NEW DELHI, India, Oct. 4 Reuter: Most of Northern India was on “red alert” today after successive bids to kill Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the Punjab Police Chief within 24 hours,
Authorities were also reported preparing to bring back army commandos to guard Gandhi after the 1,500strong “black cats” special protection group failed to stop a gunman getting close enough to fire a homemade pistol at him on Thursday.
Enquiries were also under way about how a six man Sikh squad burst unchallenged into a police compound in Punjab Yesterday, Killing two guards and injuring four people in a bid to assassinate State Police Chief Julio Ribeiro.
Ribeiro, who was grazed by a bullet, is a key figure in the fight against freedom fighters whose campaign for an independent Sikh homeland in Punjab has cost more than 500 dead this year,
Gandhi warned Indians last night to expect more dramatic attacks.
‘Authorities simultaneously declared alerts in Punjab, neighbouring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh states, and North Eastern assam where a hijack alert was issued.
“The more successful we are against the freedom fighters more dramatic attacks they will try to
Gandhi told journalist a phase the country will have to go through. I am confident they (freedom fighters) are losing”.
Punjab Police, backed by 30, 000 paramilitary troops sent by Delhi, have killed or captured hundreds of Sikh freedom fighters and suspects since Ribeiro took command in March and unleashed an anti Sikh offensive in the north Indian State
‘Newspapers said Gandhi’s would be killer, named as 26year‘old Karamjit Singh from Sangrug in Punjab, confessed he tried to kill the Prime Minister to avenge his friend’s death in the mass slaughter in New Delhi sparked by the assassination of Gandhi’s mother, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, by her bodyguards on October 31, 1984.
They said Karamjit’s friend ‘was among 2,700 Sikhs killed in mob violence across northern India.
Mrs., Gandhi was killed because she ordered a bloody army attack in June 1984 to oust freedom Fighters from the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Sikhdom’s holiest shrine.
Indian commentators said the fact that Karamjit used a primitive, homemade pistol capable only of spraying shotgun pellets a few meters (yards) indicated that he was probably not linked to freedom fighters.
The killer gangs who have ‘gunned down hundreds of victims in Punjab do not lack modern weapons. In August they killed former Army Commander General Arun Vaidya, who launched the Golden Temple assault.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 10, 1986
