This is the front page of The Indian Express published on September 3, 1984, Forty Years Ago.
The World Sikh Convention held in Amritsar declared President Zail Singh “tankhaiya” and served an ultimatum on the government to withdraw the army from the Golden Temple complex by September 30 or face a massive march, to be led by the five high priests to the temple. The President has been found guilty of religious disrespect by visiting the Golden Temple under the cover of an umbrella which is prohibited by Sikh traditions.
Hijackers Returned
A special aircraft carrying the seven hijackers of the Indian Airlines Boeing 737 from Dubai landed in New Delhi after the UAE government decided to send them back to India for trial. The hijackers were taken by security men to an undisclosed destination. The hijackers will receive a fair trial howsoever despicable their crime may be, it was officially stated.
NTR To Governor
A memorandum signed by 164 Andhra Pradesh MLAs belonging to the Telugu Desam of dismissed Chief Minister N T Rama Rao and its allied parties, will be submitted to state governor S D Sharma demanding the immediate convening of the Assembly for a trial of strength. Rama Rao told newsmen that the Bhaskara Rao government was evidently a “minority” one as could be proved by the presence here of 158 MLAs supporting him.
Sri Lanka Conference
Sri Lanka President J R Jayewardene adjourned till September 21 the conference convened by him to discuss his second chamber proposal to resolve Sri Lanka’s ethnic problem. After September 21, the conference would be convened on September 30 to give the delegations an
opportunity to make their observations on the new proposals.
