May 9, 1984, Forty Years Ago: Soviet Union boycotts LA Olympics, alleges discrimination

The state government has allowed the controversial UP Official Languages (Amendment) Ordinance, which provided for the use of Urdu as a second language for some specific purposes, to lapse. The ordinance was declared ultra vires of the Constitution by a Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court and the state government has appealed before the Supreme Court.

India’s Nuclear Power

Defence Minister R Venkataraman assured Rajya Sabha members that adequate measures had been taken against any “misadventure” of nuclear warfare by Pakistan. Venkataraman said he proceeded on the assumption that Pakistan had nuclear capability. He could not take any risk. On the border, there was a concentration of Pakistani troops with multiple firings across the border.

Boycott of Olympics

The Soviet Union said it would not take part in the Los Angeles Olympic Games because of the behaviour of organisers and the US Government. “The National Olympic Committee of the USSR is compelled to declare that participation of Soviet sportsmen in the games of the 23rd Olympiad in Los Angeles is impossible.” The statement followed weeks of complaints from Moscow that the US was violating the Olympic charter and discriminating against the Soviet Union.