The Indian Express front page, July 25, 1980. (Express archive)

For the second day, the latest situation in Assam was reviewed at a high-level meeting in the context of the accord which Manipur Chief Minister Dorendra Singh last week claimed to have reached with the AASU and AAGSP on ending the 10-month-long agitation on the foreign nationals’ issue. The meeting was presided over by Home Minister Zail Singh, and attended, among others, Krishnaswamy Rao Saheb, Secretary to the PM. According to official sources, Dorendra Singh who had been negotiating with the agitation leaders as an “emissary” of the Prime Minister had an hour-long meeting with Rao Saheb when he reported on the “accord” and his talks with the agitation leaders.

CRPF in Kashmir

The Centre is rushing additional units of the CRPF to Kashmir to help the local authorities maintain law and order in the troubled areas of the state. According to Home Ministry sources, the reinforcement was being sent in response to an SOS from the Chief Minister Sheikh Abdullah. The CM talked with the Union Home Minister on the telephone and discussed the latest situation in Srinagar. The Sheikh assured ail Singh that the situation was under control. But, he urged the Centre to send additional units of the CRPF as a precautionary measure.

Bihar floods

The widening of the breach in the retired embankment off Piprasi-Pipraghat in Champaran district widened alarmingly from a mere 50 feet 3.200 feet and the waters of swollen Gandak have so far swept across over a dozen villages and flooded the Maddhunai and Basi canals. The situation created by this breach causing concern because, despite measures purporting to have been taken by local engineers the breach has widened alarmingly in the last three days.