July 2, Forty Years Ago: 20-point programme

A look at the front page of The Indian Express, published on July 01, Forty Years Ago.

PM Indira Gandhi, in a radio broadcast, announced measures to revive the economy and reinforce her image as a leader with socialist leanings. Among the announcements were: raising the income tax exemption limit to Rs 8,000 from Rs 6,000, confiscation of properties owned by smugglers, ceilings on ownership and possession of vacant land, and acquisition of excess land. Land ceiling laws would be strictly implemented and surplus land distributed among rural poor. The 20-point programme included steps to bring down prices of essential commodities, promote austerity in government spending, crack down on bonded labour, liquidate rural indebtedness and make laws for a moratorium on recovery of debt from landless labourers, small farmers and artisans.

Just and necessary
Indira Gandhi defended the imposition of Emergency at a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party executive, claiming that various organisations had been planning to conduct widespread sabotage. Leaders, including party chief D.K. Baruah, Jagjivan Ram, C. Subramaniam, Swaran Singh and Y.B. Chavan attended the meeting, where the consensus was that the Emergency was justified and necessary.

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Phizo for talks
A Shillong datelined report said that Naga rebel leader A.Z. Phizo, at that time living in exile in England, had directed his lieutenants in Nagaland to pave the way for an “honourable settlement” of the “Naga problem”.

Amin pardons Hills
Ending a diplomatic stalemate, Ugandan President Idi Amin said he had decided to pardon British academic and writer Denis Hills, who had been sentenced to death. Hills, 61, was to be executed later in the week for calling Amin a village tyrant in an unpublished manuscript.