Opinion September 27, 1976, Forty Years Ago: Kashmir Civic Polls
CM Sheikh Abdullah said the allegation made in some quarters that he was flirting with the Jana Sangh and the RSS was “ridiculous”.
Chief Minister Sheikh Abdullah announced that civic polls will be held in Kashmir in October. Addressing a large Id-ul-Fitr congregation at the Idgah in Srinagar, the Sheikh said elections were the “soul” of the democratic set-up. Ultimately, he said, it was the people’s mandate that could keep him or others in power. He said the allegation made in some quarters that he was flirting with the Jana Sangh and the RSS was “ridiculous”.
China’s Nuclear Test
China successfully conducted a nuclear test, the New China News Agency announced in Hong Kong. The test took place at a time when the nation was mourning the death of Chairman Mao Zedong on September 9. The Agency reaffirmed: “The conducting of necessary and limited nuclear tests and development of nuclear weapons by China is entirely for the purpose of defence and for breaking the nuclear monopoly by the super powers and for the ultimate abolition of nuclear weapons.”
Jnanpith For Akilan
Tamil writer P.V. Akilandam, popularly known as Akilan, was selected for the Jnanpith literary award. Best known for his novel, Chittirapavai, Akilan, born in Perungalur in Tiruchirappalli district, was jailed during the Quit India movement.
Satellite Dialogue
An “Electronic Dialogue”, the first of its kind, was held between India and the US, was held via a satellite.
Tusker in Mourning
An elephant belonging to the Kuzhithurai devasthanam, in Kanya Kumari, Tamil Nadu, mourned the death of its master without eating for five days. The tusker, Gopalan, refused food and water when its mahout, Krishnan, died. It would cry out whenever anyone approached with food.
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