NEW DELHI: Terrorism has returned to Punjab after decades, striking a body blow in the form of a planned attack that killed several policemen including Gurdaspur SP Baljit Singh, and civilians early Monday. The attack marks a major shift in terrorism in the region, expanding dramatically from Jammu and Kashmir to include Punjab in what was clearly a planned operation.

Police station Dinanagar in Gurdaspur district, within walking distance of the India Pakistan border, was attacked by terrorists in military fatigues with operations just ending at the time of writing. Initial reports suggest the presence of a woman amongst five militants, with two of the men reported dead. There was little word out about the affiliation of the terrorists, with sources differing on this. According to some experts this modus operandi had ‘fidayeen’ written all over it; while according to others it could “just as well be Sikh militants as the presence of a woman would indicate.” The apprehension common to all is that this could be the beginning of a new Pakistan and ISI operation on the ground involving militants from both Punjab and Kashmir groups.

Punjab police chief Sumedh Singh Saini, reportedly keen to get at least a couple of the terrorists alive, had urged the Army and the Jammu and Kashmir forces to remain on standby and give his policemen a chance to bring out at least one of the militants alive. He did not succeed, and all the militants were reported dead by early evening.

The attack was clearly part of a planned operation, with the message from Islamabad being read in New Delhi as a threat to expand terror operations into Punjab.

Gurdaspur besides being next to the border with Pakistan, shares a porous border with Jammu and Kashmir, is central to the drugs and arms route from Pakistan into the region, and was a highly sensitive and radicalised district during the height of the Khalistan movement being the birthplace of the Khalistan Liberation Force chief Devinder Singh Bhullar at the time.

Punjab Shiv Sena leader Harvinder Soni was shot in Gurdaspur while reportedly playing volleyball in Fish Park in Gurdaspur. He survived the attack that was described as ‘revenge’ by the police for his involvement in an incident three years ago where the turban of a Sikh was removed and burnt in Gurdaspur. The Sikh youth came out in protest, but the police opened fire killing one of them Jaspal Singh.

A police officer from Punjab said,rather helplessly, when asked from which direction the terrorists had come, “what can one say, it is lying open from all sides.” It was almost a calamity waiting to happen,with policing lethargic and as a local journalist said, “sleepy” at the best of times. Road blocks and checks were almost unheard of in the area despite intelligence information of increased secessionist activity, and strengthening of links between ‘Kashmiri’ and Sikh militant groups by Pakistan. Intelligence sources insist that there is evidence of joint training of Sikh militants with Lashkar e Tayaba operatives in camps in Pakistan. The arrest of Khalistan radical, “Tara” Singh in Thailand earlier this year is reported to have revealed more details of these ‘operations’.Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Abdul Karim Tunda, the agencies claim, has during his interrogation revealed that Babbar Khalsa International along with the LeT are planning terror strikes in India. This was a while ago, and has been repeated at different levels since.

The central government lost little time in blaming Pakistan. Home Minister Rajnath Singh who told reporters that he did not want to say anything until the encounter was over, was clearly directed to change this view and within an hour said that India was prepared to give a befitting reply to Pakistan. “We want peace but not at the cost of national honour,” he said. Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal blamed the centre and the absence of a national policy to tackle terrorism. He said it was not the fault of the state government, as the terrorists were not locals but had come from across the border. And it was for New Delhi to ensure that the border was secured.

In the midst of this, are reports largely ignored by the governments of deepening alienation of the youth not just in Jammu and Kashmir but also Punjab; of armed gangs and the drug mafia operating with impunity in Punjab; of the visible revival of Khalistan leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his legacy of sorts in the region; and of course, of Pakistan’s interest in linking the Khalistan movement to militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. June in fact, saw a resurgence of separatist activity with Sikh youths in Jammu clashing with the police for removing Bhindranwale posters. Sikhs marched in London and Canada against the attack by the then government on the Golden Temple to flush out Bhindranwale and others in 1984. The London march from Hyde Park to Waterloo Palace was labelled as Genocide84 Remembrance March and Freedom Rally" by the Federation of Sikh Organisations (FSO-UK). Sources said that the activities are “vigorous” in Canada, but the authorities there claim there is little they can do as the pro-Khalistan groups are not breaking the law, only indulging in free speech.

The governments, despite specific information of joint training of respective cadres by Pakistan, has done little on the ground. In Punjab there is not even been an attempt to identify sensitive districts, and increase policing in the state afflicted by drugs and the arms mafia. These are not necessarily terror groups, but create an environment that is clearly open to exploitation by vested interests across the border.

There is apprehension now that the area of operations has been expanded to include Punjab. It was not clear what measures were being taken to increase the security at both the short and long term levels in the region with the initial responses from the centre ‘knee jerk’ at best. Even as the operations were going on, the blame game had begun with central intelligence agencies insisting they had provided fairly specific information to the state as recently as July 24. Badal was clear that there was little he could do and it was for the Modi government to pull up its socks. Incidentally just a day ago two young men entered a meeting being addressed by the Chief Minister Chandigarh shouting pro-Khalistan slogans. Bhindranwale posters are al over Amritsar, with pro-Khalistan activities having increased in Punjab.

Unemployment is a major cause of anger and frustration, with the alienated youth turning to drugs, easily available arms, and in some instances to the cause of secessionism in all its ‘romantic finery’ as a Punjab academic put it. Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Amarinder Singh has often attacked the Badals for following a “radical and extremist agenda.” Singh has been quoted in the media recently as saying, “Realising that the ground had already slipped beneath his feet Badal is rying to push for the radical and extremist agenda which has the dangerous potential to push Punjab back to the dark days.”

It might be recalled that Punjab is moving into elections with the Congress, Akali Dal, BJP and the Aam Aadmi party in the reckoining.

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SEEMA MUSTAFA.