AMRITSAR: The Punjab police has said on the basis of interrogation of arrested militants that Sikh guerillas are optimistic about revival of the Khalistan movement before long although top police brass docs not readily share this perception. The police says that fresh weapons have been pouring in from friendly quarters to the Punjab militants and in this supply no distinction is being drawn about the various outfits, One of these consignments has been ‘seized in” Bathinda district. This consignment came from the: Gujarat area, The militant leaders believe that fresh recruits will spring. Up once: the weapons reach them, The most active militant segment belongs to the Khalistan Liberation Force which has sprinkling of educated youths. This segment does not rely on the boys belonging to the Majha belt because of their links with smugglers. Such elements cannot be regarded fit for political Struggle, it is argued,
Although Punjab police chief K.P.S.Gill has mounted a self-publicity campaign rather successfully as the Hindu dominated media is content to take his word un critically, there are elements within the Punjab police who feel that the Punjab problem is essentially political in nature and that the police could silence the voice of Sikh youths for some time, it cannot do so for all limes to come, An indication of the self-assurance of the police chief is provided by the fact that he presented Malkiat Singh Ajnala all over again even after he had surrendered to the Punjab police in 1988, In other words, Gill has nothing new to “offer” to please his Hindu bosses.
Meanwhile, the Punjab police chief after keeping silent for 10 days on the elimination of a militant couple at Calcutta by the Punjab police has suddenly denied that the murder was the handiwork of the Punjab police. This was evidently done to escape enquiries in connection with a case of murder registered by the West Bengal police. A posse of West Bengal police is reported to have reached Punjab to pursue enquiries, Gill’s forays into other states in ‘pursuit of what is called operation chase has the full support of India’s prime minister. This is why Gill had the guts to declare in a press interview this week that the operation will “continue.” He would not have dared to make such a Statement had there been any lack of support from Narasimha Rao for Gill’s campaign of murder, In fact, an official spokesman of the Indian home ministry had advised the various state governments to extend cooperation to the Punjab police. This statement was made in the context of objections from West Bengal to the murder of the Sikh couple at Calcutta.
The Punjab police are a worried lot as to what the West Bengal government will. do if the culprits of the murder of the Sikh couple are arrested. Will it seek the help of ever obliging Harkishen Singh Surjeet to drop the proceedings? According to observers, any genuine enquiry can unravel men at the top involved in the murder campaign.
What is intriguing is that the West Bengal Sikh couple was cold bloodedly assassinated by a Punjab police gang while senior US administration official John Malott was in Delhi. K.P.S.Gill had maintained silence initially and thus had virtually accepted congratulations from Hindu leaders. Gill later shrugged off the incident as the result of inter-gang rivalry which has convinced none.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 4, 1993
