Baisakhi has come and gone, leaving the Punjab scene as confused and confusing as before. For reasons known only to it, the Union government had clearly pinned hopes on the convention the jathedar of the Akal Takht, Mr Jasbir Singh Rode, had convened in Bhatinda on that day. We do … Read More
Finally an agreement of sorts has been hammered out in Geneva on Afghanistan. When signed in a few days, it will provide the Soviet Union a face-saver. Under it, Moscow will be able to withdraw its troops without having to acknowledge the plain fact that it has failed to pacify … Read More
It was only to be expected that the visiting US defence secretary, Mr. Frank Carlucci, would not commit himself on the level of American military assistance to Pakistan in the wake of the proposed Soviet troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. For one thing, the situation in respect of Afghanistan itself is … Read More
The Geneva discussions on Afghanistan under U.N. auspices have taken a bizarre turn, with the Soviets suggesting that the US need not co-guarantee the agreement and the Pakistanis insisting on such an American guarantee. So it is not possible to say whether or not a formal agreement will be reached … Read More
President Venkataraman deserves to be commended for readily giving his assent to the 59th amendment of the Constitution which authorizes the government not only to extend President’s Rule in Punjab by another two years but also impose emergency in the state, if it deems it necessary. A decision to delay … Read More
The former Afghan King, Zahir Shah, has indicated, for the first time publicly, his willingness to play a role in the resolution of his country’s extremely complex problems. In his interview to The Independent, London, he has not spelt out a blueprint. Indeed, he cannot do so for the obvious … Read More
To state the obvious, the 59th Constitution Amendment Bill approved by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday falls into two parts. The first enables the Union government to extend President’s rule in Punjab by another two years and the second authorizes it to impose emergency in the state if it deems … Read More
The impression has spread that the government will soon go in for a by-election in the Allahabad parliamentary constituency and that Mr Amitabh Bachchan will once again be the Congress candidate. There are good reasons for this impression. But these cannot be said to clinch the issue. For all we … Read More
The government of India’s Punjab policy, if such a thing exists, has taken on three different garbs in just four days. On March 4 it released the head priests and 40 young men who had been detained apparently for no good reason in the Jodhpur jail, creating the impression that … Read More
We must confess at the very outset that we have been foxed by Giani Zail Singh’s disclosure that some individuals had indicated to him last summer that they were prepared to spend Rs. 30 crores to Rs. 40 crores to secure his reelection as President. Even a week after the … Read More
