40 years ago November 10, 1986: Stampede in Ayodhya

This is the front page of The Indian Express published on November 10, 1986.

This is the front page of The Indian Express published on November 10, 1986.

2 min readNov 10, 2026 06:40 AM IST First published on: Nov 10, 2026 at 06:40 AM IST

At least 50 pilgrims were feared killed and over 30 injured, 15 of them critically, in a stampede during the kartik parikrama in Ayodhya. Thirty-two bodies have been recovered so far .Among the dead were 21 women and a number of children. Senior district officials have gone to the site to supervise rescue operations. The stampede occurred when the barrier ropes gave way.

On crackdown in Tamil Nadu

The crackdown by the Tamil Nadu government on the Sri Lankan Tamil militants and their subsequent house arrest “has nothing to do with the good offices of India to find a political solution to the ethnic problem in the island republic.” This was stated by an External Affairs ministry spokesman. The action was taken in the light of the “developments affecting the law and order situation” in Tamil Nadu. Asked whether the Centre had been consulted prior to the action, the spokesman said law and order was a state subject.

Cinema bandh called off

The 31-day-old “cinema bandh” in Maharashtra was called off by the film industry’s action committee following an agreement. Chavan said the imposition of sales tax on lease of films will be held in abeyance till the Godbole Committee submits its report. It is expected to by December end. The CM announced an ad hoc relief of Rs 10 crore to the film industry.

Visa fees hiked

Indian missions abroad are understood to have been instructed to increase the visa fees for British nationals visiting India. The single entry visa fee accordingly is being raised from £12 to £20, double entry fee from £24 to £40 and long-term entry fee from £25 to £50.