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Reduced to Ashes (book)
Encyclopedia
Reduced To Ashes: The Insurgency and Human Rights in Punjab is the report of the Committee for Coordination on Disappearances in Punjab (CCDP), authored by Ram Narayan Kumar, Amrik Singh, Ashok Agrwaal and Jaskaran Kaur. The report focuses on human rights violations committed by the Punjab Police during its operations to suppress the Punjab insurgency
in India
, from 1984 to 1994. The author Ram Narayan Kumar claims that the issue of Khalistan
was used by the State to divert attention from real issues of democracy, constitutional safeguard and citizens' rights.
case. The following chapters look into details of missing Sikh
s and discrepancies of law and its deliberate misuse. It also presents the organizational structure
of Punjab police. The book contains contains over 500 testimonies by the families of the victims, and describes 672 cases of alleged illegal executions by the police in the Amritsar district
.
, a well-known English columnist in leading National Newspapers in India, is said of have gone volte-face on his views after reading this research work , in his own words out of his review of the book he remarks "It is spine-chilling.... Well, Mr Gill, it is not rubbish; you and the Punjab police have quite a few awkward questions to answer".
A. J. Philip, Senior Associate Editor of The Tribune
, accused CBI
of not doing their jobs honestly and praised the authors of the book for taking the responsibility and doing what CBI failed to do. He wrote, "The CBI did such a shoddy job investigating the illegal cremations that truth remained hidden under mounds of illegible paperwork. It is against this backdrop that the painstaking effort of four intrepid researchers Ram Narayan Kumar, Amrik Singh, Ashok Agrwaal and Jaskaran Kaur of the Committee for Coordination on Disappearances in Punjab should be seen and commended.".
Columbia Law School
Professor Peter Rosenblum wrote for preface "The careful analysis by the authors allows the reader to "pierce through the thick veils of ideology, intrigue and ‘state security’ that obscure our understanding of the campaign to pacify Punjab."
, one of the accused in the book, dismissed the book by calling it "rubbish" in his comment to Khuswant Singh's query. However, later several police officials were charged with murder, and found guilty of kidnapping
Punjab insurgency
The insurgency in the Indian state of Punjab originated in the late 1970s. The roots of the insurgency were very complex.-Punjabi Suba Movement:In the 1950s and 1960s, linguistic issues in India caused civil disorder when the central government declared Hindi as the national language of India...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, from 1984 to 1994. The author Ram Narayan Kumar claims that the issue of Khalistan
Khalistan
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
was used by the State to divert attention from real issues of democracy, constitutional safeguard and citizens' rights.
Content
The book is organized into 7 chapters, each containing further subsections and finishing in 634 pages with the authors giving their conclusion and suggestions. The book starts by giving a chronology of events and a detailed information into Jaswant Singh KhalraJaswant Singh Khalra
- Family :Jaswant Singh Khalra's grandfather Harnam Singh was an activist in the Ghadar movement for the independence of India.- Activism :Jaswant Singh Khalra was a bank director in the city of Amritsar in Punjab during the militancy...
case. The following chapters look into details of missing Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s and discrepancies of law and its deliberate misuse. It also presents the organizational structure
Organizational structure
An organizational structure consists of activities such as task allocation, coordination and supervision, which are directed towards the achievement of organizational aims. It can also be considered as the viewing glass or perspective through which individuals see their organization and its...
of Punjab police. The book contains contains over 500 testimonies by the families of the victims, and describes 672 cases of alleged illegal executions by the police in the Amritsar district
Amritsar District
Amritsar district is one of 22 districts in the state of Punjab in West India. It has a population of 3,074,207 and covers an area of 5075 km²...
.
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- NHRC Chronology
- Chapter 1: Jaswant Singh Khalra: A Martyr for Human Rights
- Chapter 2: Impunity by All Means
- Chapter 3: Rights and the Dead Ends of Law
- Chapter 4: Methodology
- Chapter 5: Analysis of Case Summaries
- Chapter 6: Summaries of Cases of Illegal Cremations included in CBI Lists
- Chapter 7: Endnote: Reflections and Recommendations
- Appendices
Reviews
Khushwant SinghKhushwant Singh
Khushwant Singh is a prominent Indian novelist and journalist. Singh's weekly column, "With Malice towards One and All", carried by several Indian newspapers, is among the most widely-read columns in the country....
, a well-known English columnist in leading National Newspapers in India, is said of have gone volte-face on his views after reading this research work , in his own words out of his review of the book he remarks "It is spine-chilling.... Well, Mr Gill, it is not rubbish; you and the Punjab police have quite a few awkward questions to answer".
A. J. Philip, Senior Associate Editor of The Tribune
The Tribune
The Tribune is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published from Chandigarh, New Delhi, Jalandhar, Dehradun and Bathinda. It was founded on 2 February 1881, in Lahore , by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as...
, accused CBI
Central Bureau of Investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...
of not doing their jobs honestly and praised the authors of the book for taking the responsibility and doing what CBI failed to do. He wrote, "The CBI did such a shoddy job investigating the illegal cremations that truth remained hidden under mounds of illegible paperwork. It is against this backdrop that the painstaking effort of four intrepid researchers Ram Narayan Kumar, Amrik Singh, Ashok Agrwaal and Jaskaran Kaur of the Committee for Coordination on Disappearances in Punjab should be seen and commended.".
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
Professor Peter Rosenblum wrote for preface "The careful analysis by the authors allows the reader to "pierce through the thick veils of ideology, intrigue and ‘state security’ that obscure our understanding of the campaign to pacify Punjab."
Criticism
The Punjab Police chief K. P. S. GillKanwar Pal Singh Gill
Kanwar Pal Singh Gill served twice as Director General of Police Punjab, where he is credited with having brought the Punjab insurgency under control, and while the BBC reports that many see Gill as a hero, there are accusations that Gill and the forces under his command were responsible for...
, one of the accused in the book, dismissed the book by calling it "rubbish" in his comment to Khuswant Singh's query. However, later several police officials were charged with murder, and found guilty of kidnapping