The ‘Punjab Problem’: a Post-1984 Assessment

Abstract

When in June 1984 the Indian Army entered the Golden Temple the ‘Punjab problem’, which had been simmering since the early 1980s, became an international media event. Subsequently it claimed Mrs Indira Gandhi and catapulted Rajiv Gandhi into national politics. Seven years on, the problem is no nearer solution than in 1984. Indeed, it now looks certain to bedevil any successor to the minority Janata (Socialist) government, and seasoned observers of Punjab politics regularly note that, if anything, the issue has become even more intractable. Why has this turn of events emerged? Why have the various ‘initiatives’ failed to provide a critical breakthrough? What lessons does the post-1984 ‘Punjab problem’ provide for ethnic conflict management in South Asia?