of State in the Finance Ministry.
Country-wide Homage
The ashes of Indira Gandhi will be dropped on the snowclad Himalayan range on November 11 after being taken round to all the states and Union Territories for people to pay their homage. The late prime minister’s ashes are to be taken round the country in special trains. The ashes would be collected from Shanti Vana and taken directly to Teen Murti House and kept in an urn there to allow the public to pay homage.
Zia For Indo-Pak Peace
President Ziaul Haq pleaded for a fresh approach to Indo-Pakistan relations and expressed the hope that the process of normalisation will get a dynamic impetus under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi. After his meeting with the Prime Minister, he said that Pakistan will co-operate with India to create a climate of understanding not only between India and Pakistan, but also in the entire region.
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