Opinion Forty Years Ago, July 22, 1980: Centre cautious

The Indian Express front page, July 22, 1980. (Express archives)

The two-week suspension of the agitation against foreign nationals in Assam was generally welcomed in both official and political circles in New Delhi. Home ministry sources were reluctant to comment on the statement by the AASU and AAGP suspending the 10-month agitation to create an atmosphere conducive for the resumption of talks. The sources wanted to wait a few days before responding to the gesture for fear that it may turn out to be one of the quiet spells between different phases of the movement. The home minister may himself spell out the government’s response in his reply to the debate on his ministry’s demands in the Lok Sabha.

Karnataka violence

Four persons died, two of them in police firing and a number of others were injured in large-scale violence as an agitation of farmers rocked Nargund, Navalgund and Gadag towns of Dharwad district of Karnataka. Night curfew has been clamped in all these places and prohibitory orders clamped in the entire district for a week following sporadic cases of arson and looting, according to information reaching the police headquarters. An assistant sub-inspector of the reserve police was among those killed in mob violence. A number of policemen including an inspector were injured in stone-throwing. Two persons were injured in police firing at Navalgund, 35 km from Bangalore.

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Lucknow flooded

The Gomti has crossed the danger level in Lucknow, flooding low-lying areas and causing panic in the trans-river localities of the city. Rising steadily after heavy rains, the river was 17 cm above the red mark. While the protective bunds on either side of the river are withstanding the fury of the floods, water is flowing back through the nullahs into the low-lying areas of the city.