Punjab peace process takes a beating
Vicky Sandhu in Chandigarh
The recent explosions in Punjab has shown just how fragile the peace process is in the state.
The end of 1996 saw a series of explosions at Ambala, Sonepat, Panipat and Rohtak, claiming a total of 12 people and injuring an equal number. There were all the signs of terrorism being again at the state's doorstep. But the political bosses have preferred a delusion of peace to portents of trouble. They even ignored urgent warnings from the intelligence agencies and blandly assured the people, "These are stray incidents... Peace is permanent and will remain so."
Then, on March 14, six persons were killed and 14 were hurt in a bomb blast in Jalandhar.
On April 5, three persons died and 16 were injured at Pathankot.
Came July 8 and a blast at Lehra Khana claimed 38, injured 67.
On Wednesday, the war came out in the open when a person opened fire in a place of worship at Bagha Purana, killing the priest, his son and a bystander.
The modus operandi had the unmistakable stamp of Pakistan's secret service, the Inter-Services Intelligence. All those killed were soft targets and most belonged to one community. According to highly-placed sources in the chief minister's secretariat, ''These blasts have been so planned that the unity amongst the two main communities, namely the Hindus and the Sikhs, is targetted. It is reminiscent of the past ploys of the ISI. This was precisely how they had struck in the past. But this time the people of the state would not fall prey to the evil designs of the ISI."
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said, 'Forces inimical to Hindu-Sikh brotherhood are at work we have thwarted them once and we will do it again if the need arises." What is worrying is that the state intelligence agencies have definite reports that the ISI is planning more such explosions with the help of Kashmiri militants.
A red alert has been issued in the state and the security forces have been put at full alert to cope with any eventuality.
But the security forces have not been able to make headway into the investigation beyond linking the blasts to the ISI. They have made no arrests so far. Political analysts attribute this to the demoralisation of the police, which is facing flak over human right violations. More than a dozen senior police officers are facing trial under various cases.
Finance Minister Captain Kanwaljit Singh told Rediff On The NeT, "The story about the demoralisation of the police force is hogwash. Our government has not recommended the registration of a criminal case against a single police officer. These cases have been recommended by the Congress government. Though we would give all legal and monetary assistance to the officers to fight their respective cases, we cannot interfere because the cases are sub judice."
Said Singh, who is the number two in the Badal government, "Police officers of the state have showed exemplary courage in their fight against terrorism and they can be relied on to do the same again if the need arises."
The Congress and other Opposition parties have been quick in demanding the chief minister's resignation. Political analyst Dr S S Dosanjhan pointed out that more good would be done if the politicians united against a common enemy instead of bickering among themselves.
"So far no militant organisation has claimed responsibility for the bombings, indicating that the ISI has failed to group new terrorist outfits or regroup the older ones. Such is the disillusionment against the ISI, they have been unable to recruit more people. The important think is the secular social fabric of the state should be maintained at all costs," he said.
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