Ever since Surjit Singh Barnala’s dismissal as Chief Minister in May 1987 the Government of India had been following a policy in Punjab that had only one dimension: to use mindless force against militants.
The P.H.R.O investigated and produced a series of reports suggesting false encounter killings in hundreds especially in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Faridkot, Ferozepur and Kapurthala districts. A new phenomenon in evidence during the intervening period has been the elimination of whole families including women and children. These killings have not only been disowned but also denounced by known militant groups such as Panthic Committee, Khalistan Commando Force, Khalistan Liberation Force and the Babbar Khalsa. Nevertheless, the media and the public opinion as a whole have been led to believe that the militant groups in Punjab were the culprits.
