NEW DELHI, India: The Union Ministry is extremely concerned over the spate of the Killings in Punjab. Senior officers are however maintaining constant touch with their counterparts in Chandigarh. During the past nine days from September 23 to October 3, at least 42 persons have been gunned down in Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts. In Malsianan, a remote village in Gurdaspur, gunmen killed nine persons on October 1. Surprisingly, the news about the killing was broadcast by Radio Pakistan, the same night. On the night of September 29, the gunmen killed six persons at CHanake village, barely 20 km from Malsianan. Observers believe that whenever reports appear in newspapers quoting Governor S.S. Ray or Police Chief J.F. Ribeiro about the government’s determination to crush freedom fighters or whenever infighting among rival Akali Dal groups crops up, violence is intensified by the interested’ parties. The Punjab police and the C.R.P.F. has been asked to be more alert during the Diwali festival. Meanwhile, six battalions of Indo Tibetan force have been rushed to Punjab to protect the strategic points, including banks. According to the latest information, paramilitary forces may be enforced in the affected districts, including Amnitsar, Jullundar and Gurdaspur. All political parties have been demanding the deployment of troops all along the border and creation of security belt along the Indo-Pakistan border but the government has not so far thought fit to do so. If the government fails to take the necessary steps, there is likelihood of a large scale exodus of Hindus from the border areas, creating a virtual Khalistan. The Centre seems to be pursuing the policy of least interference as it has left the matter entirely to Ray and Ribeiro. The Centre has also made it clear that it will not take any political initiative to resolve the tangle unless violence is controlled. The feeling here is that because of the infighting among the Akali ranks the time is not right to open a political dialogue with them. They are said to be in disarray and divided in groups. As the Centre takes no notice of them, they are driven towards wilderness. Talks with freedom fighters are totally ruled out. Punjab government has been told to keep a close vigil on the Golden Temple Complex and the movement of freedom fighters inside. The government is closely watching the next move of the acting Akal Takht Jathedar, Prof. Darshan Singh and is assessing the chance of this returning to Akal Takht. A new S.G.P.C. Executive will assume office this month after the election of Mr. Tohra who is currently in prison. He is likely to be reelected President of the S.G.P.C. but it is not known whether he has had a change of heart as the government expects new S.G.P.C. office bearers to retrieve control of the Golden Temple from the freedom fighters. If this hope materializes there could be a breakthrough in Punjab, otherwise the stalemate may continue. The Punjab government and C.R.P.F. claim that they have an upper hand regardless of the killings in the State.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 9, 1987
