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The Khalistan movement is a separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing an ethno‐religious sovereign state called Khalistan in the Punjab region. The proposed boundaries of Khalistan vary between different groups; some suggest the entirety of the Indian state of Punjab, while larger claims include Pakistani Punjab and other parts of North India such as Chandigarh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Shimla and Lahore have been proposed as the capital of Khalistan.
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was an Indian militant. He was the leading figure of the Khalistan movement, although he did not personally advocate for a separate Sikh nation.
The following outline is provides an overview of Sikhism, or Sikhi.
Babbar Khalsa International, better known as Babbar Khalsa, is a Sikh militant organisation that aims to create an independent Sikh nation of Khalistan in the Indian state of Punjab. It has used armed attacks, assassinations and bombings in aid of that goal, and is deemed to be a terrorist entity by various governments. Besides India, it operates in Pakistan, North America and Europe, including Scandinavia.
Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) is a Sikh Nationalist political party led by Simranjit Singh Mann, it is a splinter group of the Shiromani Akali Dal. They use 'Balti', the Punjabi term for bucket as their official election symbol. Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) was formed on 1 May 1994. The party has seen a resurgence in support after the deaths of Deep Sidhu and Sidhu Moosewala who were supporters and seen as sympathetic to the cause of Khalistan. Their 2022 Lok Sabha victory after more than two decades has been viewed as a resurgence in pro-Khalistan sentiment and a political vacuum due to collapse of other traditional political parties in Punjab. The last major victory for Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) was in 1989 Lok Sabha elections where the party and their allies won 10 out of 13 seats from Punjab.
Dal Khalsa is a radical Sikh organisation, based in the city of Amritsar. The outfit was formed in 1978 by Gajinder Singh, the accused hijacker of Indian Airlines Flight 423. It came to prominence during Insurgency in Punjab, India along with Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in 1981. Members of the Dal Khalsa have also been accused of the assassination of Lala Jagat Narain.
The Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) is a Sikh Khalistani organisation operating in the state of Punjab, India with prominent members based in Canada, United Kingdom and Pakistan. Its objective is the creation of a Sikh independent state of Khalistan through armed struggle. KCF is also responsible for many assassinations in India, including the 1995 assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. It was designated as a banned Terrorist Organisation by the Government of India.
The Insurgency in Punjab, India was an armed campaign by the militants of the Khalistan Movement from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. Terrorism, Police brutality and corruption of the authorities were the highlights of the insurgency and the aftermath of the 1984 Sikh Massacre. In the 1980s, the movement had evolved into a militant secessionist movement after the perceived indifference of the Indian state in regards to mutual negotiations. The demand for a separate Sikh state gained momentum after the Indian Army's Operation Blue Star in 1984 aimed to flush out militants residing in the Golden Temple in Amritsar, a holy site for Sikhs. The operation resulted in the deaths of many militants and civilians, as well as the destruction of the Golden Temple. In the mid-1990s, the insurgency petered out and the Khalistan Movement failed to reach its objective due to multiple reasons including a heavy police crackdown on civilians and militants and extrajudicial killing of Sikhs by Punjab Police and Indian Army. The militancy was brought under the control of the law enforcement agencies by 1995.
Simranjit Singh Mann is a Punjabi politician, Khalistan advocate, and Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Sangrur since 2022. He is the president of the political party Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar). Mann is a three-time MP; once from Taran Tarn between 1989 and 1991, and twice in Sangrur between 1999-2004 and since 2022.
The Akal Takht is one of five takhts of the Sikhs. It is located in the Darbar Sahib complex in Amritsar, Punjab, India. The Akal Takht was built by Shri Guru Hargobind Ji as a place of justice and consideration of temporal issues; the highest seat of earthly authority of the Khalsa and the place of the Jathedar, the highest spokesman of the Sikhs.
The Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) is a Khalistani separatist militant organization based in the Indian state of Punjab. Its motive is the creation of a sovereign Sikh state called Khalistan via armed struggle. The KLF is one of the key fighting forces of the Khalistan Movement. It was responsible for assassinations, abductions and military engagements with the Indian Armed Forces during the Insurgency in Punjab. The KLF is listed as a designated terrorist group by India.
Jathedar Sukhdev Singh Babbar was the militant and co-leader of Babbar Khalsa (BK), a Sikh militant organization involved in the pursuit of creating a Sikh nation named as "Khalistan" It is generally believed BK was involved in the Air India 182 bombing although Sukhdev was never named as being involved. BK was founded by Talwinder Singh Parmar, himself, and Amarjit Kaur. He commanded BK continuously for 14 years until he was killed in 1992.He was a member of the AKJ.
The Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan (BTFK) is a Sikh extremist militant group, and one of several major separatist organizations involved in the Khalistan movement during the Punjab insurgency. The BTFK's main aim was to establish a Sikh homeland called Khalistan. At its peak, the BTFK's membership totaled 500 members and remained the strongest pro-Khalistan group in Tarn Taran Sahib, which was the epicenter of violence during the Punjab insurgency.
Sukhdev Singh Dhillon, best known as General Labh Singh and also known as Sukha Sipahi and just Labh Singh, was a former Punjab police officer turned militant who took command of the Khalistan Commando Force after its first leader, Manbir Singh Chaheru, was arrested in 1986.
Bhai Manbir Singh Chaheru Also known as General Hari Singh was the founder and first leader of the militant organisation Khalistan Commando Force.
The International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) is a proscribed organisation that aims to establish an independent homeland for the Sikhs of India in Khalistan. It is banned as a terrorist organisation under Australian, European Union, Japanese, Indian, Canadian and American counter-terrorism legislation. The Government of India has declared it a terrorist organisation. While banned, the organization continues to receive financial support from many Sikh people based in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Gurbachan Singh Manochahal was a Sikh militant who founded the Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan in 1984.
Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala was the third chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force.
The 1978 Sikh–Nirankari clash occurred between the Sant Nirankari Mission and Sikhs of Damdami Taksal and Akal Kirtani Jatha on 13 April 1978 at Amritsar, Punjab, India. Sixteen people—thirteen traditional Sikhs and three Nirankari followers—were killed in the ensuing violence, occurring when some Akhand Kirtani Jatha and Damdami Taksal members led by Fauja Singh protested against and tried to stop a convention of Sant Nirankari Mission followers. This incident is considered to be a starting point in the events leading to Operation Blue Star and the 1980s insurgency in Punjab.
The Sarbat Khalsa of 1986 was one congregation of the Guru Khalsa Panth, including the Damdami Taksal, Akal Takht, Panthic Committee (Manochahal), Panthic Committee (Zaffarwal), Kharku Sikhs, Tarna Dal (Hariabelan), Tarna Dal, Bidhi Chand Dal and the Shiromani Budha Dal.
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Minahan, James (2002). Encyclopedia of the stateless nations. 4: S - Z. Westport, Conn. London: Greenwood Press. p. 2151. ISBN 978-0-313-32384-3.
SIKHS: All-India Sikh Students Federation (AISSE); Babbar Khalsa International (BKI); Khalistan Liberation Army; Khalsa Dal; Sikh Youth Federation; Panthic Committee; Pure Tigers; Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF); Council of Khalistan; Eternal Party (Akali Dal); All-India Shiromani Akali Dal; Panthic Committee; Khalistan Commando Force (KCF); Bhindranwale Militant Group; Sikh International Organization (SIO); Shaheed Khalsa Force (SKF); Sikh Youth Federation (SYF); Bhinderanwala Tiger Force; Saheed Khalsa Force; Khalistan Liberation Tiger Force; Khalistan National Army (KNA); Saheed Khalsa Force; Azad Khalistan
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Fair 2005, p. 128.
- ↑ Home Office - Proscribed terrorist groups in the UK Archived 2007-03-01 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ EU list of terrorist groups
- ↑ Canadian listing of terrorist groups Archived 2006-11-19 at the Wayback Machine
