INDIA: ONE-DAY STRIKE IN DELHI OVER SALE'S TAX -- MRS. INDIRA GANDHI ON TASHKENT AGREEMENT - SOF PRESS CONFERENCE.

Record ID: 342043

  • Title: INDIA: ONE-DAY STRIKE IN DELHI OVER SALE'S TAX -- MRS. INDIRA GANDHI ON TASHKENT AGREEMENT - SOF PRESS CONFERENCE.
  • Date: 20th April 1966
  • Summary: "IT IS TRUE THAT THE TASHKENT SPIRIT NOT AS BRIGHT AS IT WAS SOME TIME AGO BUT AT THE SAME TIME, PRACTICALLY ALL THE COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD HAVE REALISED THE IMPORTANCE OF TASHKENT AND HAVE SUPPORTED THE DECLARATION. WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED IT TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE AND WE FULLY REALISE HOW NECESSARY IT IS TO HAVE FRIENDSHIP WITH PAKISTAN, BOTH FOR US AND FOR PAKISTAN. SO I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PRESENT TREND AND I AM VERY SERIOUSLY THINKING WHETHER IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO TAKE SOME POSITIVE STEPS TO REVERSE THESE TRENDS WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS." SHOPS AND MARKET CLOSED -- POLICE PATROLLING DESERTED STREETS -- MRS. GANDHI AT PRESS CONFERENCE (SOF EXTRACT) ON PAKISTAN. Initials JRG-GHB/V/AW/BB. Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 5th May 1966 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW DELHI, INDIA
  • Country: India
  • Reuters ID: LVA3NV80NOXPCFVTO3BVU6CAY2TV
  • Story Text: SHOPS AND OFFICES IN INDIA'S CAPITAL, NEW DELHI, CLOSED YESTERDAY (TUESDAY) IN A PROTEST AGAINST A PROPOSED NEW SALES'S TAX. MEANWHILE, FOREIGN AFFAIRS WERE UPPERMOST AT MRS GANDHI'S FIRST FORMAL PRESS CONFERENCE IN DELHI SINCE SHE BECAME PRIME MINISTER.

    THE DELHI TRADERS WERE STAGING THE ONE-DAY STRIKE IN PROTEST AGAINST A PROPOSED NEW SALES' TAX ON EDIBLE OILS, KEROSENE, MATCHES AND OTHER GOODS, AND A PROPOSED INCREASE IN THE PRESENT SALES' TAX ON LUXURIES FROM TWO AND A HALF PER CENT TO TEN PER CENT.

    THE AUTHORITIES, FEARING RIOTS, MASSED 7,000 POLICE IN THE MAIN STREETS AND ROUNDED UP 500 SUSPECTED TROUBLEMAKERS. BUT NO INCIDENTS WERE REPORTED. THE SECURITY PRECAUTIONS WERE PROMPTED BY RIOTING IN CALCUTTA DURING A ONE-DAY FOOD STRIKE LAST MONTH WHEN 39 PEOPLE WERE KILLED.

    BAZAARS AND SHOPPING STREETS WERE DESERTED, BUT TRADE UNIONS DISSOCIATED THEMSELVES FROM A CALL BY THE CITY'S POLITICAL PARTIES, INCLUDING THE RULING CONGRESS PARTY, FOR A GENERAL STRIKE IN TRANSPORT AND INDUSTRY. BUSES AND TAXIS CONTINUED SERVICES AND GOVERNMENT OFFICES, BANKS, SCHOOLS AND MOST FACTORIES REMAINED OPEN.

    YESTERDAY'S STRIKE WAS THE BIGGEST STRIKE DEMONSTRATION IN THE CAPITAL SINCE THE GENERAL STRIKE BY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES IN 1960.

    AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE, MRS. GANDHI SPOKE ABOUT HER CONCERN OVER THE DETERIORATION OF RELATIONS WITH PAKISTAN. SHE SAID THE TASHKENT SPIRIT WAS NOT AS BRIGHT AS IT WAS AND SHE WAS CONSIDERING A SUMMIT MEETING WITH PRESIDENT AYUB KHAN.

    MRS. GANDHI'S PREDECESSOR, MR.SHASTRI, AT THIS SUMMIT IN TASHKETN WITH PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN AGREED TO PULL BACK THE TROOPS ON BOTH SIDES AFTER LAST AUTUMN'S FIGHTING AND TO WORK FOR MUTUAL PEACE.

    BUT SINCE THAT JANUARY SUMMIT, TENSION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES HAS SLOWLY BUILT UP AGAIN.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register