July 9, 1981, Forty Years Ago: Hooch toll Increases

The death toll in the liquor disaster in Bangalore has gone up to 234. Many of the survivors are in a critical condition and the doctors fear that the tragedy will claim 30 to 40 more lives. The state government has initiated a judicial inquiry. Chief Minister Gundu Rao told the state assembly that the probe will be headed by a high court judge. The Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court has been asked to suggest the name of a judge for the probe. The police, who have rounded up 65 persons in the illicit liquor business, set up an investigation cell to trace the culprits responsible for the tragedy. Post-mortem reports of 120 victims suggest the presence of methylene and ruled out the presence of lead or tin as has been suggested by some doctors.

UK Violence Spreads

The violence that has hit Britain in the past four days has aggravated in Manchester with some 200-stone throwing youths clashing with the police and firemen. They also set fire to shops and cars in a battle that lasted for more than two hours. Although the violence by the youth, largely black, appears to be a result of their frustration over the lack of jobs, there is also a racial context to it — the Thatcher Government’s Nationality Bill has been criticised as racial.

Wheat Imports

India is likely to import wheat from the United States of America. The exact amount of wheat to be purchased is not known but the decision has been taken in view of the low prices in the US market. This makes a mockery of the Union Agricultural Ministry’s claims of a bumper harvest and record procurement. Apart from lethargy of procurement crisis, traders seem to be hoarding stocks forcing the government to go in for imports.