CHANDIGARH: The Punjab police seems nervous following reports that the Defence Ministry was reluctant to continue the army’s field support to the security forces in tackling militancy in the State,

A senior police officer when wanted to remain anonymous said withdrawal of toops to barracks would delay their involvement in emergency operations. The quick reaction teams being formed in cantonments for responding to the call of the civil authorities might miss the targets because of time gap.

The defence sources maintained that a long exposure of troops in civil environment would wear off their edges as the premier fighting force of the country. There had to be a difference between the army and the police which had become controversial in Punjab despite its fierce engagements with militants.

Meanwhile, official record reveals that the security forces killed 226 militants in Punjab during June, the highest one month figures of their losses, so far. On the contrary, the number of civilians and members of the security forces and members of the security forces killed during the month was 122, The total deaths in the Punjab violence till June were 1188 including 891 militants.

The Punjab Government seems satisfied with these figures and claims that its success on the law and order front has been appreciated at the Center. But the fact that these figures have been revised in the past and that these sometime different with those maintained by the army creates the suspicion that these might have been fudged to give credit to the Punjab police.

The continuous reports that panches and sarpanches have been resigning in protest against police repression give an impression that the charge is not baseless as is being described by the Government The Chief Minister has been saying that the resignations are being tendered under threat of militancy and proving indirectly that the Government’s writ does not run in Rural areas.

The human rights organizations allege that a large number of youths listed as militants are being killed in fake encounters by the police. Therefore, the figures of losses of militants being prepared described by the police may not be convincing for the people of Punjab: though these may help the Beant Singh Government win some applause during the forthcoming parliament session.

Article extracted from this publication >> July 17, 1992