The Janata unit in Bihar appears set for a split in the wake of its suppression by Chandra Shekhar, the party chief, in connection with the defeat of Shahabuddin, former general secretary, in the recent biennial election to the Rajya Sabha.
Terrorists gunned down Ramesh Chander, editor-in-chief of the Hind Samachar group of newspapers, and injured his two armed guards at Jalandhar. In Amritsar, the state police claimed the seizure of a truck carrying large quantities of arms and ammunition allegedly belonging to Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Ramesh Chander, the elder son of former Rajya Sabha member and veteran journalist, Lala Jagat Narain, was returning after attending a function.
US on India’s role
The United States recognises the important role of a strong India whose well-established democratic institutions help it serve as an anchor of regional stability. This was stressed by the US Vice President George Bush on his arrival in New Delhi on a state visit. Vice President M Hidayatullah in his speech at the banquet hosted in honour of President Bush said, “Our region witnessed many conflicts in the past which were not of India’s seeking.”
Sri Lanka kidnapping
Sri Lanka President Junius R Jayewardene said that his country would refuse to pay the ransom demanded by the kidnappers of an American couple in the ethnically troubled province of Jaffna, where Tamil guerillas are fighting to establish a separate state. In an interview at his home, the 77-year-old President appealed to the international community for assistance in combating ethnic terrorism.
Bihar Janata split
The Janata unit in Bihar appears set for a split in the wake of its suppression by Chandra Shekhar, the party chief, in connection with the defeat of Shahabuddin, former general secretary, in the recent biennial election to the Rajya Sabha. Feverish preparations are being made to ensure the success of the meeting of 365-member state council in an attempt to demonstrate the “anti-Chandra Shekhar sentiment”.
