This is the front page of The Indian Express published on June 26, 1984, Forty Years Ago.
Five individuals, including a four-month-old child, were killed in a terrorist attack in Punjab on June 25. Several were left injured. One extremist was killed in an encounter with security forces who were on patrolling duty in the Jhabal area of Amritsar. During sweeping operations, more arms have been seized from the Akal Takht and the Nanak Niwas in the Golden Temple complex.
Curfew In Hubli
Night curfew has been imposed in five parts of Hubli, as the death toll rose to five. They were all stabbed to death, while other reports of stabbing have received no official confirmation yet. The DIG Belgaum said that while the situation is tense, there is adequate police force to maintain order. A peace committee has also been put into place to restore peace between the two warring factions.
Pakistan’s View
The crisis in Punjab with the revolt of Sikh extremists and the storming of the Golden Temple, continues to make headline news in Pakistan. The turmoil in the neighbouring border state has evoked diverse comments from national leaders, particularly in the National Press Trust papers, where the rights of the Indian minority to “a separate entity” are discussed and Sikh-Muslim talks on the eve of Partition are discussed. However, Islamabad’s official line of thought remains unknown.
Assam Bandh
Road traffic was disrupted on June 25 in the Brahmaputra valley as Assam agitators called for a 24-hour long, state-wide bandh. The agitators are protesting against the Centre’s inaction over the question of foreign nationals in the state. Bomb explosions, tampering with train tracks and incidents of stone-throwing have been reported.
