Even before President Jayewardene’s meeting with Indian journalists on Thursday, it should have been obvious that the process of finding a solution to the Sinhalese-Tamil problem is going to be a prolonged and painful affair. His statement confirms this assessment. Indeed, if he has his way, it will be a … Read More
The intensity of the anti-Zia agitation in Pakistan comes as a surprise as much to most of us in this country as to observers of the Pakistani scene elsewhere. On the face of it, General Zia has been firmly in control; the armed forces, his principal constituency, have been reasonably … Read More
As we celebrate independence day once again it is only natural that we should be asking ourselves whether we have made good use of our freedom in the last 36 years. Answers to this question will differ, as they have always differed. But it should be possible to agree on … Read More
Mr. Paul Joseph, joint controller, stock exchange, in New Delhi has sent a communication to all stock exchanges in the country on the issue of registration of shares by companies. The provocation for it is obvious – the decision by DCM and Escorts not to register shares bought by the … Read More
President Jayewardene has been candid enough to admit what has been common knowledge about the state of the Sri Lankan armed forces. Asked by a BBC correspondent why government troops drawn from the Sinhalese population had not fired on rioters attacking Tamils and destroying their homes and business, he has … Read More
The Washington Post has carried a report to the effect that a study has been prepared for the top Soviet leadership calling for a fundamental restructuring of the Soviet economy and arguing that its centralized management can no longer ensure the “full and effective use of the society’s intellectual and … Read More
Opposition leaders have managed to create the impression that Mrs. Gandhi is almost certain to order an early election to the Lok Sabha and that she is likely to win even if by a smaller margin than in 1971 or in 1980. They have rendered this invaluable service to her … Read More
It appears from Mr. PV Narasimha Rao’s statements in Parliament that the Sri Lankan government might have had second thoughts on its decision to ask for help from the US, the UK and some other countries. The Pakistan and Bangladesh foreign ministers, who happened to be in New Delhi, had … Read More
India faces the gravest foreign policy challenge in Sri Lanka since the Bangladesh crisis in 1971. At stake are not only its short-term and long-term relations with the island republic but the future of three million Tamils there. In terms of well-recognised conventions of international behaviour which this country has … Read More
Mr. Swraj Paul’s bid to take over two leading north Indian companies has been frustrated, at least for the time being. But while he does not appear to be willing to reconcile himself to this defeat and look for ways of pulling out, his future strategy is far from clear. … Read More
