The author has granted a non-L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/iilm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la

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... propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Ac knowledgment This study would not have been possible without the help of many people, and the author would like to express his thanks to those who gave him special assistance. First and foremost, I am thankful to Professor Jayant Lele for his guidance through al1 stages of the study. The careful readings of the rough drafis and thought provoking cornments of Professor Lele added immeasurably to the project's scope and insight. 1 am also thankful to Professors Abigail Bakan and Bruce Berman for their helpful comments dunng the thesis proposal defense. The study would not have been possible without the field research trip to the Punjab from September 1996 to December 1996. During my trip, I came in contact with a large number of academics, bureaucrats, joumalists, politicians, and, of course, ordinary folks from al1 walks of life. The space is too limited to thank al1 of them by mentioning their names, but those who gave special assistance deserve to be mentioned. I am thankful to Professor Harish Puri of the Guru Nanak Dev University whose advice and guidance before and dunng the field trip speeded the work considerably. 1 am also thankful to Shri Rashpal Malhotra, director, Center for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (O), Chandigarh, for providing beautiful accommodation in the state's capital and the research facilities of the institute. My fkiend, Harbhajan Halwarvi, editor, Punjabi Tribune, Chandigarh, is not only a walking encyclopedia of information but also an important source for establishing contacts in the Punjab. Despite his busy schedule, he met with me on severd occasions to share his views on the Punjab problem. The study would have been impossible without the help of many family memben. My mother, Darshan Kaur Purewal, and sister, Nannder Kaur Basra, have been constant sources of encouragement throughout most of my ad& Life spent in the Canadian universities. Just like any other trip to India, the recent field trip to the Punjab sailed smoothly with the helping hand of my elder brother, Major MD. Singh. My father-in-law, Colonel Raghbir Singh, Commandant, Border Security Force (BSF) gave me an insider's perspective on the border smuggiing operations in the Punjab. Of course, the study would not have been possible without the love and support of his daughter, my wife Jeetender. Finally, my two beautiful daughters, Tavleen and Avneet, both bom in Kingston during rny doctoral program, reminded me with their laughters and cries that life involved more than work on a thesis.