Indian Express front page on May 4, 1978
Union Finance Minister H M Patel ruled out nationalisation of any more banks. Replying to the debate on the appropriations bill in the Rajya Sabha, Patel gave this clarification in response to a pointed inquiry from a Congress MP, Gurdev Gupta.
Mohan Singh dead
Prominent Punjabi poet Mohan Singh died at Ludhiana, aged 73. With his death, the “Mohan Singh era” in the history of Punjabi poetry ends.
Kabul Palace ruins
The biggest attraction in post-coup Kabul is the battle-scarred presidential palace. The palace grounds, showing the ravages of shellfire and rocket attacks, have been thrown open to the public. The mood is relaxed, almost cheerful, as curious Afghans of all ages and descriptions look over the eerie reminders of death and destruction. Large chunks have been blown from the brick walls of the buildings in the compound. Some were heavily damaged. Others suffered only shattered windows. Burned hulks of tanks and armoured personnel carriers, now festooned with flowers, lie where they were stopped by the ousted President Mohammad Daoud’s elite personal force, the Republican Guard, which was armed with submachine guns and a few anti-tank weapons. Visitors, in continuous droves, pass through the palace gates now guarded by the Revolutionary Council.
Afghan Ambassador
The Afghan Ambassador, Hamidallah Enayat Seraj, has been relieved of his post in New Delhi by the new government in Kabul. In a terse message, Seraj was asked to hand over charge to Mohammad Anwar Nawroz, counsellor. Seraj’s wife is the daughter of King Amanullah of Afghanistan and Seraj himself is King Amanullah’s nephew. In other words both are related to King Zahir Shah and the late President Daoud.