The khalistan movement and human rights violations in punjab

The Punjab crisis was not a simple law and order problem. It was a political problem with social and economic roots. The defence of human rights is absolutely critical to the furthering of the economic interests of people within and through the democratic process. The prolonged armed conflict affected the political culture of Punjab that acquired an anti-human rights predisposition. The articulation of diverse political aspirations in the state often met with reluctant accommodation or outright suppression. The enduring nature of Punjab politics helps us to understand how human rights can not only be shaped by economic and political interests but also how they can profoundly influence those interests as well. Its endurance has been in the alliances as well as confrontation between regional and central forces. The political process in the state has been a battle-ground against centralization of power in the hands of a single party.