This is the front page of The Indian Express published on July 16, 1984, Forty Years Ago.
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) at a July 14 meeting in Amritsar decided on a tentative schedule to resume Kar Seva in the Golden Temple. The meeting, attended by two high-ranking Army generals, reached an understanding that the premises will not be used for political purposes. The SGPC also gave an undertaking that arms other than traditional weapons will not be allowed.
NC Rally Cancelled
The ousted chief minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, was not allowed to take out a procession of party workers from the National Conference’s headquarters to the martyrs’ graveyard near Khanyar in Srinagar, on July 14. Police authorities advised against the procession due to ban orders throughout the city. Abdullah blamed the “defector” government and added that they didn’t want him to pay homage to martyrs.
Thatcher vs Miners
British dock workers joined the miner’s strike, threatening to bring the UK to a standstill. However, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has said she would not allow a small minority of protesters, around 2,00,000, to bring the UK to a standstill. She also added that she was not afraid of using emergency powers and deploying troops.
Zia’s Advice To Sikhs
Pakistan President Zia-ul-Haq advised Indian minorities, including Sikhs, to look to New Delhi for redressal of their grievances. In an interview with a group of visiting Indian journalists, he condemned the use of religious places for storing arms and carrying out political activities. Zia said politics and religion were inseparable but added: “Politics is politics.”
