Broadly, four factors were behind the upsurge of separatist-terrorism in Punjab in the eighties: Foreign hand; religious extremism; poor law and order; and machinations of politicians.

That separatist-terrorism was masterminded by the CIA and executed by Pakistan through its ISI is now history. The American establishment wanted to destabilise the Indira Gandhi-led government as it did not toe the USA line and followed an independent foreign policy. That the US establishment was angry with Indira Gandhi was revealed by the US media reports of the time which carried details of conversations between some of the While House mandarins.

Pakistan wanted to avenge India's role in the birth of Bangladesh. Both the US and Pakistani establishments were eager to have Khalistan, a buffer State on Pakistan's eastern borders with India. Pakistan hoped this would also help it fulfill its long-cherished dream of grabbing Jammu and Kashmir by severing India's main access link with the state. Both the US and Pakistan who were helping CIA-ISI sponsored Mujahideen to oust the Soviets from Afghanistan, wanted to expand their strategic depth in the region.

Senior state police officers and the central Intelligence agencies have said that the terrorists are trying to revive terrorism in Punjab.

The eighties also saw the upsurge of religious extremism which began with the Nirankari-radical Sikhs clash in Amritsar followed by Congress and Akalis attempts to promote religious extremism for their partisan objectives. The Dal Khalsa's first press conference in Chandigarh's Aroma hotel was financed by Giani Zail Singh. The Congress also promoted Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale whom Rajiv Gandhi described a 'saint'. The Akalis allowed Bhindranwale to take shelter in and occupy Golden Temple complex which was converted by him and his goons into their bastion for carrying out terrorist activities in the state in which Sikhs became the main target.

These developments were accompanied not only by deterioration in the state's law and order situation but also resulted in rendering the political parties and the administration irrelevant.

After 9/11, the US has stopped promoting terrorism. Instead it is fighting the menace. Though it has also been trying to check Pakistan from continuing with its terrorist designs in the region, ISI elements have been continuing to play their dubious game. Heads of some of the remnant radical Sikh bodies which led the terrorist activities in Punjab in the 1980s have been provided safe shelters in Pakistan and are being provided money and arms. This is indicated by the sporadic terrorist incidents taking place in Punjab, interrogation of some arrested terrorists and capture of arms and explosives.

No doubt, the police have nabbed some of the perpetrators of terrorism. But it must avoid the temptation of terming routine crimes as acts of terrorists. Last week's shooting at Ludhiana Railway station by Balbir Singh Bhootna, a proclaimed offender allegedly involved in a number of terrorist and criminal cases is a case in point. Reports by many newspapers make it clear that Bhootna, returning with his wife from pilgrimage to Nander Sahib in Maharashtra, tried to avoid being arrested by the police by opening fire when the GRP cops insisted on checking his bag. The firing resulted in injuring two cops and killing a tea vendor who showed courage by trying to apprehend him. Some of the media reports have, however, raised question mark over the police claim that an encounter took place between it and Bhootna. These say that the police succeeded in persuading Bhootna to come out of the hiding under a train's compartment after he was offered tea laced with sedatives.

The most alarming aspect of the danger of terrorism's resurfacing is the attempts being made to create an atmosphere of religious extremism in the state. This is indicated by the clashes which have been taking place at several places between the radical Sikhs and Dera Sacha Sauda supporters after the radicals prevented Dera followers from holding their religious congregations. Killing of Baba Niranjan Dass, head of Dera Sach Khand by Khalsa Zindabad Force, in Vienna also sparked widespread violence in Punjab. Four Babbar Khalsa International activists were nabbed in Delhi last year for being engaged in a plot to eliminate Dalit Godman Piara Singh Bhaniarawale. The unfortunate aspect of such developments is that some elements of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee have also tried to promote religious extremism. Alarmed by such developments which have caused the drifting away of some sects like Ramdasias from Sikhism, the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh has appealed for communal harmony.

About the law and order situation, the less said the better. Not only general law and order has deteriorated, the goons of some ruling Akali leaders are taking law into their own hands to browbeat their political opponents. Even government functionaries and the police machinery are at their beck and call.

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has said that there is no possibility for terrorism to resurface in Punjab. The Congress was trying to scare people without any reason. The recent arrest of militants is not an indicator towards the return of terrorism in Punjab. No movement can get proliferated without support of people and people of Punjab have no sympathy with terrorists”. Badal is right. In the eighties, terrorism was defeated as the people of Punjab did not support the terrorists and also Beant Singh's political will and the police chief K.P.S. Gill's strategy finished terrorism.

Similarly, the people of Punjab have no sympathy with the terrorists now either. But some of the factors, particularly religious extremism, which gave birth to terrorism in the 1980s have re-emerged in the state. This is a danger signal. Complacency will lead to resurfacing of the scourge. (IPA Service)