Opinion Forty Years Ago, May 23, 1980: Assam agitation

The AAGSP and the AASU, it may be recalled, had issued identical statements urging the government to release all the detained persons, reinstate the suspended officials, revoke the Maintenance of Essential Services Ordinance, withdraw the Disturbed Areas Act.

The Indian Express, May 23, 1980, forty years ago.

By: Express News Service

May 23, 2020 12:45 AM IST First published on: May 23, 2020 at 12:45 AM IST

assam agitation, All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad, All Assam Students Union, Maintenance of Essential Services Ordinance, soviet withdrawal from afghanistan, russia in afghanistan, afghanistan war, crude oil

The Indian Express, May 23, 1980, forty years ago.

The Assam government, in an effort to convince the All Assam Gana Sangram Parishad (AAGSP) and the All Assam Students Union (AASU), is understood to have sounded the two organisations about its willingness to release all the arrested agitation leaders. The government is also understood to be agreeable to the phased reinstatement of officials suspended for their alleged participation in movement. These two measures, the authorities feel, should create an atmosphere conducive for resumption of dialogue on the aliens issue. The AAGSP and the AASU, it may be recalled, had issued identical statements urging the government to release all the detained persons, reinstate the suspended officials, revoke the Maintenance of Essential Services Ordinance, withdraw the Disturbed Areas Act.

Soviet Withdrawal

The 11th Islamic Foreign Ministers’ conference ended in Islamabad with a call for the withdrawal of the Soviet troops from Afghanistan and respect for the non-aligned and Islamic “identity” of that country, Radio Pakistan reported. In a communique, the conference said that the people of Afghanistan should have the right to choose their own government in accordance with their social, economic and political system without any outside interference.

Crude Bill Up

India’s crude import bill will shoot up by another Rs 200 crore following the latest price increase announced by several OPEC countries. This additional burden will be imposed on the level of import of 16 million tonnes of crude oil in a full year. As a result, a steep increase in the domestic prices of petrol and other petroleum products will become inevitable. Exercises for an upward, revision in the price of these products had been made in the petroleum and finance ministries after the OPEC countries had announced the first price rise of this year in January.

# Forty Years Ago