Radicalism can be a deceptive phenomenon. This is because it can simmer — undetected — in the subterranean chambers of a polity. Punjab, it is widely believed, has left the terror of secessionism behind it. Portrayals in popular culture, be it in films or on social media, depict it as the land of peace and plenty. But, as the recent instance of the besiegement of a police station by members of a radical outfit demanding the release of an accomplice showed, embers of the problematic fire continue to be fanned in the state. In this case, the finger of suspicion has been pointed at Amritpal Singh, an advocate of Khalistan, for fanning the flames. He preaches about the rebirth of a nightmare that drew blood from Punjab during the movement for Khalistan and has a significant presence on corrosive social media platforms. What is surprising is that the man seems to have been handed the proverbial long rope by the authorities. Intelligence or security agencies, quick to pounce on dissenters or political opponents, are yet to show similar energy in the pursuit of the man. The Centre must be asked questions about this laxity. Do political compulsions — the Bharatiya Janata Party has been reduced to an also-ran in the state — explain the inertia? The Aam Aadmi Party, which is in power in Punjab for the first time, must also be held accountable for the way it bungled the clash between the police and the radical outfit. Unlike in Delhi, the AAP commands every lever of power in Punjab. Why were things allowed to get out of hand then?

This shared ineptness by the Central and the state governments, if it stays unaddressed, could prove to be costly. As a border state, Punjab occupies a strategic location of paramount importance: Pakistan would always be happy to stoke the flames in the state. What the powers that be must also desist from is viewing the mischief as a law and order problem only. The seeds of extremism are, more often than not, social. Therefore, there must be policy interventions to redress the plethora of problems afflicting modern Punjab. Among these is the drug menace that has affected a sizeable segment of the population as well as persistent agrarian distress. The AAP in Punjab and the BJP in Delhi, the respective ruling regimes, have their task cut out.