This is the front page of The Indian Express published on October 15, 1984, Forty Years Ago.
Bangladesh’s Opposition leaders called for civil disobedience to bring down martial law as more than five lakh people rallied in Dhaka in the biggest demonstration against the military government of General H M Ershad. Opposition leaders demanded that martial law be lifted and a neutral caretaker government formed. They said if the government did not accept these two demands, they would launch a non-cooperation movement.
BJP for coalition
The Bharatiya Janata Party committed itself to the “politics of alliance” and called upon other democratic opposition parties to accept its four-point formula for adjustment of seats in the next Lok Sabha elections and formation of a coalition government. The BJP, however, made it clear that the leader of the coalition should be chosen by the elected representatives of the coalition constituents.
Temples demanded
A big Hindu congregation at the sprawling in Lucknow told the government that the Hindu society was prepared to make every sacrifice if the government failed to restore to Hindus the birth places of Rama and Krishna at Ayodhya and Mathura respectively and the temple of Shiva at Varanasi. A delegation, an off-shoot of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, submitted an 1100-word memorandum to Chief Minister N D Tiwari.
Fireworks hurt
The conical anar, one of the most popular items on sale around Diwali, is responsible for more than two-thirds of all burns injuries during the festival, according to a study by the Centre for Biomedical Engineering at IIT, Delhi. The survey conducted at Diwali last year, was based on over 130 cases in the Safdarjang Hospital and the JP Hospital.
