Punjab’s spiralling crime needs a fix

PUNJAB, once again, finds itself in the crosshairs of gun violence and cross-border terror. The impending extradition of Khalistani terrorist Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, from the US is a reminder of the long shadow that extremist ideologies cast over the state. Accused of carrying out 14 grenade attacks and operating at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI, Passia’s return to India will no doubt aid investigations. It also underscores how Punjab continues to be targeted by external hostile forces.

At the same time, the state is witnessing an alarming rise in gangster-led violence. The daylight murder of Abohar businessman Sanjay Verma and the brazen shooting of actress Tania’s father in his Moga clinic have laid bare the ease with which organised crime networks operate. That assailants posed as patients before firing in a public facility reveals a chilling confidence. It is also a pointer to a deeper malaise. Unemployment among educated youth, drug addiction, disturbed childhoods, poverty and the lure of power and quick money are driving many Punjabi youngsters towards crime. Social media hype and the glorification of gangsters further add fuel to the fire. The path of crime is seductive — but once chosen, it is almost impossible to return to the mainstream. The state must urgently address this socio-economic breakdown that feeds criminality.

While the Punjab police have responded with some arrests and encounters, these are reactive steps. What’s needed is a sustained, systemic strategy: strengthening law enforcement, expanding rehabilitation and education efforts, fast-tracking judicial processes and ensuring closer coordination between state and central agencies like the NIA. The criminal-terror nexus in Punjab is no longer local; it is transnational, tech-savvy and ideologically volatile. The longer this crisis simmers, the harder it will be to reclaim Punjab’s future.

Editorials