Punjab can’t be governed from Delhi, says Ex-RAW chief AS Dulat

Kolkata, February 25

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Former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Amarjit Singh Dulat has warned against misgovernance in the “sensitive border state” of Punjab and asserted that it can’t be “governed from Delhi”.

Dulat, however, said he did not foresee another outbreak of militancy in Punjab, but stressed that the state also needs “empathy”.

“I am of the firm belief that neither Punjab nor Kashmir can be governed from Delhi. People are resentful of it,” the former RAW director said.

Punjab was placed under President’s rule for nearly five years from 1987, after a break out of militancy in the border state, while Jammu and Kashmir has been under President’s rule since June 2018.

Dulat was replying to a question on the issue of Sikh radicalism in the light of the Amritpal Singh incident, where the pro-Khalistan preacher’s supporters, armed with guns and swords, attacked policemen in Ajnala on Thursday. Several former senior police officers have advocated that Punjab be placed under President’s rule, after scenes of the violence were shown on national television.

The former spymaster pointed out that Punjab had borne the brunt of several wars, and needed to “be treated with empathy, needed to be understood”.

“What the Punjabi wants is his due, whether it’s the farmer or the (on the issue of division of) river waters or the Chandigarh question (allocation of the city to Punjab or to Haryana),” Dulat added.