January 5, 1981, Forty Years Ago: PM To Business

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi called upon the private sector to be more actively involved in national planning and development. Speaking at a meeting of the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Calcutta, Mrs Gandhi said the private sector had not risen to expectations. Although new investments were made, they did not generate commensurate employment opportunities. She regretted that consumers in most cases did not get the fruit of various fiscal benefits that had been extended to the private sector. Mrs Gandhi asked the private sector to plough back its profits into the development of the economy.

Students Arrested

In a pre-dawn swoop, the police rounded up 35 students, including two employees of the veterinary college at Khanapara, near Gauhati. This was the third raid on student hostels in the state since November. Earlier, police had raided the Cotton College hostels and the Prince of Wales Engineering and Technology Institute at Jorhat. Later, all the arrested students except one were released on bail, police said. The Assam Agricultural University Teachers’ Association (veterinary faculty) has condemned the arrests.

LDF vs Naxals

The Kerala Government will deal strongly with Naxalites in the state as long as they preach violence, Home Minister T K Ramakrishnan said. He said operations against Naxalites had been intensified in many parts of the state. Ramakrishnan said the aim of the ruling Left Democratic Front was to meet the Naxalite threat politically, but it could not tolerate the preaching of violence.

Purge In Poland

The purge of Poland’s former leaders continued with word that the former party boss, Edward Gierek, former premiers, Edward Babiuch and Piotr Jaroszewicz, ideological chief, Jerzy Lukasiewicz and former vice premier, Jan Szydlak were removed from the presidium of the All- Polish Committee of the National Unity Front.