Turmoil in Punjab

Punjab went through a politically turbulent period between 1978 and 1994, centred on the rift between Sikhs and Nirankaris, and fuelled by operations Blue Star, Woodrose and Black Thunder I and II. Narrated as an eyewitness account by Ramesh Inder Singh, then district magistrate, Amritsar, who went on to become the chief secretary of Punjab, Turmoil in Punjab: Before and After Blue Star affords an insider's view of the terrorist violence in the state. It describes the events that ignited the strife and the socio-political fault lines that divided Punjab in those years. Also documented is the state response to the military operations, the death of over 20,000 innocent citizens, the shocking assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the subsequent lynching of close to 3,000 Sikhs in the national capital of Delhi, which triggered a violent ethno- national movement. This book is a deeply researched and eye-opening account of the genesis of the Punjab conflict, the inter-community chasm, the rise of radicalism and the Khalistanis, and the elimination of militancy in the state.