Opinion June 23, 1976, Forty Years Ago: Race Riots Continue

Those responsible were “Tsotsis” (hooligans) and not schoolchildren, he said. There had been no shooting or stone-throwing , he claimed. Ten people had killed in riots the previous day.

indian express, forty years ago, pretoria case, black youth burned clinic, cpi, c rajeshwara rao, Catholics programme in Pondicherry, indian express editorial

By: Express News Service

June 23, 2016 12:30 AM IST First published on: Jun 23, 2016 at 12:30 AM IST

A look at the front page of The Indian Express, published on June 23, 1976, Forty Years Ago.

Black youths burned down a clinic and a store in Pretoria’s African district of Mamelodi, a police spokesman said. Those responsible were “Tsotsis” (hooligans) and not schoolchildren, he said. There had been no shooting or stone-throwing , he claimed. Ten people had killed in riots the previous day. South African minister for Justice, James Kruger, told Parliament in Pretoria that 140 people had been killed in the week-long violence, which started in Johannesburg’s Soweto African township.

CPI’s Angst

The CPI is concerned about the lack of uniformity in the implementation of the 20-point programme, especially land reforms in several states, party general
secretary, C. Rajeshwara Rao said. Kerala, where the CPI had a chief minister, was the exception, he said. He also listed several suggestions made by the party which were not accepted by the Swaran Singh committee on constitutional changes.

Sacred Duty

A report said Mahamandaleshwar Swami Ved Vyasnand Saraswati of Niranjani Akhara, Rishikesh, has asked the people to adopt family planning as “a sacred duty” to ward off the social and economic chaos caused by overpopulation. The Swami, who is chancellor of the Rishikul University, Hardwar, told the media on his return from a tour of the US, that family planning was ingrained in the Hindu culture which allowed only a brief period 25 years of married life.

Catholics Comply

Another report said there was 100 per cent participation by Catholics in the family planning programme in Pondicherry. An official spokesman said Catholics constituted nine per cent of the total population and eligible couples formed nine per cent of this number. There are more than 70,000 eligible couples in the Union Territory.