Description
Book SynopsisVillage people in the Punjab have lived with the terror of the conflict between Sikh militants and Indian security forces since the attack on the Sikh Golden Temple in 1984. In this remarkable book, a courageous anthropologist who knows the region intimately presents a very human portrait of the struggle. She argues that, despite its apparent defeat, it can only be in abeyance while the root causes, which have prompted so many young Sikhs to take up arms and fight for an independent Khalistan, remain unaddressed. Through the skilful use of interviews, Dr Pettigrew takes us into the worlds of Punjabi farmers, Sikh militants, and the police commanders responsible for containing a vicious conflict whose ramifications have spilled beyond the Punjab into wider Indian politics.
Trade Review'No other scholar in the West as the knowledge, the analytical skill, or the sympathy to present a study of the Punjab during the violent confrontation of 1984 to 1992.'
Paul R. Brass, University of Washington
Table of Contents
- Map
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- Glossary
- Abbreviations
- Part I: The Sikhs of Punjab: Place and People since 1984
- 1. State Terror
- 2. The Rise of Resistance, Political and Militant
- 3. The Guerrilla Movement
- 4. History and Organisation of the Khalistan Commando Force
- 5. Police, Guerrillas and Local Populations
- Part II: Children of Waheguru
- 6. Introduction
- 7. Profiles of Khalistan Commando Force Guerrillas: 'Sparrows into Hawks'
- 8. Concluding Remarks
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Index
