40 years ago October 7, 1986: PM optimistic on Punjab

Opinion 40 years ago October 7, 1986: PM optimistic on Punjab This is the front page of The Indian Express published on October 07, 1986.

Key points

• 2 min readOct 7, 2026 06: 40 AM IST First published on: Oct 7, 2026 at 06: 40 AM IST.
• This is the front page of The Indian Express published on October 07, 1986.
• Indian heavyweight boxer Daljit Singh has been deprived of his silver medal after the lone doping incident of the Asian Games, authorities stated in Seoul.
• Punjab is much better today than it has been for a long time, according to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
• India and Jordan expressed concern and regret over the continuing Iran-Iraq war and emphasised the need to bring regarding an immediate end to it.

Punjab is much better today than it has been for a long time, according to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He remarked that in spite of the attempt on his life and on that of J F Ribeiro, the level of terrorism in that state had never been so low before. The terrorists, he remarked, had resorted to these attacks in a bid to salvage their image.

Indian heavyweight boxer Daljit Singh has been deprived of his silver medal after the lone doping incident of the Asian Games, authorities stated in Seoul. Dope tests indicated he had employed an illegal stimulant, they noted. The silver medal was awarded to Pakistan's Kausar Abbas, defeated in the semifinals by Singh. India, Jordan on Iran-Iraq war.

India and Jordan expressed concern and regret over the continuing Iran-Iraq war and emphasised the need to bring regarding an immediate end to it. President Zail Singh, Jordanian King Hussein, and Queen Noor al-Hussein reaffirmed their country's backing for the struggle of the Palestinian residents led by the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. © The Indian Express Pvt Ltd.

In short, 40 years ago October 7, 1986: PM optimistic on Punjab is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.