NEW DELHI, India: There are several reasons for the continued violence in the Indian state of Punjab where so far nearly 650 persons have been killed during the current year. said Mr. Khushwant Singh, former member of Rajya Sabha and Editor of Hindustan Times in an interview with BBC.
Mr, Khushwant Singh said first none of those who committed violence against the Sikhs in Delhi following the assassination of Mrs. Gandhi had been punished. Moreover, there had been several incidents in the Punjab known as police encounters in which, he said, innocent people had been killed. Therefore, some people are very much annoyed. So long as these people are not punished people would remain annoyed, he added.
The former member of Indian parliament said with the arrest of the Akali leaders, Mr, Parkash Singh Badal and Mr. Gurcharan Singh Tohra, the situation would certainly get further complicated, because the victory of Mr. Gurcharan Singh Tohra in the Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee had inflicted a severe blow to the Barnala Government. He said immediately after election Mr. Tohra ‘announced that the security forces stationed in Gurdwaras should be withdrawn and the police would not be permitted to enter the Gurdwara.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 19, 1986
