{
  "id": 15534737,
  "title": "40 years ago October 19, 1986: PM blames big businesses",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/40-years-ago-october-19-1986-pm-blames-big-businesses",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-19T01:10:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/40-years-ago/40-years-ago-october-19-1986-pm-blames-big-businesses-10927294/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On October 19, 1986, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi pointed fingers at large corporations for failing to increase exports. He contrasted their inaction with the tenacious spirit demonstrated by small-scale enterprises. During a speech to members of the Indian community in Auckland, Rajiv Gandhi pledged the government's full support to empower the small-scale sector. His objective was to enhance product competitiveness and quality. At this point, the nation required bolstered foreign exchange reserves and a wider market for its goods overseas. However, Rajiv Gandhi lamented that the big businesses were not contributing in this direction. Meanwhile, the US Congress had approved the most comprehensive immigration legislation in two decades. This law removed the possibility of deportation for aliens who had entered the US illegally or overstayed before January 1, 1982. It also imposed stricter penalties on employers hiring illegal immigrants and imposed greater surveillance on the border. Tragically, three deaths and three arrests occurred in Punjab within 24 hours. The victims included Jathedar Kirpal Singh, an Akali Dal activist, a schoolteacher, and the son of a Congress leader. Meanwhile, three suspected terrorists were apprehended. Concurrently, the Bharatiya Janata Party's national executive deliberated on a potential indictment against the Rajiv Gandhi administration's two-year tenure. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the party's former president, demanded a clear government stance on allegations made by P C Sethi against Rajiv Gandhi and Madhavrao Scindia in a recent interview to a Bombay weekly.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}