CHANDIGARH, India: Gunmen killed eight people when they fired submachine guns indiscriminately into a crowded Punjab market, and police sources said today the attack appeared to be in revenge for the police killings of Sikhs in the same area earlier this month. “The sources in the State Capital Chandigarh, told Reuters that State Intelligence Officials had forecast that Sikh freedom fighters would carry out retaliatory attacks in the area and had alerted police to be vigilant before last night’s assault.
In New Delhi, about 600 Hindu refugees from Punjab clashed with police today in an unruly protest against the attack. Police told Reuters the protesters, who hurled stones and burned a car, were dispersed with a baton charge, but seven people were arrested and two injured.
Police officials banned the assembly of more than five persons throughout the Capital as a precaution, The refugees, housed in a South Delhi transit camp, had left the north Indian state because of the retaliatory attacks against the Hindus.
Home Minister, But a Singh, Punjab Governor, SS. Ray and Chief Minister, Surjit Singh Barnala today visited the stricken village of Kuban in Ferozpur district bordering Pakistan, officials said.
The three officials consoled families of the victims and vowed to capture the assailants.
Police said the village was tense and sullen, with shops shuttered, the market deserted, and extra constables on patrol.
Police said at least three freedom fighters had been killed by police in Ferozpur district bordering Pakistan this month.
They noted that the district had been tense with Malaut village near Kuban under curfew since the killings earlier this month of Hindu leaders and Sikh freedom fighters.
Militant Hindu leaders in Punjab today called for a statewide general strike tomorrow to protest against the killings.
In separate statement, the rightwing Hindu dominated Bharatiya Janata Party, the militant activist RSS group and Shiv Sena (army of the god Shiva) condemned the Killings.
‘The attack was the worst single act of violence in the State since July 25 when 14 bus passengers were shot in their seats.
So far this year 534 people have died in Punjab which has been torn by violence sparked by a demand for an independent Sikh homeland, “Khalistan’
Meanwhile according to a report from Kaban near Abohar. it was stated in a note delivered to a woman that “we have taken revenge on the false encounters and ask you to stop further Killings”, This has been stated in a letter sent to an old woman Dhanu by gunmen who gunned down seven persons and injured four in to the village on Oct. 25 the letter was addressed to Senior Super. Police Ferozpur and written in Gur mukhi on behalf of Deshmesh Regiment. The letter writer’s name was mentioned as Sandhu. The letter refers to the killing of two persons Kartar Singh and Kuldeep Singh allegedly Killed by Punjab Police in false encounter. Dhanu said that she was standing in front of her house when three young men were passing through the area and one of them with a revolver in his hand asked her to receive a “ Parachi” (note) she was reluctant to receive it as she had come to know the shooting incident in the village but she was threatened if dire consequences of she refused to do so. She was told by the young men that this letter should be handed over to the police. She showed the letter to villagers and then it was handed over to the police.
Five of the seven shot dead were cremated in the village on October 26 after postmortem examination and the bodies of the rest were sent to Abohar and Hanumangarh.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 31, 1986
