As violence continues to escalate in Punjab, the failure of the state government to cope with extremists and terrorists becomes more and more patent by the day. This is, of course, not a new development. Nor are the causes unknown. Intelligence remains poor; so the terrorists are not identified and grabbed. The police have, if anything, been further demoralized as a result of the inquiry into the Nakoder episode; the government itself has put suspected extremists arrested during President’s rule into the force as if it had not already been infiltrated on a big enough scale. Even if ordinary Sikhs were willing to cooperate with the authorities, they would not know whom they can trust; thus they must conclude that discretion is the better part of valour. We are not in a position to comment on the level of trust and cooperation between the Central agencies operating in the state and the local ones. But their ineffectiveness is evident. The ease with which terrorists kill and get away speaks for itself.
But when all these and other weaknesses of the administrative machinery have been taken into account, one fact shrieks for the pride of place in the list of the causes of the inability of the Akali government to tackle the growing menace. This is the failure of nerve on its part. It is now a matter of academic debate whether the situation in the state could have taken a turn for the better if the Akali and SGPC leaders had not supinely acquiesced in the capture of the Golden Temple complex by the extremists led by the Damdami Taksal (seat of the late Bhindranwale) and the All-India Sikh Students’ Federation. But there can be no dispute that this surrender on the part of the Akali-SGPC leadership served as a signal to the extremists that they could go ahead and do what they liked. And, the issue as to who controls the Golden Temple complex has not become irrelevant in the past two months. For the continued control of the shrine by the extremists provides the most eloquent proof that the authorities do not have the nerve to act firmly despite all their talk of stern steps. If Mr. Barnala and his colleagues do not know, someone should tell them that so long as they do not take steps to release the Golden Temple complex and other gurdwaras from the control of the extremists, the people in Punjab will not take them seriously.
The state government lacks credibility and it cannot gain credibility so long as it does not demonstrate its capacity and willingness to do its duty. Its desire to avoid use of force in the Golden Temple complex last January was deplorable but still understandable inasmuch as the terrorists had not fully revealed their hand by then. They have done so since. But instead of drawing the necessary lesson, Mr. Barnala and his supporters continue to dither. The results are there for anyone to see. Innocent people are being killed every day; no effort is being spared to stir up communal passions and clashes so much so that several major towns have had to be placed under curfew. And it is truly extraordinary that several hundreds should have had the gumption to meet within shouting distance of a massive Akali Dal gathering in Anandpur Sahib on Wednesday and make an attempt on the life of the chief minister and his ministers. A less pusillanimous administration would have seized the opportunity to arrest all of them. The present one in Punjab almost presented itself for decimation to them. To say that all this is shocking would be an understatement. The situation in the state is much worse than the worst critics of the accord had anticipated and to a substantial extent the reason is the lack of adequate political will in Chandigarh. Mr. Barnala has not yet shown the leadership qualities which are required in a crisis. He must do so. The destiny of India, especially the Sikh community, is passing through his fingers. He has to be either a man of destiny or tragedy. The decision is his. The whole of India is watching him with bated breath.