August 3, 1981, Forty Years Ago: Cong (U) strife

Jagjivan Ram has been warned that he will be expelled from the Congress (U) if he attends the August 5 meeting of the All India Congress (U) Committee convened by Shyam Dhar Mishra, the recently deposed UP Congress (U) head, and others. The three Congress (U) General Secretaries, K P Unnikrishnan, Banka Bihari Das, and Ambika Soni have made this clear. In an answer to a question on whether Ram would be expelled if he attends the meeting, Soni replied, “Yes, anybody who joins the meeting will be expelled. Nobody will be given any special treatment”. Congress (U) President Devraj Urs also threatened disciplinary action against anyone attending the meeting, “even if its Jagjivan Ram”. The aim of the August 5 meeting is to elect a new party chief.

Violence in Godhra

One person was stabbed to death and three others were wounded when some unidentified gunmen attacked them after pulling out from a truck on the outskirts of Godhra town on the national highway. Godhra, the headquarters of Panchmahals district in In Gujarat, was under indefinite curfew clamped since August 1 after clashes between groups of two communities in which two persons were killed and eight injured.

Cabinet reshuffle

Prime Minister Indira Gandhi may reshuffle her cabinet before her departure for Nairobi. The expectation is that some of the dual charges, now held by ministers, might be ended. Planning Minister N D Tiwari looks after labour, and Commerce Minister Pranab Mukherjee is also in charge of steel.

US scores a point

The United States has got what it wanted at the North-South meet to be held in Cancun in October. There will be no specific agenda, only “free and open discussion” as demanded by US President Ronald Reagan.