WORLD IN BRIEF : INDIA : Leader in Dramatic Bid for Punjab Peace
India’s new prime minister made a dramatic peace overture in the strife-torn northern state of Punjab, praying in the holiest Sikh shrine and expressing regret for years of bloodshed. The streets of the Sikh holy city of Amritsar were clogged as tens of thousands of people welcomed Vishwanath Pratap Singh, who rode in an open jeep, stopping to shake hands and hug people. Thousands of people have been killed since Sikh militants began a ruthless campaign for an independent homeland. Singh plans to seek a vote of confidence in his minority government after Parliament meets Dec. 18.
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