Decades after terrorism eased its grip in Punjab, the violent controversy over Dera Sacha Sauda revived flickers of fear. Extremism, it appeared, was returning to life; the Sikh right wing seemed to be finding a new voice. It was enough for people to travel back 23 years in time,reliving the traumas of 1984. It was the year that changed many lives, the year Operation Bluestar changed much of everything in Punjab. When the Indian Army launched the operation to flush out extremists from the Golden Temple Complex in Amritsar on June 6, 1984, it left nearly 600 armymen and civilians dead.
Today, the children of those who died then want nothing to do with extremism, Dera Sacha Sauda or otherwise. It’s a generation that has grown wise to the pitfalls of fundamentalism. They have built new lives around a past that they wish to alienate from their present. Normal lives, they call them. It includes good education, fulfilling careers and religious restraint. It may not help them shake off a violent legacy—but it can shape an untainted future. Militancy, it appears, stands marginalised for now.

Dharamvir Singh
(24)
S/o: Gurdial Singh
Occupation: Student
The only son of Khalistan activist Gurdial Singh of Lalhindi village in Moga district, Dharamvir is studying for a BCA degree and plans to settle abroad. After his father’s death, they led a reasonably comfortable lives because the family owned land, which was managed by his mother Jasvir Kaur.
“We have about 13 acres of land, so we don’t have to depend on anyone for financial assistance. We also have caring relatives,” says Dharamvir, who respects his religion but would rather focus on his career. Aligning himself with a religious organisation is not an option.

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