Keep an eye on Punjab incidents

Some ominous attempts are being made in recent weeks to disturb the peace in Punjab. Two Khalistani flags were hoisted outside the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha complex in Dharamshala recently. Khalistani flags were seen on some vehicles entering Punjab from Himachal Pradesh. Punjab police said they had arrested two persons in possession of explosives in Taran Taran district some days ago. Consignments of explosives were dropped by drones from Pakistan in some border districts in recent months, and some are yet to be traced. Last week, a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the Intelligence headquarters of the Punjab police in Mohali, on the outskirts of Chandigarh. Some days before that, two groups clashed in Patiala. A banned organisation, Sikhs For Justice, has announced that it will hold a Khalistan referendum on June 6 in Himachal Pradesh.

These are disparate incidents, and no direct links have emerged till now. The police are investigating, and have arrested a number of people. The incidents need to be taken seriously because they may be part of an attempt to revive the Khalistan campaign that roiled Punjab in the 1980s and early ’90s. Sectarian violence had taken hundreds of lives then, and the strife and unrest was at the root of the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The state paid a huge economic cost also for the unrest, and there is a view that it has not fully recovered from the impact.

There is need for caution against elements that try to take the state back to the days of militancy and terrorism. Groups that campaign for Khalistan are mostly based abroad and have been active for a long time. They had inspired and funded the movement from the beginning. The movement also had aid and support from Pakistan. The ISI’s involvement has been seen in some recent incidents too. But the separatist idea never had support among the Sikh mainstream in the country. The AAP government in Punjab and the Central government should work together to ensure that fringe elements do not create any mischief. Parties should avoid the temptation to take political advantage of the situation. The BJP has tried to link the Sikh farmers, who protested against its farm laws, and also the AAP, which rules the state now, to Khalistan. Such charges can only do harm. It should also be noted that the majoritarian assertion seen in the country now could stoke insecurities and anxieties among the minority communities.