CHANDIGARH: Even though the Centre and the state government have repeatedly declared their resolve to hold elections in the state citing improvement in the law and order situation figures compiled by the state government clearly belie these claims.
The government’s gross mishandling of the poll issue right from day one the uncertainty created by the political panies especially the Congress and the militants resolve against polls have all combined to dampen the enthusiasm for elections obsers here feel.
But the most important issue is that of the unsatisfactory law and order situation in the state Although the government had prior information of a move by certain organizations and even the Congress-I to scuttle the polls security arrangements have been found wanting. This was demonstrated by the killing of 22 candidates including two former Akali ministers apart from a bid on the life of the Union home minister Mr Subodh Kant Sahay who is contesting from the Ludhiana Lok Sabha constituency.
Such is the state of affairs that the governor’s adviser on law and order recently asked the police to replace the entire Punjab police contingent given to CRPF owing to lack of faith in the force. The concerned adviser is himself a retired IPS officer
Since January 1 this year more than 1400 persons including 215 policemen have been killed. The rate of monthly killing of innocent people averages between 20 and 250. About 75% of the killings are those of the Sikhs. Apart from the 215 odd-policemen killed far including a DIG about 175 policemen have been injured.
About 900 militants including 58 hardcore have been killed in more than 530 encounters.
MILITANTS HELD: Over 1040 Suspected militants have been arrested this year while the number of both listed and unlisted militants has crossed the 10,000 mark
The recovery figure of arms and ammunition from militants indicates the kind of arsenal that the militants possess. From January 1 this year more than 435 rifles including about 190 AK-47s about 560; pistols and revolvers six rocket-launchers 77 rockets 200 bombs and hand-grenades and over 34000 rounds of assorted ammunition have been recovered
While the government claims that about 55 hardcore militants have been killed and three arrested none of the most wanted militant leaders has been killed or arrested except for one. The Solitary success in this regard was Sukhwinder Singh Sangha the chief of the BTKF aligned to the Dr Sohan Singh panthic committee who was killed in an encounter.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 21, 1991
