This Day That Age (August 14, 1960)

H.E. Excellency General Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan, with the Prime Minister, Shri. Jawaharlal Nehru, on arrival at Palam Airport in New Delhi the capital of India on September 01, 1959. The Pakistan President, who was on his way to Dacca accompanied by Mr. Manzur Qadir, Pakistan Foreign Minister, who received him at the airport.

President Prasad's call

President Rajendra Prasad, who was having a “heart-to-heart” talk, as he himself claimed, with the legislators in Madras on August 13, said that the desire of the people to possess material wealth should be linked with the spiritual heritage of this country, that “we should remain contended with what we have.” He felt that the race for material prosperity had resulted in “getting more, working less.” On the other hand, with the spiritual background, the slogan could be “to do more, whether we get or not.” The country had to face great problems in the initial stages. There were numerous princely States at the time the British left India, and it was open to them to remain independent or join India or Pakistan. It should be said to the credit of the rulers of these States that they decided to merge with India.

Indo-Pak relations

President Ayub Khan of Pakistan in his Independence Day broadcast on August 13 referred to Mr. Nehru's forthcoming visit to Pakistan and said that the success of the talks between him and the Indian Prime Minister, would, to a great extent, depend on the Indian attitude. He declared, “There has to be a satisfactory settlement of the Kashmir problem if there is to be any form of peace between India and Pakistan.”

Olympic Flame

The Olympic flame was rekindled at Olympia (S. Greece), the centre of ancient Olympic Games, on August 12 to be carried by runners and by ship to Rome. Five thousand Greeks and foreign tourists watched a “vestal” of the ancient sanctuary of Olympia — portrayed by A. Catseli, a dramatic actress — implore Zeus, King of the Olympian Gods, to allow the flame to travel to a distant land. The actress stood behind the marbled portico over the ruins of the ancient stadium of Olympia and lit the flame from the rays of the sun concentrated through a mirror. Twelve costumed maidens chanted ritual hymns and then bore the flame in an earthen-ware bowl to a white marble altar, where the torch was lit and handed to the first runner. The flame will reach the Athens Olympic Stadium and will later be taken to Southern Italy.