| by B. Raman
( October 11,
2012, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) The situation that we are likely to face in
Punjab and Delhi in the coming months due to the attempts being made by some
elements to revive anger in sections of the Sikh community in Punjab and abroad
would be qualitatively different from the situation that we faced during the
Khalistan movement between 1981 and 1995.
2. What we faced
between 1981 and 1995 was a politico-religious movement claiming that the Sikhs
were treated as second class citizens in India because of their religion and
that the only way of redressing their grievances was through the creation of an
independent Sikh State to be called Khalistan. We faced the entire gamut of
classical terrorism such as hijackings and blowing-up of aircraft, planting improvised
explosive devices in crowded places, indiscriminate use of hand-held weapons
against soft targets and targeted assassinations of Hindu and pro-Government
Sikh leaders and VIPs.
3. What we are
seeing today is an attempt to create a revanchist (reprisal) movement by
re-kindling the dormant feelings of anger, inner hurt and humiliation in
sections of the Sikh community in order to motivate them to seek vengeance for
the alleged desecration of their holy temple during the military action
code-named OP Blue Star in June 1984.
4. Our success
in bringing the movement under control was due to the fact that the terrorist
organisations were not able to win many adherents for the cause of an
independent Khalistan despite the widespread anger caused by OP Blue Star.
5.Today, the
terrorist remnants of these organisations would face difficulty in using such
political and economic arguments which would not make an impact on the Sikh
community. They are, therefore, seeking to use revanchist arguments and symbols
to persuade the people to support a neo terrorist movement.
6.The attempts
of the SGPC to build a memorial inside the Golden Temple for those killed
during OP Blue Star, to pay homage to
the memories of the assassins of Gen.A.Vaidya, who was the Chief of the Army
Staff during OP Blue Star, and Beant Singh, the former Chief Minister of
Punjab, and to kill Lt.Gen (retd). K.S.Brar, who played a prominent role in OP
Blue Star, during his recent visit to London are indicators of the revanchist
thinking being encouraged by some elements in Punjab and abroad.
7.At least in
the initial stages, a revanchist movement is likely to focus more on acts of
revenge against political leaders, and military and police officers, who had
played a prominent role during OP Blue Star and during the subsequent
counter-terrorism operations. It is important to review the security already
provided to them and further strengthen it in India and abroad.
8. How to deal
with the activities of the SGPC in encouraging symbolic acts like the construction
of a memorial for those killed during OP Blue Star and paying homage to the
assassins and to prevent the new brand of terrorists from again establishing
control over the Golden Temple? This is a
tricky question calling for careful handling without over-reaction.
9. We have faced
two tricky situations in the Golden Temple in 1984 and 1988.The occupation of
the Golden Temple by some terrorists in 1984 was handled by the Army under OP
Blue Star resulting in many fatalities on both sides and damages to the Akal
Takht, the sanctum sanctorum. The re-occupation of the Golden Temple by another
group of terrorists in 1988 was handled without the use of the Army by a group
of police officers led jointly by Shri K.P.S.Gill, Shri Ved Marwah, Shri M.K.Narayanan
and Shri Ajit Doval.
10. The Government should consult these officers
on the options available before deciding on a strategy. So far as attempts to
revive terrorism outside the Golden Temple are concerned, the Akali Dal
Government has been saying that it is all for strong action to curb them in the
bud and claims that it is already doing so. But there is considerable
ambivalence in its attitude to the revanchist activities of the SGPC inside the
Golden Temple. This needs to be tackled without unwittingly aggravating the
situation as these police officers successfully did in 1988 without unnecessary
and unwise dramatization.
11. I saw a TV
interview of Shri K.P.S.Gill after the attack on Lt.Gen.Brar. I got the
impression that he was also cautioning against over-dramatisation of the
worrisome situation developing in Punjab and abroad. The Government of India
has a leadership role to play in this in consultation with the SAD and the BJP.
It should not be self-complacent.
(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd),
Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director,
Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Associate of the Chennai Centre For
China Studies. E-mail: seventyone2@gmail.com
Twitter @SORBONNE75)
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