Jul 8, 2025 07:27 IST First published on: Jul 8, 2025 at 07:27 ISTShareFavouring consensus on all domestic and international problems, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi rated the chances of normalcy returning to Punjab and finding a solution within the framework of the Constitution as “high” though President’s Rule might have to be extended if holding elections before October 6 is not feasible. He also hoped to begin talks soon with the leaders of the Opposition parties on both the Punjab and reservation issues.Black Box SearchBoth the black boxes of the Air India jumbo which crashed on June 23, have now been located. The operation continued in the Atlantic Ocean off Ireland to salvage the instruments which may provide clues to the cause of the accident in which 329 people died. Reporting substantial progress in the operation, an official source said the area of sea being scanned for the flight data recorder and the voice recorder by a remote controlled-submarine has been reduced to about 200 square metres.Thimphu TalksAdvertisementWith the departure of representatives of five Tamil militant groups and the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) leaders for Thimphu, the stage is now set for talks to begin on the ethnic crisis in Sri Lanka, the first such exercise between the militant groups and the government. Ten representatives from the militant organisations and three from the TULF flew from New Delhi to the capital of the Himalayan kingdom.Bhindranwale’s GhostThe ghost of the militant Sikh leader, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, has virtually been laid to rest in this border district of Ferozepur, which provided him his name — Bhindranwale. A majority of people in Bhindranwale’s erstwhile area of influence — a 60-km belt north-east of Ferozepur — are today reluctant to talk about him. For them, he is a gladly forgotten aberration.