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 News Bulletin 2/15/86 
		[Sorry for delay in relaying - Mohan]

 Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar

Schools and colleges were ordered closed for the week in Amritsar 
by the authorities in anticipation of possible
disturbance by extremists during the Sarbat
Khalsa on February 16.
The meeting of the Sikh community has been
called by the head priests of the Sikh
religion in response to recent stands taken by the
extremist elements within the community including
excommunication of the Akali leaders and head
priests as well as the announcement by the extremists
to take over the gurdwaras. 

Meanwhile, it is reported that hundreds
of Sikh youth belonging to the All India Sikh
Students Federation have been controlling the
Akal Takhat inside the Golden Temple. 
Visitors to the Darbar Sahib have reported the
atmosphere there to be very tense. There were
also reports of shooting incidents inside the
temple complex.

 Delhi protest against Price Rise

India's capital New Delhi was virtually closed
down on February 10 as a result of a 10 hour strike against
government price increases in essential goods
including cooking gas, rice and bread. The
protest was organized by opposition parties with
the BJP playing a major role. Over 400 people
were reportedly arrested by the police. 

Call for a strike seemed to have an effect. Only 5 days after the
government announced the price increases, 
it retreated and rolled back
the prices of gasoline, kerosene, cooking gas,
and diesel fuel. 

 Press barred from Anti-Sikh riots investigation 

Indian government has banned the press
coverage of the proceedings of the Justice
Ranganath Mishra commission inquiring into the
anti-Sikh riots that broke out after Mrs.
Gandhi's assassination. The reason given by the
government is that publication of the proceedings
might "flare up sentiments between Hindus and
Sikhs again." 

According to official accounts, over 2500 people
were killed in Delhi alone in a period of 4-5
days and at least 15,000 were rendered homeless.
The commission was reluctantly set
up by Rajiv Gandhi's government after considerable pressure
from the press and public. The setting of a commision was one
of the preconditions by the late Akali Dal leader Sant
Harchand Singh Longowal before any negotiations
with the government.

The commission recently started its proceedings
on January 27; it held two sessions in camera.
Most of the witnesses were widows whose husbands were killed
in the riots; according to some reports, they told
the commission that local Congress leaders were responsible 
for the looting and killings since they had
organized large gangs of armed men who took the
"poor, innocent Sikhs completely by surprise."
Many victims told that they have not gone back to their
homes because they are afraid of attackers
and have taken shelters in gurdwaras.

 CDC deal

Indian government reportedly signed a contract
Owvalued at half-a-billion dollars with the Control
Data Corporation to buy main frame computers and
manufacturing technology. The agreement
reportedly follows months of negotiations and
interagency conflict within the US administration
over whether the Indian government could be
trusted not to divert such a high level of
technology to the Soviet Union or other nations
of the communist block.

Certain sections within the Pentagon who held up
the agreement for months, had sought assurances
from the Indian government that the computers
will not be used in India's nuclear program.
Indian and US governments signed a memorandum of
understanding last May in which the US agreed in
principle to transfer high technology to India.

 Suit against Union Carbide 

Attorney General of India K Parsaran along with 4
officials from Bhopal including city's mayor and 7
victims of gas leak from the Union Carbide plant
arrived in New York city last week to
meet with Judge John Keenan. 
Judge Keenan is hearing the damage case
against the Union Carbide by the Indian
government and other lawyers on behalf of the
relatives of 
victims and the victims of the lethal gas leak from UCIL's Bhopal
plant.
Keenan had expressed interest in meeting
representative victims and residents of Bhopal.
He also reportedly instructed
the victims and lawyers not to discuss anything
with the press.

Judge Keenan is reportedly pressuring the two sides for
an out-of-court settlement. 
He recently heard arguments for and against the site of the 
trial with Union Carbide
lawyers arguing in favor of a trial in India and 
lawyers of the victims for a trial in the US.
Keenan is apparently threatening to rule against the
party who does not cooperate in arriving at the
settlement.

 Untouchability in Bihar

A survey conducted by the Lalit Narayan Institute
of Economic Development and Social Changes
recently revealed that 2/3 of the people in rural
Bihar confirmed that untouchability was very
prevalent there. Lower caste people were discriminated
against at village wells, ponds, temples, eating
places and social functions. The survey covered
districts of Vaishali, Patna, Nalanda, Nawada,
Gaya, Aurangabad, and Palmau.

 Per Capita Income

Real per capita income in 1984-85 in India was
reported to be around $64 compared with $63 
in 1983-84. Using 1970-71 as the base year, the per
capita income in 1984-85 was $194 at current
prices. 

 Dr. King Honored

One of Calcutta's famous streets, Wood Street,
has bee renamed after the black civil rights
leader Dr. Martin Luthar King Jr. Greeting the
Mayor and citizens of Calcutta, King's widow
Correta Scott King said in a message that naming
the street after her husband's name was a
reaffirmation of King's "spritual affinity with
India."

Sources: India Now, India Abroad, and the New
York Times.


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