January 7, 1986, marked a significant day in Indian corporate and political history, as captured on the front page of The Indian Express. The headline news was the dramatic arrest of a prominent industrialist, while other stories highlighted critical national security and industrial concerns of the era.
The Arrest of a Brewery Tycoon
Vijay Mallya, the high-profile chairman of the United Breweries group, was taken into custody by officers of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) upon his arrival at Bangalore airport. The arrest, which occurred around 8 pm on January 7, 1986, was executed after Mallya flew in from Calcutta. ED sleuths had been tracking his movements for two days prior, successfully laying a trap that led to his detention.
The case against him involved alleged gross violations of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA), a stringent law of the time designed to regulate foreign currency transactions. This early legal encounter foreshadowed the financial controversies that would later define Mallya's public persona decades later.
National Politics: Vajpayee's Warning and Punjab Tensions
In other major news, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee voiced serious apprehension regarding the Indian government's policy towards Pakistan. His concern was particularly acute given that Pakistan was actively advancing its nuclear programme. Vajpayee underscored that Indian government representatives had themselves repeatedly alleged that terrorists responsible for violence in Punjab were receiving training in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, in Punjab, the ruling Akali Dal formulated a three-pronged strategy—political, administrative, and religious—to counter militants. These groups planned to disrupt vehicular traffic on January 10, aiming to pre-empt the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee's "kar seva" at the Akal Takht scheduled for January 27. This strategy emerged from a joint meeting of district Akali jathedars, MLAs, and MPs, who collectively urged the Barnala government to take a bold stand against forces of disruption.
Industrial Crisis: Shriram's Closure Threat
On the industrial front, Shriram Food and Fertilisers Industries faced a severe crisis. The company threatened to shut down and retrench 700 workers from its total workforce of 1,400 if forced to relocate. This threat was a direct response to a recommendation by an expert committee instituted by the Supreme Court, which advised moving the plant from its current location to a more sparsely populated area.
The plant's senior manager, Datta Roy, stated that the company had implemented all but one of the recommendations made by the Nilay Choudhry expert committee. The potential closure highlighted the difficult balance between industrial activity, environmental or safety concerns, and worker welfare.
This snapshot from January 7, 1986, reveals a nation grappling with economic enforcement against powerful businessmen, complex geopolitical rivalries with Pakistan, internal security challenges in Punjab, and contentious industrial disputes—themes that remain relevant in various forms to this day.
