| Operation Mand | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Insurgency in Punjab, India | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
 Avtar Singh Brahma |  PM Rajiv Gandhi HM Buta Singh CM Surjit Barnala DGP KPS Gill IPS Julio Riberio | ||||
Operation Mand was a military operation launched by the Punjab Police in India to capture or kill Avtar Singh Brahma and Tat Khalsa members from the 21st to the 22nd of July, 1986. [1]
Avtar Singh Brahma was a Sikh kharku who had founded the group Tat Khalsa. [2] He quickly grew to prominence by launching constant attacks on CRPF, BSF, Police, and Army patrols. [3] He would defeat security forces in the Battle of Manakpur.[ citation needed ] Following this, Brahma centered his group and operation in the Mand region which is the riverbank land along the Beas. [4] [5] Brahma would be dubbed the "King of Mand" [6] and became the de facto ruler of the region, [7] which covers an area of 240 square kilometres (93 sq mi). [4] [8]
On 21 July 1986, Operation Mand would be launched. The Operation was led and planned by KPS Gill and was approved by Julio Riberio. [9] About 30 companies of security forces assisted by helicopters, bulldozers and mechanized boats, were deployed for the Operation. [4] [8] Brahma operated 5 groups of 25–30 operatives. [8]
The Operation did not go as expected for the Indian forces. Thousands of police and paramilitary forces surrounded the Mand region and closed in on the Tat Khalsa men. According to Avtar Singh, he and his fellow Tat Khalsa members clashed with and repulsed an attacking force of officers and paramilitary, with the attacking force suffering high casualties. Avtar Singh also claims to have shot down a paramilitary helicopter, although this claim is denied by the Indian state. Both helicopters are reported to have retreated after this. [10] [11] The battle continued for some time, but eventually, the security forces fell back. Avtar Singh Brahma and fellow Tat Khalsa members managed to escape at night. [4] [11] The operation lasted for 40 hours. [4]
The operation faced heavy criticism for being "overkill". [4] [ additional citation(s) needed ] It was initially described as the destruction of the Khalistan capital, but police had only captured a few weapons. [4] The operation also saw criticism from Revenue Minister Major Singh Uboke, a dissident in the ruling party. [4] [12] He called Operation Mand "Operation Fraud". He charged, at a cabinet meeting, of security forces of harassing and torturing "innocent Sikh youths and even women". [4]
The operation is depicted in the 2017 Indian film Toofan Singh . [13] [ failed verification ]
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 Sikh-majority 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.
Operation Blue Star was a military operation by the Indian Armed Forces conducted between 1 and 10 June 1984 to remove Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other Sikh militants from the Golden Temple, a holy site of Sikhism, and its adjacent buildings.
Babbar Khalsa, officially Babbar Khalsa International, is a Khalistani militant organisation that aims to create an independent nation-state of Khalistan in the Punjab region. 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 North America and Europe.
Talwinder Singh Parmar was an Indian militant, Sikh separatist, and the mastermind of the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing, which killed 329 people. It was the worst single incident of aviation terrorism in history until the September 11 attacks in the United States. In addition, another bomb was meant to explode aboard Air India Flight 301 in Japan the same day, but it exploded while the plane was still grounded, killing two people. Parmar was also the founder, leader, and Jathedar of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), better known as Babbar Khalsa, a Sikh militant group involved in the Khalistan movement.
The Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) is a Sikh Khalistani militant 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 is designated as a terrorist organisation by the Government of India.
The Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) is a Khalistani militant organisation operating in the Punjab state of India, with prominent members based in Canada, United Kingdom and Pakistan. Its objective is the creation of a sovereign Sikh nation‐state of Khalistan through armed struggle. It is responsible for numerous assassinations, abductions, and military engagements with the Indian Armed Forces during the Insurgency in Punjab. The KLF is also listed as a designated terrorist group by India.
Jathedar Sukhdev Singh Babbar was a was an Indian militant, Sikh separatist, and co-leader of Babbar Khalsa (BK), a Sikh militant organisation involved in the pursuit of creating a Sikh nation named as "Khalistan" and generally believed responsible for the 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182, 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 Tat Khalsa, also romanised as Tatt Khalsa, known as the Akal Purkhias during the 18th century, was a Sikh faction that arose from the schism following the passing of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708, led by his widow Mata Sundari, opposed to the religious innovations of Banda Singh Bahadur and his followers. The roots of the Tat Khalsa lies in the official formalization and sanctification of the Khalsa order by the tenth Guru in 1699.
Harjinder Singh Jinda was a Sikh militant and one of the two assassins of Arun Vaidya. He was responsible for three high-profile assassinations: Arjan Dass, Lalit Maken and Gen. Vaidya. He along with other members of Khalistan Commando Force participated in Indian history's biggest bank robbery of ₹ 57 million from Punjab National Bank, Miller Gunj branch, Ludhiana to finance the militancy for a separate Sikh state of Khalistan.
Julio Francis Ribeiro is a retired Indian police officer and civil servant. He held increasingly responsible positions during his career, and led the Punjab Police during part of the Punjab insurgency periods. In 1987, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award for his services.
Jagtar Singh Hawara is a high level member of Babbar Khalsa who is currently serving life imprisonment at Tihar Jail. He was convicted as a conspirator in the assassination of 12th Chief Minister of Punjab, Beant Singh.
Sukhdev Singh Dhillon, also known as General Labh Singh and Sukha Sipahi was an Indian militant, police officer, and Sikh separatist 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 an Indian militant, Sikh separatist, and the first leader of the Khalistan Commando Force.
Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala was a Sikh militant and the third Jathedar of the Khalistan Liberation Force. Budhsinghwala's organization, KLF, was one of the most active and main Sikh militant groups during the insurgency in Punjab, India. Budhsinghwala had KLF join the Sohan Singh Panthic Committee and partnered with Khalistan Commando Force (Panjwar), Babbar Khalsa, Bhindranwale Tiger Force (Sangha), and Sikh Student Federation (Bittu) in militant actions.
Giani Gurbachan Singh is a Sikh preacher who served as the jathedar of the Akal Takht from 2008 to 2018.
The 1978 Sikh–Nirankari clash occurred between the Sant Nirankari Mission and Sikhs of Damdami Taksal and Akhand 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 Jathedar of the Akal Takht is the head of the Akal Takht and head of the Sikhs worldwide. The jathedar has the de facto power as the supreme spokesperson of the Khalsa to summon, trial and sentence any person who identifies as a Sikh from the Akal Takht.
Avtar Singh Brahma was a Sikh militant (kharku) and one of the main founding figures and the second leader of Khalistan Liberation Force during the insurgency in Punjab, India. Avtar Singh became known for his encounters with the police, Operation Mand being particularly notable.
Surinder Singh Sodhi was a Sikh militant known for being the chief bodyguard, chief hitman, transport minister, and right-hand man of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
On 3 October 1986, militants from the Khalistan Commando Force, led by Labh Singh, made an attempt on the life of Director General of Police in Punjab, India, Julio Ribeiro in Jalandhar within the Punjab Armored Police headquarters. Ribeiro was wounded in the attack along with his wife. Ribeiro's wounds were minor, but his wife was hospitalized. 2 officers were killed and 2 were seriously wounded in the attack. All the attackers escaped unhurt.
