August 22, 1984, Forty Years Ago: This is the front page of The Indian Express published on August 22, 1984, Forty Years Ago.
PM Claims Impunity
Even as Prime Minister Indira Gandhi claimed in Parliament that “at no stage” did the Andhra Pradesh Governor consult her in his decisions to dismiss N T Rama Rao, Union Home Minister P V Narasimha Rao asserted that the Governor, Ram Lal, “could not have acted otherwise.” The PM’s claim was made at the beginning of discussions on Andhra developments in both Houses of Parliament .
President’s Assurance
Telugu Desam leader N T Rama Rao met the President, Zail Singh, along with 161 MLAs and demanded the removal of state Governor Ram Lal, dismissal of the Bhaskara Rao ministry and reinstatement of the NTR government. The President, who gave them a patient hearing and received a signed lengthy memorandum, is understood to have assured them to do all justice that was “within my hands”.
Calls For Protest
The steering committee of all opposition parties, except the AIADMK and the Muslim League, called upon the people to unite in the struggle against authoritarian misrule. The committee passed a resolution saying, “the reign of terror, unleashed by Mrs Gandhi’s government to cover up for its arbitrary, immoral and unconstitutional acts in ousting the popularity elected chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, is unprecedented in the history of our republic”.
A New Security Force
The government has taken immediate steps to implement its decision to raise the National Security Guards, a special peacekeeping force. It will mainly deal with extremist and terrorist activities. The need to raise such a force was felt after the government’s experience in Punjab where the police and paramilitary forces had proved ineffective.
