Which place were you born in / stayed in? Just asking out of curiosity cause I've been to many places in Punjab, and I find it much better than any other place in India barring Delhi and hill states, so chances are I might have visited the place you're from.
I could make out from your comments that you're Sikh. How old are you currently? Have many Sikh friends, have had countless discussions with them on these very topics.
Forget Pakistan, even China can't make India implode. It's just not possible ever. What do you know about the resource wealth of India, and when it'll not be able to sustain the population? There was a reason that India was Britain's largest colony by far. The resources aren't going to run out in my lifetime or yours rest assured of that.
Let me elaborate further, the insurgency started like any other insurgency in any country, with neglect by the centre. Initially the insurgency leaders were encouraged by the centre for electoral benefit.
When the use of violence spread, the centre started cracking down. The money for the insurgency was provided primarily by Canadian Sikhs. The arms and ammunition primarily by Pakistan. At first the centre didn't have a clear policy of response. And the cycle of violence continued. I remember the times when it was not safe to travel to Punjab for work or vacation. I remember the times when you couldn't venture outside your home in Punjab after sunset.
Finally the centre got it's act together after massive loss in terms of human lives and finances, when the violence reached a critical mass. KPS Gill was instrumental in crushing the insurgency. Was given a free hand by centre to shoot and kill terrorists on sight.
There was no benefit of doubt also given at times. Many suspected terrorists were executed summarily. To this day, no one knows how many of them were not terrorists. Even sympathizers were not spared. In the last few days, when the bulk of terrorists had been exterminated, and few odd were left. I remember the state sodomized terrorists with red hot iron rods. This put the fear of God in the remaining terrorists and they went into hiding in Pakistan and other countries where they remain to this date.
The entire insurgency and it's extermination was riddled with brutality on both sides. I have witnessed some of the brutality on both sides with my own eyes.
Now the dream of Khalistan primarily remains in the hearts and minds of few foolish Sikhs living outside India who have no connect to the ground realities in Punjab anymore, and who will die one day with the unrealized dreams of Khalistan.
The insurgency in Kashmir if it can even be called an insurgency today, is a picnic to the Punjab insurgency. Provides good popcorn entertainment and long winded talks over dining tables, but anyone who's seen the Punjab insurgency has no doubt that the centre only tolerates insurgencies till its politically expedient to do so, and when it no longer is, it can crush any insurgency very fast.
Like so many expatriate Sikhs are going to die with unrealized dreams of Khalistan in their hearts, similarly so many Kashmiri's are going to die with unrealized dreams of independent Kashmir in their hearts. I'm not getting into right and wrong here. But that's the sad harsh reality of political structures. The citizens of Delhi where I reside, have less political rights than people in Punjab or Kashmir. We don't have full statehood. In many ways our CM is ornamental. For policing needs and land development we have to rely on centre whom we don't elect separately as a state. We witnessed greater agitation than Punjab or Kashmir when Anna Hazare was imprisoned. So trust me, Delhi has better chance of independence from India than Punjab or Kashmir. Kashmiri's and Sikhs who wake up and smell the coffee and understand this reality will live and die happier than the ones who don't. Its that simple.
