Eminent political scientist Dr Paul Wallace,on Saturday,said that while there is an undercurrent of militancy,he does not see the Khalistan movement reviving in Punjab. However,he said that the people of the state have not received closure and there has been no truth or reconciliation commission. Dr Wallace,Professor Emeritus University of Missouri,USA,was speaking at a seminar organised by Institute of Development and Communication. Wallace is the author and editor of eight books and numerous chapters and articles on terrorism in India. His recent publications include Kashmir,Sikh Terrorism and Sikh Militancy and Non Violence. Elaborating his thoughts,Dr Wallace said,None of the militants in Punjab returned,or of they did have become involved in peaceful activities. It may take some time before people say what really happened. In Ireland it took 600 years. Terrorism will not return to the state as the conditions that gave rise to it no longer exist. However,new problems like inequality can emerge which can cause crisis. Talking about democracy in India,Dr Wallace said that democracy is alive and well in India despite problems. There are times when people feel that things are not going so well. But when Emergency is imposed,it is the time when they realize the importance of democracy. Corruption and other warts mar Indian politics and society,but democratic participation including elections uncovers the warts and provides a means of addressing them, he said Discussing the problems that Indian democracy is afflicted with today,Dr Wallace spoke about the question of legitimacy within the Indian government. He said that what was being witnessed is an uprising of People Power. India is being challenged by a 12-day fast by Anna Hazare on the issue of corruption and corruption is something that every society has, he added. Dr Wallace said that social media has become important and will continue to be so,People who have access to technology is steadily growing. This was visible during Arab Spring. Movements in societies such as Occupy Wall Street in the US and Gandhian-type fasts in India are contemporary examples of people power in a democracy. Comparing India and China,Dr Wallace argued that Indian democracy has carved a space for articulation of dissent within the system,whereas rural discontent in China is manifested by numerous riots and subsequent repression.
