SMS floods Punjab against violence

PEACE TOOL: In a time of crisis in Punjab, there are still calls for peace through SMS.

Featured Blog

Rohit Khilnani

Terror, Terror Everywhere

Featured Slideshows

Amritsar: The violence in Punjab has affected normal life in the state but many people now are raising their voices for peace.

Amandeep Singh is one of many Sikhs deeply troubled by the crisis in Punjab. The state's history of militancy in the eighties is still fresh in his mind, and he's determined not to let the bloodshed return.

“We are afraid that terrorism is raising its head again. We are forwarding SMSes to our friends to try and solve everything peacefully,” said Amandeep.

Text messages appealing for an end to the fighting are doing the rounds in Punjab's cities. Even those seemingly unaffected by the violence say the hostility has to end.

“Everyone's life has been affected. It should not happen. Peace should prevail,” said Rupinder Kaur a homemaker.

After a man was killed on Thursday in clashes between Sikhs and Dera Sacha followers, commuters are afraid to enter sensitive areas like Bathind and Sunam.

“Situation is very tense. Every citizen is in a state of fear. There are riots everywhere,” said Mandeep Singh a passenger.

But calls for conciliation are rising, and if people like Amandeep have their way, they will not rest until peace returns to Punjab.