Opinion September 11, 1985, Forty Years Ago: J&K House Ignores HC

This is the front page of The Indian Express published on September 11, 1985.

September 11, 2025 07:00 AM IST First published on: Sep 11, 2025 at 07:00 AM IST

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, by a majority vote, decided to ignore the directions of the state High Court to allow three Opposition members to participate in the proceedings of the House. There were heated exchanges and two walkouts by National Conference (Farooq) members, according to whom the action of suspension of the three members contravened the rules of procedure of the House.

No illegals in Assam

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister, Humayun Rashed Choudhury, once again denied the presence of “any illegal Bangladeshis in Assam”. He said Indira Gandhi had announced in Parliament in 1972 that all refugees who had gone to India returned to Bangladesh. “So, quoting the Indian Prime Minister we can say that there are no Bangladesh nationals in India,” he said. He also added, “There is no evidence that illegal immigrants from Assam are being pushed into Bangladesh.”

Indians killed in UK

At least three persons, believed to be Indians, were burnt to death during arson and looting in Birmingham’s Handsworth area where renewed violence erupted during a visit by the British Home Secretary, Douglas Hurd. A fourth person was also killed in the riots which resulted in the destruction of about 50 shops and residences, almost all of them belonging to Asians.

Hermes for India

Britain’s flagship in the Falklands war with Argentina, the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes, may be given to the Indian Navy as a bonus for a multi-million-pound arms deal. Senior officers from the Indian Navy are due in Portsmouth to attend the Royal Navy exhibition. They will be looking at British defence hardware, including Sea Harrier vertical-takeoff jets for India’s aircraft carrier, the Vikrant.