Open House: How do you view the Police’s crackdown on radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his aides ?
Step up efforts to arrest Amritpal
Though belated, the police swoop on radical preacher Amritpal Singh three weeks after his aides stormed the Ajnala police station to secure the release of one of their arrested activists has been widely welcome. While many of his associates have been arrested and sent to a jail in Assam, he succeeded in giving a slip to the Punjab Police on March 18. Since then, the authorities have come with several versions of his peculiar modus operandi for his escapade from the high-alert police dragnet. The police have, no doubt, arrested his core aides for several criminal cases but its failure to nab Amritpal who is traversing different cities across Punjab and adjoining Haryana has drawn severe criticism from the public in general and Opposition parties in particular. The people of Punjab have undergone traumatic experiences during the days of militancy in the state. What they want is peace, harmony, stability and prosperity. If he surrenders, well and good. Otherwise, the government should rev up its efforts to arrest the alleged criminal, establish his criminal credentials and take appropriate legal action against him.
Tajpreet S Kang
Police found wanting in whole episode
The self-styled preacher of pro-Khalistan outfit ‘Waris Punjab De’ has been in the news for quite some time — be it his coming to India from Dubai, his coronation at Rode village, his ‘Amrit Parchar’ campaign, the ransacking of a gurdwara in Jalandhar by his supporters, their scuffle with police in Mohali or the storming of a police station in Ajnala to secure the release of an arrested person. The Punjab Police launched a major crackdown against him on March 18 after a gap of three weeks. Every rational-thinking citizen has expressed concern about the intention of the police and intelligence agencies. Political parties have also been critical of the Punjab Government’s dismal performance. Some questions need to be clearly answered. Why didn’t the police arrest him from his house? How can he escape when nearly 80,000 police and paramilitary personnel are put on round-the-clock alert for the purpose? How have several images and videos of the fugitive surfaced on social media using different vehicles, including motorcycle, a ‘desi jugaad’ and even crossing a railway bridge walking by changing his appearance multiple times? Is it that easy for him to move fearlessly in Punjab, Haryana and even Nepal? The whole story resembles a Bollywood thriller. Amid reports of his expected conditional surrender, Amritpal has appealed for calling Sarbat Khalsa on the occasion of Baisakhi to endorse his separatist philosophy. The Punjabis have already suffered the gruesome dark days of decade-old militancy in the state, courtesy political machinations in the struggle for power. Parties should refrain from playing a dirty and dangerous game again. The government should take strict action against him and his sponsors, whoever and wherever they are, to ensure peace, communal harmony, development and stability of the state.
DS Kang
Govt needs to show will, strong approach
The Punjab police’s recent onslaught against separatist Amritpal Singh and his supporters lacks professionalism and has raised several questions on their credibility. The police’s restrained action at the Ajnala police station can be justified to some extent owing to presence of Guru Granth Sahib’s saroop. But the delay and fiasco created afterwards to salvage the situation has raised several questions, the answers to which are still haunting the state with dangerous repercussions. The state and the people have already witnessed a long bloody decade of innocent deaths and unprecedented destruction heralded through sponsored terror and extremist violence and any repeat in a most sensitive state can again lead to catastrophic situations with unimaginable consequences. Keeping in mind the past lessons, the AAP government should rise to the occasion with strong and unambiguous approach to deal with the situation on law and order front most efficiently at one side and maintaining cordial and transparent public rapport on the other.
Jagdish Chander
Central agencies need to reveal the truth
The efforts of the Punjab Police to try and apprehend Amritpal Singh are very late and not properly executed. The way he got his follower released by putting the police in a tight spot in Taran Taran was totally unacceptable. The police had to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid sacrilege. Then he visited the Golden Temple and met the Akal Takht Jathedar. The government just dragged its feet and didn’t catch him immediately. This man was a clean shaven Sikh, who did a driver’s job in Saudi Arabia for 10 years. The ISI of Pakistan got him to another country and made him enter Punjab and promote Khalistan in Punjab. When the police tried to nab him, he gave them a slip. He is now on the run from one place to another, creating an embarrassing situation for the police. Many of his associates were caught and were shifted to prisons in Assam. The Punjab Government requested the Home Minister to send the Central armed forces in Punjab which were duly implemented. Now, it’s the duty of the CBI and other central agencies to thoroughly investigate and reveal the truth.
Dr JS Wadhwa
Not much credible info available on matter
At times, it becomes hard for a common man to fathom some of the political and administrative actions. Not much information has been disclosed by the administration, on the Amritpal matter, which remains inconclusive, with the general public relying on media for any updates, which might be speculations or allegations. Whatever may have been the rationale behind the authorities doing so, the well-being of the nation or the citizens must be the focal point. They are answerable to the people and cannot remain evasive for long. The armed troops must be equipped with technology and devices to counter the menace drones, which have lately been availed of by anti-national elements for drugs and arms trafficking. A constant vigil must be kept on the separatists, including their call history, social media accounts, crime records and affiliations, and all other vital details. There should be better coordination among the police, army, RAW, NIA, NCB, cyber cell and all other vital agencies. India needs to strengthen its national and international networks and consider signing pacts with supportive countries for co-action in tackling impediments in the maintenance of stability in the subcontinent, which if disturbed, would be detrimental to international normalcy. As for the ongoing quest for Amritpal, it could be just said, ‘Wait and watch’.
Anshika Kohli
Intel agencies need to play pro-active role
‘Where there is a will, there is a way.’ The Punjab Police’s crackdown on separatist forces by not even firing a single shot and ensuring no causality is laudable. After taking a few activists in their custody, the police charged them under the National Security Act (NSA). As the maintenance of law and order has always been the priority of the state government, Chief Minister S Bhagwant Singh Mann recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah. After the meeting, many companies of paramilitary forces were sent the state to safe guard the interests of the civilians and to maintain peace. Punjab is one of the prosperous states in the field of agriculture. The heavy industry in future will only open its units in Punjab if there’s no law and order problem. The intelligence wing of the Police should keep a strict vigil on the anti-social elements so that they refrain from carrying out their nefarious designs. Appropriate action should be taken on a war footing against all those indulging in anti-social activities in future without any delay.
Rajat Kumar Mohindru
Better intelligence can thwart such elements
Because of its rich heritage, fertile land and strategic location, Punjab has been a temptation of foreign invaders for centuries. However, Punjabis have always fought such aggressions bravely. The state got worst affected during subsequent wars with the neighbouring country. Being a border state, it has been a victim of terrorism, illicit drugs & arms trade. Despite efforts to curb such illegal activities, a handful of hardliner groups or mischief mongers continue blackmailing innocent people by provoking separatist instincts, of which the tragic decade of eighties is a glaring example. Recently, some youth fell in the same line to create a formidable situation under the outfit called Waris Punjab De. Initially, they projected to be the reformists of ills prevailing in society, but later got off track, brandishing heavy weapons and indulging in vandalism. Sensing trouble after Ajnala incident, the Punjab Police refrained from direct confrontation to avoid bloodshed and waited for the G20 summit at Amritsar to pass off peacefully. Thereafter, law enforcing agencies came into action and cracked down on Amritpal Singh and his associates. Here of course a gamut of questions remains unanswered. The opposition is cornering the government for dragging its feet in this case. Even the apex court has cast aspersions on botched-up operation by the state police and its intelligence failure. The government, on the other hand, exercised due restraint to deal with the matter cautiously, dispensing feudal colours and political exploitation in the light of volatility and public sentiments involved. Nevertheless, the authorities ought to be alert and proactively beef up intelligence to rein in any such move in future.
Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath
QUESTION
Recent unseasonal heavy rain has caused widespread damage to standing wheat crop on over 15 lakh hectares across the state. With the adverse impact of climate change being felt too frequently, what can farmers and the state government do to remain better prepared and mitigate the losses?
Suggestions in not more than 200 words can be sent to jalandhardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (April 6).
