States’ action under DIR curbed
The Union Home Minister, Mr. G.L. Nanda, announced in Parliament to-day [May 18, New Delhi] Government’s decision to immediately amend the Defence of India Rules to enable the Central Government to require the State Governments to take the prior sanction of the Centre for any action proposed to be taken under any of the rules that may be specified. In the Lok Sabha, leaders of Opposition groups described the decision as “half-hearted” and held that the present situation did not warrant continuance of the Emergency any lIonger. In the Raiya Sabha, however, no questions were raised on the Home Minister’s statement. Mr. Nanda said that Government was re-examining the draft bill to amend the Defence of India Act, in the light of the views expressed by members of both Houses, Congress as well as Opposition, and it was because of this that Government was unable to introduce the bill in the current session. Mr. Nanda said that the amendment to the Defence of India Act which the Government wants to make “is a big step forward” and went on to explain that if the application of the Defence of India Rules and Act were restricted in the manner proposed the effect would be a “corresponding restoration of the fundamental rights and the right to move the court for enforcement thereof.”
America’s dilemma in Vietnam
The steadily deteriorating situation in South Viet Nam where a virtual civil war within a civil war is brewing, is causing increasing anxiety to the United States. Beyond appealing to Air Marshal Ky the impetuous junta leader whose influence is clearly waning, and the dissidents led by the Buddhists who have now declared that Premier Ky must go, to compose their “lesser differences” and get on with the war, Washington has not been able to do much to arrest the drift towards chaos. The fear here now is that a situation may soon develop where the responsibility for fighting the Viet Cong will fall almost solely on the U.S. Expeditionary Force with the South Viet Namese themselves virtually withdrawing from the military campaign to carry on the feud among themselves. The U.S. is irritated with Marshal Ky for precipitating this new crisis by reneging on his promise to hold elections and by making a military plan against rival generals in Da Nang and elsewhere. But it has not expressed this irritation publicly because it has got itself into a position where it has no one but Marshal Ky to turn to at the moment. Marshal Ky is thus in the odd position of being both the despair and the only hope of the United States.
Giant U.S. tanker with wheat at Madras port
“Manhattan”, the 1,08,000-tonne U.S. tanker bringing 75,000 tonnes of U.S. wheat to India under the U.S. food aid programme reached Madras this afternoon [May 18] and is berthed about two miles outside the harbour. Arrangements are being finalised for the discharge of the cargo by “evacuators” into smaller ships, four of which have already arrived and four more expected shortly. One of the smaller ships, “Maratha Explorer”, has already drawn alongside the tanker. The tanker is expected to enter the harbour after discharging about 30,000 tonnes outside the harbour and this might take three days. Further unloading into the smaller ships will continue by means of “evacuators” inside the harbour at the moorings. About 24,000 tonnes of the wheat is earmarked for Madras and the rest will be further shipped to Calcutta. The biggest ever ship to touch Madras harbour, “Manhattan” is 940 feet long and 140 feet wide. At the place where it is at present anchored, the draft is about 42 feet. A party of Pressmen and photographers, taken in “Pennar”, a tug of the Madras Port Trust as far as “Manhattan” was disappointed at not being able to get aboard the tanker. The “swell”, on the sea was very rough and it was extremely difficult to effect a landing on the tanker despite repeated attempts.
