Opinion May 28, Forty Years Ago: Solution in Laos

Laos was signed by the US charge d’affaires, Christian Chapman, Laos’s economy minister, Soth Phetrasy, and three demonstrators.

By: Express News Service

May 28, 2015 12:41 AM IST First published on: May 28, 2015 at 12:32 AM IST

Indian Express, Indian Express front page, express front page

A look at the front page of The Indian Express, published on May 28, Forty Years Ago.

An agreement to end the siege of the American Aid compound in Vientiane, Laos, was signed by the US charge d’affaires, Christian Chapman, Laos’s economy minister, Soth Phetrasy, and three demonstrators. According to the agreement, the US would wind up aid programmes in Laos and withdraw all personnel before June 30.The demonstrators agreed to relinquish their occupation of the compound and allow Laotian and US AID employees to return to prepare for shutting down the offices. Student demonstrators and Pathet Lao soldiers had been occupying the compound, demanding an end to the aid programme that had drawn in $750 million since 1955.

Not so retiring

Government servants can’t ask for voluntary retirement after serving for 15 years, a special report by Kuldip Nayar said. The cabinet had rejected the proposal put forward by the personnel department. The cabinet’s main objection was that the proposal permitted babus to retire, if they so desired, after 15 years of service while the government had no power to order them to do so.

PM’s aide robbed

Usha Bhagat, social secretary of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was gagged and robbed of jewellery worth Rs 5,000, a tape recorder and some other articles by three unidentified persons who broke into her first-floor apartment in Nizamuddin East. There were people in other rooms of the house but they could not realise what was happening in her room.

Vajpayee’s prediction

Jana Sangh leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee said Indira Gandhi was considering holding mid-term Lok Sabha polls in October, irrespective of the Gujarat assembly poll outcome. He was speaking at a reception of the Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee Samiti. Vajpayee predicted victory for Janata Front candidates in Gujarat.