For Rajiv Gandhi it was a moment of triumph. Following his election last December, India's Prime Minister had given the "highest priority" to resolving the crisis caused by Sikh demands for greater autonomy. Against heavy odds, Gandhi arrived at a settlement last week with moderate Sikh leaders after 33 hours of intense negotiations.
That Gandhi had managed to persuade the Sikhs to come to New Delhi for talks was in itself a considerable achievement. That an agreement was reached so quickly on a problem that has over the past three years claimed thousands of lives, threatened the unity of the country...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
