PUNJAB’s twin blasts — first outside a BSF facility in Jalandhar and then near an Army cantonment in Amritsar — are too close in time and target to be dismissed as routine disturbances. Even if low in intensity, they carry a high strategic message: India’s security grid is being tested at sensitive nodes. The confirmation by Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav that an improvised explosive device was used near a military zone underscores the seriousness of the threat. These are not random acts; they suggest reconnaissance, planning and a deliberate attempt to probe vulnerabilities around defence establishments. Whether the hand behind them is local, cross-border or an opportunistic mix of both, the pattern is unmistakable.
Equally troubling is the political reaction. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for destabilisation, while the BJP has accused the state government of security failures. This reflexive blame game may be politically expedient, but it is strategically myopic. Security crises demand coordination, not confrontation. Punjab’s history makes it particularly sensitive to even low-grade disruptions. The state has, over decades, built a reputation for resilient policing and intelligence-led operations. A spate of recent incidents, including three blasts in under 10 days, risks denting that hard-earned credibility. The question is not merely who is to blame, but whether intelligence inputs were missed or responses delayed.
The need of the hour is a unified response: tighter intelligence sharing between Central and state agencies, immediate security audits of defence perimeters, and enhanced surveillance, especially against emerging threats like drone-based infiltration. Public reassurance must follow, but without downplaying risks. These explosions are warnings, not aberrations. Ignoring their pattern or politicising their aftermath would be a costly mistake.
