WSN Service

AMRITSAR: Taking advantage of India’s preoccupation with Kashmir, Punjab freedom fighters have stepped up activities especially in the three border districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Ferozepur. The Panthic Committee headed by Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahl is spearheading the armed struggle for independence from India.

The other districts too have seen militancy on the rise under the leadership of the other Panthic Committee. Official sources believe that the AISSF and Babbar Khalsa International are backing the underground resistance as never before.

An indication of the intensification of the struggle comes from the fact that about 200 home guards quit their jobs recently in Majitha part of Amritsar district alone in face of pressure from militant groups.

The security forces in Punjab were shaken last month when their senior officer Gobind Ram was killed despite heavy security.

Punjab police chief KPS Gill said the killing was carried out by Khalistan Commando Force and not by Babbar Khalsa as was claimed. It was to counter growing militancy that Sumer Singh Saini and Swam Singh were posted as SSPs in Bathinda and Faridkot districts he said. Another “star” of the Punjab police, Harjinder Singh has been posted as SSP of Hoshiarpur.

Swam Singh was earlier posted at Kapurthala, Saini at Ludhiana and Harjinder Singh at Amritsar.

Harjinder is said to be an expert at maintaining vigilante groups. It was he who had infiltrated the ranks of militants with his killers on the eve of Operation Black Thunder II in May 1987.

As if to counter the official preparations, militants struck in a big way on ‘Sunday, Feb 4, by gunning down three PAP constables traveling as guards on a Punjab Roadways bus plying between ‘Amritsar and Patti. A militant group stopped the bus near Sahibpur village, killed the three policemen as well as three other passenger before fleeing with the sengers before fleeing with the guns of the cops.

A DSP Rajinder Kumar escaped with his life when militants fired at his car near Tanewali bus stand in Majitha police district. A CRPF, DSP, PK Pandey was injured when militants ambushed a patrol on the G.T, Road.

Article extracted from this publication >> February 9, 1990