By Major General K S Bajwa (Retd)
CNN-IBN brings in an elite panel of security experts to analyse the expanding web of terror in and around India.
On the Khalistani movement in PunjabI think the Khalistani movement has lost its momentum and also its relevance. It was an outcome of a sense of grievances, which took place during the 70s, 80s and 90s that has now considerably receded. In my view only some petty leader or somebody who cannot find any view raises this issue. The chance of this movement finding strength is not there.
"ISI is determined to weaken India and break it up."
This state had become vulnerable because of its internal policies and grievances that Sikhs nursed from the time of Partition. Sikhs were the biggest losers and some of the things are still lingering or simmering like 1984, the attack on the durbar saheb.
These grievances created the vulnerabilities and allow ISI to step in and the ISI is determined to weaken India and break it up. Punjab was the strongest state in India, the great defender of India but they found this vulnerability and stepped in. But at the present moment I think by and large the vulnerability is gone.
On terrorismMajor worrying incidents are those of communal violence. Explosions might be generated by the chap who is functioning on the very narrow edge of respectability or legality. That might be done, that can happen everywhere. The only way we can stop them is by police work. Our police work has become very weak.
"It was largely when the elected government came into power that this militancy was suppressed."
The militancy in Punjab was not overcome just by police work or the army or uniformed organisations stepping in. It was largely when the elected government came into power that this militancy was suppressed because people had an outlet where they could give information. They could not approach the steel frame very easily. By steel frame I mean the bureaucracy, who surrounded themselves with all kinds of security. Political leaders came into power and they could tell them what is happening, the information started flowing in and the militancy was suppressed.
Future of Punjab with respect to ISI activitiesThe section of population generally vulnerable to ISI penetration is that which at the moment has a tremendous sense of grievance or is alienated. In Punjab we do not have that kind of alienation and I do not want to name any particular community. Communities that are alienated are not in a very large number in Punjab. So I think the penetration by ISI into Punjab will be odd incidents here and there but not on any large scale.
(Major General K S Bajwa is a Retd Army officer)
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