Opinion September 2, 1985, Forty Years Ago: Akali list

This is the front page of The Indian Express published on September 02, 1985.

September 2, 2025 07:23 AM IST First published on: Sep 2, 2025 at 06:19 AM IST

The United Akali Dal split following a formal decision by supporters of Jagdev Singh Talwandi to contest the coming Punjab elections. Announcing the decision after a two-hour-long meeting, Randhir Singh Cheema and Jaswinder Singh Brar, former ministers and relatives of Talwandi, told UNI that supporters of Talwandi had been asked to file their nominations for both the assembly and Lok Sabha polls. They said the list of candidates would be finalised in Ludhiana on September 4.

NSUI polls

After more than a decade, the National Students’ Union of India, student wing of the Congress (I), gained three-fourths control over the Delhi University Students Union when its candidates for three top posts were declared elected. The NSUI candidate, Ajay Maken, a nephew of the late Lalit Maken, was declared elected president of DUSU, defeating his nearest rival, Janata Vidyarthi Morcha candidate Virender Kumar, by a margin of 4,892 votes.

Longowal tribute

Glowing tributes were paid to Harchand Singh Longowal for his mission of peace at the bhog ceremony of the assassinated Akali Dal president. It was attended by lakhs of people in Sangrur. Several national personalities were among the speakers who lauded Longowal’s mission, for which he fell a martyr to the assassins’ bullets.

Sri Lanka talks

The Sri Lankan cabinet will examine the new Indo-Lankan draft agreement proposing the devolution of power for Tamils, said Minister of State Anandatissa de Alwis. Also serving as the official government spokesman, he told DPA that there would be “full and frank discussions” on these new drafts worked out by a Sri Lankan delegation headed by Hector Jayewardene and Indian officials in New Delhi. The New Delhi discussions followed the collapse of peace talks in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, when Tamil groups walked out alleging government troops had violated a ceasefire with Tamil guerrillas in Sri Lanka.