Opinion August 12, Forty Years Ago: Indira Case
A look at the front page of The Indian Express, published on August 12, Forty Years Ago.
A look at the front page of The Indian Express, published on August 12, Forty Years Ago.
The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing of the appeal of PM Indira Gandhi against the Allahabad High Court ruling, which set aside her election to the Lok Sabha, to August 25. The adjournment was to facilitate the respondent, Raj Narain, to file his proposition challenging the constitutional validity of the 39th Amendment. The 39th Amendment, passed some days ago, made the election of any person to the office of president, speaker or prime minister, or their election under the Representation of the People Act, beyond the adjudication of any court. It was placed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution to ensure immunity from judicial scrutiny. Narain’s counsel argued that the 39th Amendment eroded the basic features of the Constitution.
Tamil Separatism
S.J.V. Chelvanayakam, president of the Tamil United Front, was set to introduce a private member’s bill in Parliament seeking a separate nation for Tamil speakers in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. The Tamil demand so far was for a federal set-up with autonomy in a few subjects. The report quoted experts who said relations between Tamils and the government had deteriorated after the new constitution removed safeguards for minorities. Tamils were subjected to a series of discriminatory measures and administrative actions. Militant Tamil students were detained without trial and tortured, said the report.
Ford Skips India
US President Gerald Ford cancelled his plans to visit India later in the year, Newsweek reported. He was to arrive in India after visiting China.
Scindias Raided
Palaces and bungalows of the extended Scindia family and former members of the Scindia “durbar” were raided by income tax officials to trace unaccounted money and the illegal transactions of the Scindia family.
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