CHANDIGARH, India: Alarmed at the natural collapse of the administrative machinery in the border districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and migration of minorities from here to out-side of Punjab, the Centre has decided to rush twenty-four more companies of B.S.F and C.R.P for deployment in the rural areas of the violence affected areas. The State government on the advice of the Centre has decided to place Gurdaspur District under the charge of BS.F and Amritsar under the charge of CRP.F, directly. Both of these forces will command the forces in their respective districts. They will be under the over-all command of Director General of police, Punjab, Mr. Ribeiro. Political circles point out that the decision to hand ‘over the control of these districts to Para-military forces was taken in the light of the reports of the situations submitted to the Union Government by Mr. SS. Ray, Governor of Punjab and Mr. Gurdial Singh Dhillon, Union Agriculture Minister. Mr. Gurdial S. Dhillon had gone on an extensive tour of the worst affected areas and has publicly stated that Punjab was bleeding. Several political parties, including the Congress (I), BJP and CPI have been demanding the deployment of army in these districts. The BJP has launched an agitation in support of its demands. At one stage Mr. Suit Singh Barnala is said to have reconciled to the deployment of army in the rural areas of this belt but he had second thoughts in view of the resistance from his own party-men. The deployment of security forces in this belts the second best alternative to be decided upon by the Centre in consultations with the State government. An official spokesman said at Chandigarh that the decision to commit more Para-military forces in the state has been done to combat the violence in the border districts. The State government, he said, seem to have taken a serious view of the un-abated killings and migrations from the State. The fresh companies of B.S.F and C.R.P.F have been re-equipped with the transport and the communication facilities. In Punjab more than 212. companies of C.R.P.F. and B.S.F. are already deployed in these districts of Punjab to assist the police in view of the disturbed law and order conditions.

Article extracted from this publication >> May 30, 1986