WSN Service

CHANDIGARH: Army’s assistance would be required on the eve of the election scheduled for early next year. But evidently either environment has deteriorated in Punjab or the election schedule is being advanced so as to require a nearly deployment of the army.

Punjab Governor Surinder Nath discussed Punjab with Prime Minister Narasimha Rao here early this week. He reportedly suggested that India send in the army to Punjab to contain militant onslaught, Punjab at present has about 370 companies’ of the central forces and it wants 530 more companies.

The army was deployed by India in Punjab last winter but was pulled out on June 22 this year.

What has now upset India’s schedule in Punjabis series of militant actions against family members of policemen, About 40 members of policemen’s families have been killed after the police “cats” killed Bhai Jauianas family members last month, the attacks on police families has caused as care among India’s security forces stationed in Punjab. Besides, a militant attack on a train killing eight security forces personnel has caused a setback to India’s scheme of things.

Report from U.P is also quite disheartening to the Indian Government. There has been a big spurt in militant activity in UP, a state far removed from Punjab.

In 1988 the number of militant related incidents in U.P. was 22.It 1was29in 1989, It went up 10 40 in 1990. There has been a quantum, jump in the number of incidents in 1991: 119. The number of Killings as a result of militants stepped up activity is 33 and of kidnappings 12.

According to the U.P. police, about dozen districts are affected by the Sikh militant activity. The worst affected is Pilibhit district. Next in importance comes Naini Tal, Kheri and Shah johanpur district, Police says 24 districts are “sensitive” and 12 of these districts have been placed as “highly sensitive”, So far 21 policemen have been killed, 49 Sikhs have died and 39 non Sikhs have been killed.

The U.P Director General of Police, Prakash Singh, says that sustained campaign against

Militants will continue to contain militancy which, he admits, is not very easy considering the forest cover available to militants. In addition to the police force, the U P. government has pressed into service two battalions of Border Security Force on the job.

Bhai Satnam Singh who heads a unit of Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan and his wife, Satnam Kaur, say that militants had to pay attention to the Terai region for actions they found Sikhs being eliminated in fake encounters.

They refer to the killings of Sikh pilgrims by the U.P. police to justify their presence in U.P. The couples say that Sikhs have no dispute with any religion. They want a territory of their own while Hindus and Muslims have their own.

Article extracted from this publication >> October 11, 1991