November 18, 1981, Forty Years Ago: Mitterrand’s Views
In a 40-minute interview to The Indian Express, French president Francois Mitterrand answered a wide-range of questions about East-West relations, the North-South dialogue, his domestic problems, relations with India and his intellectual pursuits.
France’s socialist President Francois Mitterrand said that his country would fiercely guard its autonomy and would not re-enter NATO. In a 40-minute interview to The Indian Express, the French president answered a wide-range of questions about East-West relations, the North-South dialogue, his domestic problems, relations with India and his intellectual pursuits. He was very conscious of North-South problems and France’s determination to do something about them. Asked if France was not following a harder line towards the Soviet Union, he replied, “Yes, perhaps I am disappointed by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. I cannot say I approve of it. I disapprove of it”. This, however, will not preclude France from following good relations with the Soviet Union, the French president said.
PM On Punjab
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi has taken a very serious view of the law-and-order situation in Punjab, particularly the murder of a Nirankari leader. She assured a Nirankari delegation that the government would deal with the situation with a very strong hand and would not permit any slackness in the state’s administration. She had a detailed discussion with Union Home Minister Giani Zail Singh and other senior officials.
Colour TV In Delhi
Colour TV transmission started on Delhi on November 17 with the inauguration of an experimental studio put up by the research development wing of the All India Radio at the international trade fair. The colour TV studio is part of the pavilion put up by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry with the theme “reaching the millions”. The studio will simultaneously put out FM broadcasts for stereo effect. There will be four-hour colour transmission interspersed with FM broadcasts.
