MARCH 29, 1984, FORTY YEARS AGO

SIKH LEADER SHOT

TWO SIKH GUNMEN shot and killed Harbans Singh Manchanda, president of the Congress (I)-backed Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee. The leader died in hospital after a 12-hour struggle. Jagjit Singh Lamba, vice president of the DSGMC and Mohan Singh, the driver of the car in which the two leaders were travelling, were also shot at but are out of danger.

COURTS VS LEGISLATURE

THE CITY POLICE commissioner failed to produce the chief editor of Eenadu before the bar of the House in the absence of a “warrant of arrest”. He is facing the charge of contempt of state legislative council. This has heightened the suspense in the confrontation between the legislature and the judiciary.

PARLIAMENT SUPREME

THE CONFRONTATION BETWEEN the Supreme Court and the Andhra Pradesh legislative Council over the latter’s decision to haul up Eenadu editor Ramoji Rao for breach of privilege had its echo in the Lok Sabha when the Speaker asserted that there could be no compromise on the supremacy of Parliament. Though the House did not take a formal stand, the Speaker took the opportunity to emphatically state that the supremacy of Parliament had never been in doubt.

SRI LANKA TROOPS FIRE

SRI LANKAN AIR force troops opened fire on a Tamil crowd near the northern city of Jaffna, killing at least 10 people and wounding 25. President J R Jayewardene’s Cabinet announced an emergency “national freedom defence fund” to “defend the shores of Sri Lanka.” A Defence Ministry communique said the incident occurred when troops were returning to their barracks and Tamil-speaking terrorists, hiding in ambush, opened fire.