40 years ago, August 28, 1986: Procession ban in Gujarat

Forty years ago, on August 28, 1986, a procession ban was imposed in Gujarat following a clash between the police and protesters attempting to hold a shobha yatra during the Janmashtami festival in Ahmedabad. Over 1,100 individuals were apprehended for defying orders and attempting to organize a procession.

In a separate development, the United States was involved in a "war of nerves" with Libyan revolutionary committees, who were calling for attacks on US interests. US officials acknowledged that the Reagan administration was attempting to provoke a reaction from Colonel Gaddafi, in hopes that his opposition would then act against him. However, some US officials expressed concern that this escalating tension could undermine US efforts to impose economic and political sanctions on Gaddafi.

Meanwhile, efforts to address the issue of South Africa's apartheid regime were taking place at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit. A collective strategy to counter South Africa's racist policies was expected to be developed at the summit in Harare, with Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi warning of potential efforts to divide the anti-apartheid movement.