Recently, the Government of India has extended the ban on the Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) for another five years with effect from 10 July 24. The SFJ is a secessionist group headed by Gurpatwant Pannun and has bases in the US, Canada and UK. The duration of five years is indicative of the fact that the government believes that the situation in Punjab with the interference by such organisations may continue to remain unstable for at least another five years.
Being a western border state opposite Pakistan’s largest province also called Punjab, the Indian state of Punjab is strategically as important as J & K. The state shares a 425 km long border with Pakistan which is fenced and manned by the BSF. To the North, it borders J&K, Himachal Pradesh to its North East and has Rajasthan and Haryana to its South. The current population of the state is about 3.17 crores, out of which about 58% are Sikhs, 38% are Hindus and balance are other minorities. Punjab had great bonding between Sikhs and Hindus; many families followed both the religions in the past. But such traditions have considerably reduced now.
Punjab witnessed active militancy from mid-1980s to mid-1990s for the demand of a separate Sikh state called Khalistan. The armed secessionist movement was largely dealt by the Punjab police and para military forces, with Army being employed occasionally. The turning point came after conduct of 1992 assembly elections under the shadow of the gun which had a voter turnout of about 24 per cent. With some effective anti-militancy operations, the movement weakened and faded away. But the movement continued to be supported by various Sikh organisations operating from the foreign soil and backed by Pakistan’s ISI.
During my military career, I had the fortune of serving in Punjab right from 1989 and till the year 2020 over multiple tenures, including during the militancy phase in 1992 and conduct of the state assembly elections in that year. So, I have witnessed better part of militancy when it was very active in Punjab. My other memorable experience was during the massive mobilisation of troops on the western border opposite Pakistan, codenamed Operation Parakram in 2001-2002. This was the nearest we came to a conventional war with Pakistan post 1971 war. My later years in Punjab gave me a nuanced view of the happenings and the situation as it stands today.
Punjab is called the ‘granary of India’ because despite covering just 1.53% of India’s geographical area, the state produces about 20% of wheat, 12% of rice and 10% of milk. Of late, the agriculture growth has stagnated because farming is controlled by the Jat Sikh community and the influential lot is into politics. The young generation is not inclined towards agriculture and majority of the farming depends on the migrated labour class, particularly from the states of UP and Bihar. But most disturbing is the farmer’s agitation for the last two years. Ostensibly for demanding MSP for the crops, the agitation is controlled by the rich farmers with support from the inimical forces within and outside the country. The farmers continue the ‘Rail Roko’ at Shambhu border causing havoc to the goods and passenger train service. The continued agitation has already caused immense damage to the trade and industry in the state. With political patronage to the ongoing agitation, some strict action by the central forces may have to be initiated soon.
The most disturbing phenomenon in Punjab in the last decade is the drug menace. With easy availability of money, considerable section of the Punjab youth is addicted to a variety of drugs, with a well-established supply network of local, interstate and international drug traffickers. It is not difficult to assume that the police, local administration and the politicians are involved in this racket. There has been leakage from the Pak side through the border too, particularly with the help of drones. As per one report, 120 drone attempts have been made by Pakistan in the Punjab -Jammu region in the last two years, most of these drones acting as courier of drugs and war like stores. In my opinion, Pak’s ISI has made a systematic plan to push the youth of Punjab towards drug dependence and keep them away from the national call. Surprisingly, little has been done to wean away the youth particularly the Sikh from the scourge of drugs, in the recent times.
Sikh fundamentalism is once again raising its head in Punjab. I get a sense that the Hindu-Sikh relations are more tenuous now though outwardly they may appear normal. Aided and abetted by the foreign money and resources, slowly and steadily the inimical forces have been able to create the societal and religious divide. The victory of two radical independent candidates in the recent Lok Sabha elections, namely Amritpal Singh- a proclaimed Khalistani and currently in jail and Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, son of former PM Indira Gandhi’s assassin would have emboldened the radical elements. The latest input of Akal Takht Jathedar asking the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to display the portraits of pro-Khalistan terrorists in the Golden Temple complex is indeed disturbing. It may be noted that the Indian Armed Forces, particularly Indian Army has proud Sikh troops and radical elements continue to target them psychologically.
Political dynamics have also undergone a change in Punjab. The fourth player in Punjab politics AAP after Akalis, Congress and BJP do have tremendous public support and has largely tried to replicate Delhi model of governance on Punjab. The problem with such governance is that it looks for short term dividends and the larger perspective, particularly on matters of security gets neglected. I also feel that that the strategic culture and inclination to govern a sensitive state like Punjab is missing to a large extent in the current state dispensation.
The solution clearly lies in getting the correct inputs and carrying out an in-depth analysis of the undercurrents in the state of Punjab. A huge amount of coordination between multiple agencies is needed with timely remedial action, even if unpopular or controversial. The political intransigence between the Centre and the State government should not constrain the matters of national security. India can ill afford an unstable Punjab along with a disturbed J&K which our adversaries within and outside continue to conspire.
