August 15, 1984, Forty Years Ago: This is the front page of The Indian Express published on August 15, 1984, Forty Years Ago.
TDP in crisis
The Telugu Desam government in Andhra Pradesh plunged into a serious crisis with four ministers, including Finance Minister N Bhaskara Rao resigning from the N T Rama Rao cabinet. The other ministers are: Health Minister S Ramamuni Reddy, Transport Minister S Satyanarayana and Excise Minister T Jeevan Reddy. Jeevan Reddy said: ‘We are not satisfied with the dictatorial type of functioning of the Chief Minister.’
President on I-Day
The President, Zail Singh, warned the nation that some misguided people and disruptive forces, which precipitated the tragic events in Punjab, were now creating disturbances in other parts of the country. ‘It is our sacred duty to check these disruptive forces,’ Singh said in his address to the nation on the eve of the Independence Day. The supreme task before the country was to eradicate poverty, hunger, ignorance and disease. Violent agitations and extremist activities only put the clock back on this endeavour, he said.
Lanka Tamil Question
The escalation of violence and killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka was once again raised by irate opposition members during zero hour in both Houses of Parliament. Many opposition members of the Lok Sabha, notably those from the DMK, expressed their anguish over the developments in Sri Lanka and called upon the government to come up with a ‘fresh statement’ on the issue. Subramaniam Swamy said that ‘genocide in a big way’’ was taking place in Sri Lanka.
Paid Seats In Medicine
Degrees received by medical students from ‘capitation colleges,’ which are being encouraged by certain state governments, would not be recognised by the Medical Council of India at any cost. The purchase of seats in these colleges by students belonging to affluent families was against the ‘ethical principles of science of medicine,’ according to B N Sinha, president of the Medical Council of India. Sinha lamented that the standard of medical education in the country had been deteriorating because of the apathetic attitude of the state governments.
