August 22, 1982, Forty Years Ago
Beirut resounded to the roar of thousands of guns as the besieged west sideof the city bade farewell to Palestinian fighters.
Press Lathi-charged
Over 30 journalists were seriously injured, many of them sustaining bleeding wounds on their head and limbs, when a riot squad of the CRPF brutally lathi-charged a peaceful, silent procession on its way to Raj Bhawan to present a memorandum against the press curbs bill. The operation was directed by the city police superintendent, U S Dutta.
Boeing Hijacking
The exact circumstances of the killing of the IA Boeing hijacker, Manjit Singh, alias Museebat Singh, at Amritsar airport, remain cloaked in mystery, partly because of a Union government ban on the disclosure of any information pertaining to the hijacker’s death. Questioned at length, four crew members of the hijacked plane narrated all the events leading to the shooting, except the shooting itself.
PLO Evacuation
Beirut resounded to the roar of thousands of guns as the besieged west sideof the city bade farewell to Palestinian fighters. The traditional tribute of firing rifles into the air reached a crescendo as the first commandos sailed to Cyprus. Over the next two weeks, about15,000 Palestinian guerrillas and Syrian troops are due to be dispersed among eight Arab countries.
Afghanistan Talks
Vital talks under the UN auspices are likely to take place in New York next month for finding a peaceful settlement of the 32-month-old Afghanistan problem. This follows the first round of indirect talks Diego Cordovez, the UN Secretary-General’s, had in Geneva last June with Pakistan Foreign Minister Yaqub Khan, Afghanistan Foreign Minister Shah Mohammed Dost, and the Iranian ambassador Jafar Mahallati.
