DEATH SQUAD: The Anthropology of State Terror
Edited by Sluka, Jeffrey A., Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000
Pages : 260;


Death Squad, as its title says, is a book about state terrorism. The phenomena is explored through an introductory paragraph that provides a historical and technical overview of the topic, eight essays by different anthropologists from around the world and a well written conclusion that attempts to draw conclusions and point out more technical problems.

The essays are written by anthropologists, but can be read by the average reader. The contributors write about state terrorism and repression in countries all over the world. There are chapters on Argentina, Philippines, Indonesia, Guatemala, Northern Ireland, Punjab and Kashmir. Some of the chapters are an exhaustive inventory of the methods of state terrorism. Other chapters deal with the manipulation of communal symbolism and ritual by the state terror machine. Still other chapters attempt to explore how local communities are fighting against the 'dominant narrative' of state terror by creating symbols and 'narratives', which express their anguish and experiences as victims and insurgents.

Of particular interest to the Sikh readership will be the two chapters on Punjab. The first chapter is written by Cynthia Keppley. She deals both with Kashmir and Punjab. The object of her essay is to narrate the 'nonpolitical and non-ideological experience of state terror'. This she does through the story of a young Kashmiri militant, who is fighting to revenge the dishonor of his family rather than for any political reason. Prof. Keppley takes this militant's story to be typical for a large number of the militants in Punjab and Kashmir.

The second essay is by Prof. Joyce Pettigrew. Her essay is a straightforward report on the use of 'disappearances' by the state and its effects on the families involved.

Two things struck me about the issue. One, the tactics employed by the state terror machine do not change much from one state to the other. Two, almost in every case discussed, the justifications for terror employed by the state has in the end almost exactly mirrored those used by the 'terrorists'.

The conclusion sums up the issues and problems involved in an analysis of state terror very well. Unfortunately, there is a lot of technical jargon and anthropological hair splitting involved. I can't imagine that anyone would find this of much interest, other than an anthropologist involved in the issue. Nonetheless, the book is worth reading for the education in the history of state terror one will get from it. This is especially important for persecuted communities like the Sikhs.


Ranbir Singh (Hira) lives in Houston, USA. He recently came back from Punjab where he volunteered for a year with the 'Fellowship of Activists To Embrace Humanity' (FATEH).