Presented by Leonard Parkin of ITN News. Ken Reese reports from New Delhi. Carole Barnes in Southall with Chief Superintendent Bob Hay, Piara Singh Khabra, President,  Indian Workers Association and Mr Jaspal Singh Bambra, Sikh leader.

“At Calcutta, there were curfews in a further nine towns after arson and looting. Mrs Gandhi was shot by two Sikh members of her staff when the violence has flared as the Hindus take out their revenge on Sikhs throughout India. The new prime minister Rajiv Gandhi has appealed for calm as the country begins 12 days of mourning. Ken Reese reports from New Delhi.

From first light crowds began to gather at the house where Mrs Gandhi’s body was to Lie in state. It was once the home of her father Pandit Nehru. Escorted by an army detail it arrived just after seven o’clock, marking a symbolic end to her 17-year rule of India and the beginning of 12 days of official state mourning. Among the first to arrive as the new Prime Minister was her son Mr Rajiv Gandhi sworn in only yesterday, he’s not slept since his mother’s death working through the night with his aides trying to keep the country under control, with violence breaking out in many states.

Many of the mourners were clearly overwhelmed with grief. Mr Gandhi appealed time and time again for calm. Some were so eager to reach the coffin that they broke through the hastily erected barriers. They were chanting ‘Indira’s name will live forever’ and more somberly ‘Blood for Blood’. Despite TV and radio appeals for the nation to remain calm, there have been reports of violence and deaths coming in from many parts of the country and despite the presence of large numbers of police there have been scores of clashes in the capital as Hindus took revenge against Sikhs in their property. Most Sikhs are staying off the streets hoping that the situation will calm down.

At one of the Sikh temples in Delhi, a Hindu mob threw stones and tried but failed to reach the building which is heavily defended by Sikhs. They did manage to set fire to some buildings in the grounds. Mr Gandhi has called in Indian army units to try and control the situation and in the old part of Delhi were the very poorest Hindus and Sikhs live the Army has been battling with rioters. But as we found police elsewhere in the city seem to prefer to stand by just 50 yards from police lines here Hindu youths began stoning a Sikh building.

Already people’s grief is turning to anger here we’ve got a mob of Hindus attacking a Sikh premises in the middle of Delhi the police are nowhere to be seen and this sort of situation is expected to get worse indeed to be repeated across the country particularly after her funeral on Saturday. Ken Reese ITN Delhi.

Here in Britain the appeals for calm among Indian communities seem to have been heeded. In the London borough of Southall the police joined Community leaders at a meeting last night to reassure residents and that seemed to work. The man who held that meeting Chief Superintendent Bob Hay and two Community leaders in Southall now with Carol Barnes.

Carole Barnes: Chief Superintendent Hay, do you feel that after last night you’ve succeeded in establishing a lasting calm here in Southall?

Chief Superintendent Bob Hay: No, no I’m still concerned on a day-to-day basis in Southall we’re not in charge of our own destiny as it were because events on the subcontinent clearly have a distinct effect on what is happening here and so it is doubly necessary for us to be vigilant to continue to work with our community leaders and to hope that together we can ensure that the dreadful events that we’ve been seeing on television in India do not spill over into the streets of London. What’s been your ploy what are your tactics here. They have been the same as they have been in over two and a half years and that is working closely with the leaders at all times, and we have suffered a number of crises in Southall and throughout all of that period by acting together by ensuring that we respect each other’s position we have successfully thus far been able to cope.

Carole Barnes: Well Mr Khabra you’re a leading member of the Indian Community here now we’ve heard that some Sikhs in this country were being pretty provocative yesterday and last night and yet the Hindus seem to have been very restrained did you expect that?

Mr Khabra: Yes, I think that Hindus even when the military action was taken on 6th of June on the Golden Temple in Amritsar, they showed in India they showed a lot of restraint and all these things. You forgive me we have heard today that the Indians are reacting now quite violently against the Sikhs in India. Yes, I have listened to the news on the radio yes that was a natural reaction, which we expected. Are the Hindus here are more calmer then? Hindus are more calmer here and I hope that they’ll keep peaceful and they won’t retaliate and if that happens that will be a disaster for us but we are trying to you know work very hard together to see things and get through peacefully.

Carole Barnes: Well Mr Bambra, you’re a leader from the Sikh temple here, how big is the rift between Sikh and Hindu in this country do you think? Well, the rift is only the effect of what’s happened in India, otherwise they have been very happily living together and we pray that that feeling, that attachment stays prevails. Yet you have some young perhaps hot-headed members of the temple, are you confident that you can control them?

Mr Bhambra: Well, the young need a lot of guidance in this country because they one thing they’re not very much aware of the back history and the back circumstances and atmosphere, so I try, I endeavour along with other leaders to guide the youth to behave in a very responsible manner. What can you do in practice to ensure that? Well, we can call them call to meetings and explain the situation to them and while it doesn’t get us anywhere or nobody.

Carol Barnes: Very briefly and finally Mr Hay will you be sending out more men again tonight?

Chief Superintendent Bob Hay: Indeed, and in successive nights. My last comment if I may I said that events in India dictate what’s happening here that also happens in reverse. They will be aware of what’s happening here and so too will other Asian communities.”

ITN news report 1 Nov 1984 from Delhi and Southall.