The Punjab Problem Its Historical Roots

Its Historical Roots Sucha Singh Gill K C Singhal The current phase of violence which has engulfed the entire Punjab not only testifies to the failure of the administration to check the deterioration of law and order but also underscores the consequences of Central governments adoption of a policy of drift. The authors argue that what was essentially a historically necessary demand for restructuring Centre-state relations has been allowed, to develop into a divisive communal issue. Their contention is that the Punjab problem has resulted from a combination of socio-economic and political factors and therefore to understand its complexities it is necessary to study the economic changes along with the forces in the superstructure. Only thus can class-based organisations wrest the initiative.