News In Brief

July 18, 1984

Second Attempt to march on Sikh shrine broke up

Indian police and paramilitary troops broke up a second attempt Tuesday by unarmed Sikhs to march on the Golden Temple to protest the Army occupation that began June 4. Police arrested 14 people for violating curfew.

The unarmed, self-styled ''suicide squad'' of protesters was demanding withdrawal of government troops from the battle-scarred temple, where repair work was begun Tuesday by 150 members of the Nihang faction despite objections from the Sikhs' dominant Akali Dal party.

High priests of the Sikh religion had insisted that only the authorities of the Golden Temple can repair damage incurred from an Army attack on the complex last month, and only ''after a complete pullout of the security forces.