Curfews in Punjab, then and now

Prabhjot Singh

HOURS after the birth of my son on May 31, 1984, at a Ludhiana hospital, I got a message that the DC of Chandigarh wanted to talk to me urgently. I could make out that he must be keen to share the information on the build-up of security forces prior to the launch of Operation Bluestar.

Late in the evening, when I reached Chandigarh, I called the DC, Raghbir Singh, who bombarded me with questions about my whereabouts over the past few days. He wondered how I could remain incommunicado, since the situation in Chandigarh and Punjab was very tense and the government was contemplating a massive operation. He was a reliable contact.

He probably wanted to share information about the possibility of the imposition of curfew in the city. When I told him that I had just been blessed with a baby boy, he was delighted. ‘So Curfew Singh has arrived! He brings with him curfew for Punjab and Chandigarh,’ he said. Subsequently, whenever he enquired about my son’s welfare, he always asked, ‘How is Curfew Singh?’

When I asked him why was he desperately looking for me, he said, ‘I just wanted to share some details I have that may interest you, your newspaper and your readers.’ He then reeled out the details about the curfew in Chandigarh and promulgation of certain Acts curbing specific freedoms and rights, besides restrictions on the movement of people. The armed forces were also deployed in the UT.

He was reluctant to share that even newspapers may not be allowed to come out as ‘censorship’, too, was on the cards. Punjab and Chandigarh went without newspapers for several days.

After some time, however, the Administration relented and agreed to allow newspapers to come out. The DC was helpful, as on his recommendation, the Administration deputed a couple of magistrates who visited The Tribune office and issued curfew passes to all those who were required in printing, production and distribution of the newspaper.

Once the precedent was set, the protocol was repeated when Chandigarh and Punjab had another long spell of curfew after the assassination of the then PM, Indira Gandhi, leading to a carnage of Sikhs in Delhi. Between June and November, people of Punjab had a first-hand feel of draconian laws like the Armed Forces Disturbed Areas Act and the National Security Act.

Looking back at the spells of curfew, it could be said curfew or lockdowns ordered due to the coronavirus pandemic are not even a pale shadow of those black days of 1984. Punjab has a history of witnessing draconian laws and stringent prohibitory orders from time to time. In 1919, Punjab had the first taste of curfew, immediately after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

While earlier curfews were necessitated because of law and order issues, now, under changed times, these impositions are becoming frequent for fighting unforeseen peace-time calamities.

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