Sikh extremism
Encyclopedia
Sikh extremism refers to threats
or acts of violence
against civilian
s, or material support for the acts of violence.
Some extremists have been separatists
pursuing the formation of a Sikh
state, often referred to as Khalistan
.
Some extremists took part in the Indian independence movement
.
Religious terrorism
has been used in the Khalistan movement
.
It has been suggested that addressing extremism
requires both political and religious
action.
).
In the early 20th century, other Sikhs who employed extremist tactics emerged whose goals were Indian independence and the British leaving India. Such extremists included Kartar Singh Sarabha (Ghadar conspiracy
), Bhagat Singh, Ajmere Singh, and Udham Singh
.
Ajit Singh, Kishan Singh were Kartar Singh Sarabha's co-conspirators, and were also alleged by the British to be Extremists . Sikhs participated in Indian independence movement with such a zeal that Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya
advised Hindus to raise at least one of their family members as Sikh. Sikhs also raised several rebel units in Japan, Italy and Germany. Sikhs also engineered the Marine Revolt in Bombay and the Signal Regimental mutiny in Jubblepur, India.
,
or soon after India gained independence in 1947
.
By the 1970s, some felt the government of India had not responded adequately to Sikh grievances.
A demand for a separate Sikh homeland
was made by Jagjit Singh Chauhan
, who at the time was Secretary General of the Akali Dal party
.
In 1971, Jagjit Singh was expelled from the party for his "anti-nationalistic
" activities.
He later returned to India, denouncing terrorism and pursuing Khalistan through democratic means.
In October, 1991, The New York Times reported that "many" Sikhs claimed they were being discriminated against, and that the Punjab region was not treated equally with other regions of India. " By February 1997, a UN report appears to have found that Sikhs had religious freedom, but that there were reports of discriminatory practices in public administration.
Some argue that individuals or organisations have committed acts of terrorism
in support of the Khalistan movement
.
, writing for Rediff.com
, stated in his article "It is fundamentalism again", that the Sikh "masses" had rejected terrorists.
By 2001, Sikh extremism and the demand for Khalistan had all but abated.
Simrat Dhillon, writing in 2007 for the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies
, noted that while a few groups continued to fight, "the movement has lost its popular support both in India and within the Diaspora community".
Mark Juergensmeyer
, Director, Orfalea Centre for Global & International Studies, UCSB, reported in his paper "From Bhindranwale to Bin Laden: Understanding Religious Violence", “The movement is over,” as many militants had been killed, imprisoned, or driven into hiding, and because public support was gone.
As part of the Indian Independence Movement, they committed a number of acts such as attacking and killing butchers.
In 1937, Rattan Singh and other Sikhs, while being transported from Indian island Andamans, assassinated several British soldiers.
Udham Singh
, of Sikh background, was described variously as a freedom fighter,
an "extremist revolutionary",
and a terrorist.
While Udham Singh was living in the UK, he shot and killed Michael O'Dwyer
in London on 1 April 1940.
O'Dwyer had been the Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab at the time of Jallianwala Bagh massacre
.
Udham Singh was hanged in UK on 25 June 1940, and his ashes were returned to India in 1974.
Bhagat Singh, a former Sikh turned atheist, was active in the Indian independence struggle. He was widely influenced by Marxist and socialist thought, and was a revolutionary. His violent actions were labelled extreme by Mahatama Gandhi, who later honored him after his death despite their disagreements. Singh assassinated a Lahore Police officer and his mercy plea was rejected by British Viceroy of India Lord Irwin.
, authorities were unprepared for how quickly extremism spread and gained support in Canada
, with extremists "...threatening to kill thousand of Hindus by a number of means, including blowing up Air India flights."
The 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182
off Ireland
, the deadliest aircraft terror attack until the September 11, 2001 attacks
, and the attempted bombing of Air India Flight 301
, were alleged by the Canadian government to have been carried out by Sikh extremists. However, Inderjit Singh Reyat, of the ISYF, who was found guilty of manslaughter for making the bombs, is the only individual convicted in these attacks as of 2 May 2010.
Canadian Member of Parliament
Ujjal Dosanjh
, a moderate Sikh, stated that he and others who spoke out against Sikh extremism in the 1980s faced a "reign of terror".
reported that, in the early 1990s, journalists who did not conform to militant-approved behavior were targeted for death.
It also reports that there were indiscriminate attacks designed to cause extensive civilian casualties: derailing trains, exploding bombs in markets, restaurants, and other civilian areas between Delhi and Punjab.
It further reported that militants assassinated many of those moderate Sikh leaders who opposed them and sometimes killed rivals within the militant group.
It also stated that many civilians who had been kidnapped by extremists were murdered if the militants' demands were not met.
Finally, it reports that Hindus left Punjab by the thousands.
In August 1991, Julio Ribeiro, then India
n Ambassador
to Romania
was attacked and wounded in a Bucharest
assassination attempt by gunmen identified as Punjab
i Sikhs.
Sikh groups claimed responsibility for the 1991 kidnapping of the Romania
n chargé d'affaires in New Delhi, Liviu Radu.
This appeared to be retaliation for Romanian arrests of KLF members suspected of the attempted assassination of Julio Ribeiro, then 62, the Indian ambassador to Romania, in Bucharest
.
Radu was released unharmed after Sikh politicians criticized the action.
In October, 1991, The New York Times reported that violence had increased sharply in the months leading up to the kidnapping, with Indian security forces or Sikh militants killing 20 or more people per day, and that the militants had been "gunning down" family members of police officers.
On 24 January 1995,
Tarsem Singh Purewal, editor of Britain's Punjabi-language weekly "Des Pardes", was killed as he was closing his office in Southall
.
There is speculation that the murder was related to Sikh extremism, which Purewal may have been investigating. Another theory is that he was killed in retaliation for revealing the identity of a young rape victim.
On 31 August 1995, Chief minister Beant Singh
was killed by a suicide bomber.
Babbar Khalsa claimed responsibility for the assassination, but "security authorities" were reported to be doubtful of the truth of that claim.
A 2006 press release by the Embassy of the United States in New Delhi indicated that the responsible organization was the Khalistan Commando Force
.
On 18 November 1998, Journalist Tara Singh Hayer
, was gunned down. The publisher of the "Indo-Canadian Times," a Canadian Sikh and once-vocal advocate of the armed struggle for Khalistan
, he had criticized the bombing of Air India flight 182, and was to testify about a conversation he overheard concerning the bombing. Because of his murder, his 15 October 1998, statement to police was not admissible at the trial of Ajaib Singh Bagri.
Although extremist violence had continued throughout the decade, the United States Department of State
found that Sikh extremism had decreased significantly from 1992 to 1997, although the 1997 report noted that "Sikh militant cells are active internationally and extremists gather funds from overseas Sikh communities."
" (Dishonour), that was to have been performed at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
.
The protest organizer, Sewa Singh Mandla, chairman of the Birmingham council of Sikh Gurdwaras, blamed the violence on extremist members of The Sikh Federation.
Amrik Singh Gill, chairman of the Federation, said his members had taken part in the opposition to the play from the start, and denied that its members played any part in the violence.
Another member of the Sikh Federation, Kulwinder Singh Johal, expressed happiness that the play had been canceled, confirmed that Sikh Federation members had taken part in the protest against the play, and denied that there had been any violence on the part of the protesters.
The Sunday Herald reported that when it appeared the play might be presented despite the protest, death threats increased, and the playwright went into hiding.
The play was canceled.
In 2006, a Brooklyn
, New York
, jury convicted Khalid Awan of providing money and financial services to the Khalistan Commando Force, a terrorist organization responsible for thousands of deaths in India since its founding in 1986.
The investigation began in 2003, when Awan, jailed at the time for credit card fraud, bragged of his relationship with Paramjeet Singh Panjwar, leader of the KCF.
The Indian Express
reported in its online edition on 19 June 2006 that "Police claimed" that the KZF was behind bomb blasts in Jalandhar, India, at the Inter-State Bus Terminus that left three people killed and injured 12. A police spokesman said the attack was planned by a pair of KZF leaders, one based in Pakistan and one in Canada, and executed by a "local criminal".
Terry Milewski
reported in a 2006 documentary for the CBC that a minority within Canada's Sikh community was gaining political influence even while publicly supporting terrorist acts in the struggle for an independent Sikh state.
In response, the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO), a Canadian Sikh human rights group that opposes violence and extremism, sued the CBC for "defamation, slander and libel", alleging that Milewski linked it to terrorism and damaged the reputation of the WSO within the Sikh community.
Canadian journalist Kim Bolan
has written extensively on Sikh extremism. Speaking at the Fraser Institute
in 2007, she reported that she still received death threats over her coverage of the 1985 Air India bombing.
In February 2008, BBC Radio 4
reported that the Chief of the Punjab Police, NPS Aulakh, alleged that militant groups were receiving money from the British Sikh community.
The same report included statements that although the Sikh militant groups were poorly equipped and staffed, intelligence reports and interrogations indicated that Babbar Khalsa was sending its recruits to the same terrorist training camp
s in Pakistan
used by Al Qaeda.
A June 2008 article by Vicky Nanjappa, writing for Rediff.com, stated that a report by India's Intelligence Bureau
indicated that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence
organization was "desperately trying to revive Sikh" militant activity in India.
In 2008, a CBC report stated that "a disturbing brand of extremist politics has surfaced" at some of the Vaisakhi
parades in Canada, and The Trumpet agreed with the CBC assessment.
Two leading Canadian Sikh politicians refused to attend the parade in Surrey
, saying it was a glorification of terrorism.
In 2008, Dr. Manmohan Singh
, Prime Minister of India, expressed his concern that there might be a resurgence of Sikh extremism.
On 24 September 2009, Centralchronical.com carried a report attributed to United News of India
that police arrested two Babbar Khalsa "militants" earlier in the day. The article described the arrests as a "major breakthrough in the assassination case of Rulda Singh, president of the Punjab Rashtriya Sikh Sangat who was shot at and seriously injured by two unidentified persons at his residence near New Grain market on 29 July."
Ghadar Party
A militant extremist organisation set up overseas to drive the British out of India. Its members were mostly from the Sikh community and were dubbed "Sikh extremists". by the British authorities at that time.
First Indian National Army
Existing between February and December 1942, the First Indian National Army
was formed by Mohan Singh Deb
(who was described as an extremist) to free India from British rule, and fought in Southeast Asia
, with support from Japan, during World War II
.
n research report cited difficulties in researching both violent and non-violent activities of the various (perhaps 22, in 1987) Sikh separatist groups. Names of groups are used interchangeably in reports, intentionally or through error. Bias and sensationalism in government and media reports reduce their reliability. The illegal nature of the organizations also presents challenges.
Institute for Conflict Management, on its South Asia Terrorism Portal, alleged that Pakistan's ISI was making "serious attempts" to reinvigorate terrorism in India, and that "terror groups" were working together to accomplish that goal.
has been listed as a terrorist organization in the
European Union,
Canada,
India,
UK,
and the United States.
A Canadian Sikh, Ajaib Singh Bagri, co-founder of Babbar Khalsa, said in a 1984 speech, after Hindu Mobs had murdered thousands of Sikhs in Delhi that "Until we kill 50,000 Hindus, we will not rest."
The United States has designated the Babbar Khalsa responsible for the bombing of Air India Flight 182
on 27 June 2002.
According to Terry Milewski
, CBC News, Canadian courts have further established that Talwinder Singh Parmar
, a founder of Babbar Khalsa
, was the mastermind of the Air India bombings.
Milewski further reported that some parade floats portray Parmar as a "shaheed" (martyr).
Babbar Khalsa was listed in 1995 one of the 4 "major militant groups" in the Khalistan movement.
The BTF was listed in 1995 one of the 4 "major militant groups" in the Khalistan movement.
International Sikh Youth Federation
Lord Bassam of Brighton, then Home Office
minister, stated that ISYF members working from the UK had committed "assassinations, bombings and kidnappings" and were a "threat to national security."
The ISYF is listed in the UK as a "Proscribed Terrorist Group".
It was also added to the US Treasury Department terrorism list on 27 June 2002.
There are allegations that the ISYF has long been supported by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence organization.
Andrew Gilligan
, reporting for The London Evening Standard, stated that the Sikh Federation (UK) is the "successor" of the ISYF, and that its executive committee, objectives, and senior members... are largely the same.
The Vancouver Sun reported in February 2008 that Dabinderjit Singh
was campaigning to have both the Babbar Khalsa and International Sikh Youth Federation de-listed as terrorist organizations.
It also stated of Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day
that "he has not been approached by anyone lobbying to delist the banned groups". Day is also quoted as saying "The decision to list organizations such as Babbar Khalsa, Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation as terrorist entities under the Criminal Code is intended to protect Canada and Canadians from terrorism"
Khalistan Commando Force
The KCF was formed in 1986.
According to the US State Department, and the Assistant Inspector General of the Punjab Police Intelligence Division, the KCF was responsible for the deaths of thousands in India, including the 1995 assassination of Chief Minister Beant Singh
.
The KCF was listed in 1995 one of the 4 "major militant groups" in the Khalistan movement.
Khalistan Liberation Force
The KLF was formed in 1986, and was believed responsible for several bombings of civilian targets in India during the 1980s and 1990s, sometimes in conjunction with Islamist Kashmir
separatists.
The Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA) is reputed to have been a wing of, or possibly associated with, or possibly a breakaway group from, the KLF.
The KLF was listed in 1995 one of the 4 "major militant groups" in the Khalistan movement.
Coercion
Coercion is the practice of forcing another party to behave in an involuntary manner by use of threats or intimidation or some other form of pressure or force. In law, coercion is codified as the duress crime. Such actions are used as leverage, to force the victim to act in the desired way...
or acts of violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
against civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
s, or material support for the acts of violence.
Some extremists have been separatists
Separatism
Separatism is the advocacy of a state of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. While it often refers to full political secession, separatist groups may seek nothing more than greater autonomy...
pursuing the formation of a Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
state, often referred to as Khalistan
Khalistan
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
.
Some extremists took part in the Indian independence movement
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
.
Religious terrorism
Religious terrorism
Religious terrorism is terrorism by those whose motivations and aims have a predominant religious character or influence.In the modern age, after the decline of ideas such as the divine right of kings and with the rise of nationalism, terrorism more often involved anarchism, nihilism and...
has been used in the Khalistan movement
Khalistan movement
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
.
It has been suggested that addressing extremism
Extremism
Extremism is any ideology or political act far outside the perceived political center of a society; or otherwise claimed to violate common moral standards...
requires both political and religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
action.
Indian independence movement
Sikh extremist activity in the independence movement seems to have started in the late mid-19th century, with agitation against British rule, by the extremist Sikh sect of Kuka (NamdhariNamdhari
Namdhari are a sect of Sikhism. The main difference between Namdhari Sikhs and mainstream Sikhs is their belief in Jagjit Singh as their living Guru...
).
In the early 20th century, other Sikhs who employed extremist tactics emerged whose goals were Indian independence and the British leaving India. Such extremists included Kartar Singh Sarabha (Ghadar conspiracy
Ghadar Conspiracy
The Ghadar Conspiracy was a conspiracy for a pan-Indian mutiny in the British Indian Army in February 1915 formulated by the Ghadar Party...
), Bhagat Singh, Ajmere Singh, and Udham Singh
Udham Singh
Udham Singh was an Indian independence activist, best known for assassinating Michael O'Dwyer in March 1940 in what has been described as an avenging of the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre....
.
Ajit Singh, Kishan Singh were Kartar Singh Sarabha's co-conspirators, and were also alleged by the British to be Extremists . Sikhs participated in Indian independence movement with such a zeal that Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya
Madan Mohan Malaviya
Madan Mohan Malaviya was an Indian educationist, and freedom fighter notable for his role in the Indian independence movement and his espousal of Hindu nationalism...
advised Hindus to raise at least one of their family members as Sikh. Sikhs also raised several rebel units in Japan, Italy and Germany. Sikhs also engineered the Marine Revolt in Bombay and the Signal Regimental mutiny in Jubblepur, India.
History of Sikh separatism
Sikh separatism began in colonial timesBritish Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
,
or soon after India gained independence in 1947
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
.
By the 1970s, some felt the government of India had not responded adequately to Sikh grievances.
A demand for a separate Sikh homeland
Homeland
A homeland is the concept of the place to which an ethnic group holds a long history and a deep cultural association with —the country in which a particular national identity began. As a common noun, it simply connotes the country of one's origin...
was made by Jagjit Singh Chauhan
Jagjit Singh Chauhan
Dr. Jagjit Singh Chauhan was the original founder of the Khalistan movement that sought to create an independent Sikh state.Chohan, a Sikh Rajput from the Chauhan clan, grew up in Tanda in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, about 180 km from Chandigarh. A medical practitioner, Dr...
, who at the time was Secretary General of the Akali Dal party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
.
In 1971, Jagjit Singh was expelled from the party for his "anti-nationalistic
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
" activities.
He later returned to India, denouncing terrorism and pursuing Khalistan through democratic means.
In October, 1991, The New York Times reported that "many" Sikhs claimed they were being discriminated against, and that the Punjab region was not treated equally with other regions of India. " By February 1997, a UN report appears to have found that Sikhs had religious freedom, but that there were reports of discriminatory practices in public administration.
Some argue that individuals or organisations have committed acts of terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
in support of the Khalistan movement
Khalistan movement
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
.
Abatement of extremism
In 1999, Kuldip NayarKuldip Nayar
Kuldip Nayar is a veteran Indian journalist and syndicated columnist, noted for his long career as a left-wing political commentator.-Early life and education:Nayar was born at Sialkot, Punjab, British India on 14 August 1923....
, writing for Rediff.com
Rediff.com
Rediff.com India is a news, information, entertainment, and shopping portal. It was founded in 1996 as "Rediff On The NeT" and is headquartered in Mumbai, India with offices in New Delhi and New York City, USA....
, stated in his article "It is fundamentalism again", that the Sikh "masses" had rejected terrorists.
By 2001, Sikh extremism and the demand for Khalistan had all but abated.
Simrat Dhillon, writing in 2007 for the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies
Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies
The Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies is an independent defence, foreign policy and security studies think tank in India. Founded in 1996, the Institute is internationally recognized...
, noted that while a few groups continued to fight, "the movement has lost its popular support both in India and within the Diaspora community".
Mark Juergensmeyer
Mark Juergensmeyer
thumb | right | 150px | Mark Juergensmeyer Mark Juergensmeyer is an American scholar and writer best known for his studies of religious violence and...
, Director, Orfalea Centre for Global & International Studies, UCSB, reported in his paper "From Bhindranwale to Bin Laden: Understanding Religious Violence", “The movement is over,” as many militants had been killed, imprisoned, or driven into hiding, and because public support was gone.
1947 and before
In 1872 Kuka Sikhs were described as an "extremist Sikh sect".As part of the Indian Independence Movement, they committed a number of acts such as attacking and killing butchers.
In 1937, Rattan Singh and other Sikhs, while being transported from Indian island Andamans, assassinated several British soldiers.
Udham Singh
Udham Singh
Udham Singh was an Indian independence activist, best known for assassinating Michael O'Dwyer in March 1940 in what has been described as an avenging of the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre....
, of Sikh background, was described variously as a freedom fighter,
an "extremist revolutionary",
and a terrorist.
While Udham Singh was living in the UK, he shot and killed Michael O'Dwyer
Michael O'Dwyer
Michael Francis O'Dwyer, KCIE was Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab in India from 1912 until 1919. O'Dwyer endorsed General Reginald Dyer's action regarding the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and termed it a "correct action"...
in London on 1 April 1940.
O'Dwyer had been the Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab at the time of Jallianwala Bagh massacre
Jallianwala Bagh massacre
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre , also known as the Amritsar massacre, took place in the Jallianwala Bagh public garden in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, and was ordered by Brigadier-General Reginald E.H. Dyer...
.
Udham Singh was hanged in UK on 25 June 1940, and his ashes were returned to India in 1974.
Bhagat Singh, a former Sikh turned atheist, was active in the Indian independence struggle. He was widely influenced by Marxist and socialist thought, and was a revolutionary. His violent actions were labelled extreme by Mahatama Gandhi, who later honored him after his death despite their disagreements. Singh assassinated a Lahore Police officer and his mercy plea was rejected by British Viceroy of India Lord Irwin.
1980s
Immediately after Operation Blue StarOperation Blue Star
Operation Blue Star ) 3– 6 June 1984 was an Indian military operation, ordered by Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, to remove Sikh separatists from the Golden Temple in Amritsar...
, authorities were unprepared for how quickly extremism spread and gained support in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, with extremists "...threatening to kill thousand of Hindus by a number of means, including blowing up Air India flights."
The 1985 bombing of Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montreal–London–Delhi route. On 23 June 1985, the airplane operating on the route a Boeing 747-237B named after Emperor Kanishka was blown up by a bomb at an altitude of , and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while in Irish airspace.A...
off Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, the deadliest aircraft terror attack until the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, and the attempted bombing of Air India Flight 301
Air India Flight 301
At 07:13 on Sunday, June 23, 1985 an explosion at Tokyo Narita International Airport killed two baggage handlers, and injured four. The bomb in that bag was intended for Air India Flight 301 with 177 passengers and crew on board, bound for Bangkok International Airport.-Bombing:Fifty-five minutes...
, were alleged by the Canadian government to have been carried out by Sikh extremists. However, Inderjit Singh Reyat, of the ISYF, who was found guilty of manslaughter for making the bombs, is the only individual convicted in these attacks as of 2 May 2010.
Canadian Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Ujjal Dosanjh
Ujjal Dosanjh
Ujjal Dev Singh Dosanjh, PC, QC, is a Sikh Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as 33rd Premier of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001 and as a Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011 including a stint as Minister of Health from 2004 until 2006 when the party lost...
, a moderate Sikh, stated that he and others who spoke out against Sikh extremism in the 1980s faced a "reign of terror".
1990s
GlobalSecurity.orgGlobalSecurity.org
GlobalSecurity.org, launched in 2000, is a public policy organization focusing on the fields of defense, space exploration, intelligence, weapons of mass destruction and homeland security...
reported that, in the early 1990s, journalists who did not conform to militant-approved behavior were targeted for death.
It also reports that there were indiscriminate attacks designed to cause extensive civilian casualties: derailing trains, exploding bombs in markets, restaurants, and other civilian areas between Delhi and Punjab.
It further reported that militants assassinated many of those moderate Sikh leaders who opposed them and sometimes killed rivals within the militant group.
It also stated that many civilians who had been kidnapped by extremists were murdered if the militants' demands were not met.
Finally, it reports that Hindus left Punjab by the thousands.
In August 1991, Julio Ribeiro, then India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
was attacked and wounded in a Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
assassination attempt by gunmen identified as Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
i Sikhs.
Sikh groups claimed responsibility for the 1991 kidnapping of the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n chargé d'affaires in New Delhi, Liviu Radu.
This appeared to be retaliation for Romanian arrests of KLF members suspected of the attempted assassination of Julio Ribeiro, then 62, the Indian ambassador to Romania, in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
.
Radu was released unharmed after Sikh politicians criticized the action.
In October, 1991, The New York Times reported that violence had increased sharply in the months leading up to the kidnapping, with Indian security forces or Sikh militants killing 20 or more people per day, and that the militants had been "gunning down" family members of police officers.
On 24 January 1995,
Tarsem Singh Purewal, editor of Britain's Punjabi-language weekly "Des Pardes", was killed as he was closing his office in Southall
Southall
Southall is a large suburban district of west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include Yeading, Hayes, Hanwell, Heston, Hounslow, Greenford and Northolt...
.
There is speculation that the murder was related to Sikh extremism, which Purewal may have been investigating. Another theory is that he was killed in retaliation for revealing the identity of a young rape victim.
On 31 August 1995, Chief minister Beant Singh
Beant Singh (chief minister)
Beant Singh was an Indian Chief Minister of Punjab from 1992 to 1995. Singh was a Sikh, and a member of the Congress Party....
was killed by a suicide bomber.
Babbar Khalsa claimed responsibility for the assassination, but "security authorities" were reported to be doubtful of the truth of that claim.
A 2006 press release by the Embassy of the United States in New Delhi indicated that the responsible organization was the Khalistan Commando Force
Khalistan Commando Force
The Khalistan Commando Force or KCF is a private paramilitary organization operating in the Indian state of Punjab. According to the US State Department, and the Assistant Inspector General of the Punjab Police Intelligence Division, the KCF was responsible for the deaths of thousands in India,...
.
On 18 November 1998, Journalist Tara Singh Hayer
Tara Singh Hayer
Tara Singh Hayer, OBC was a Sikh Canadian newspaper publisher who was murdered.Hayer was born in Paddi Jagir, a small village in Punjab, India...
, was gunned down. The publisher of the "Indo-Canadian Times," a Canadian Sikh and once-vocal advocate of the armed struggle for Khalistan
Khalistan
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
, he had criticized the bombing of Air India flight 182, and was to testify about a conversation he overheard concerning the bombing. Because of his murder, his 15 October 1998, statement to police was not admissible at the trial of Ajaib Singh Bagri.
Although extremist violence had continued throughout the decade, the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
found that Sikh extremism had decreased significantly from 1992 to 1997, although the 1997 report noted that "Sikh militant cells are active internationally and extremists gather funds from overseas Sikh communities."
2000s
In 2004, violence erupted at a protest against a play, "BehztiBehzti
Behzti is a play written by the British Sikh playwright Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti. The play sparked a controversy in the United Kingdom in December 2004. A controversial scene set in a Gurdwara included scenes of rape, physical abuse and murder. Some members of the Sikh community found the play deeply...
" (Dishonour), that was to have been performed at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Birmingham Repertory Theatre is a theatre and theatre company based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England...
.
The protest organizer, Sewa Singh Mandla, chairman of the Birmingham council of Sikh Gurdwaras, blamed the violence on extremist members of The Sikh Federation.
Amrik Singh Gill, chairman of the Federation, said his members had taken part in the opposition to the play from the start, and denied that its members played any part in the violence.
Another member of the Sikh Federation, Kulwinder Singh Johal, expressed happiness that the play had been canceled, confirmed that Sikh Federation members had taken part in the protest against the play, and denied that there had been any violence on the part of the protesters.
The Sunday Herald reported that when it appeared the play might be presented despite the protest, death threats increased, and the playwright went into hiding.
The play was canceled.
In 2006, a Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, jury convicted Khalid Awan of providing money and financial services to the Khalistan Commando Force, a terrorist organization responsible for thousands of deaths in India since its founding in 1986.
The investigation began in 2003, when Awan, jailed at the time for credit card fraud, bragged of his relationship with Paramjeet Singh Panjwar, leader of the KCF.
The Indian Express
The Indian Express
The Indian Express is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. It is published in Mumbai by Indian Express Group. After Ramnath Goenka's death in 1991, the group was split in 1999 among his family members into two with the southern editions taking the name The New Indian Express, while the old...
reported in its online edition on 19 June 2006 that "Police claimed" that the KZF was behind bomb blasts in Jalandhar, India, at the Inter-State Bus Terminus that left three people killed and injured 12. A police spokesman said the attack was planned by a pair of KZF leaders, one based in Pakistan and one in Canada, and executed by a "local criminal".
Terry Milewski
Terry Milewski
Terry Milewski is a Canadian journalist, who is currently the senior political correspondent for CBC News. Prior to his current post, he was based in Vancouver. Milewski has come under fire from major political actors at times during his career for his reporting.Milewski has reported in...
reported in a 2006 documentary for the CBC that a minority within Canada's Sikh community was gaining political influence even while publicly supporting terrorist acts in the struggle for an independent Sikh state.
In response, the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO), a Canadian Sikh human rights group that opposes violence and extremism, sued the CBC for "defamation, slander and libel", alleging that Milewski linked it to terrorism and damaged the reputation of the WSO within the Sikh community.
Canadian journalist Kim Bolan
Kim Bolan
Kim Bolan has been a reporter at The Vancouver Sun since her journalism career began in 1984.Bolan has reported on minority, women’s, education, and social services issues; wars in El Salvador, Guatemala and Afghanistan; Sikh extremism, and the bombing and trials related to Air India Flight 182.CBC...
has written extensively on Sikh extremism. Speaking at the Fraser Institute
Fraser Institute
The Fraser Institute is a Canadian think tank. It has been described as politically conservative and right-wing libertarian and espouses free market principles...
in 2007, she reported that she still received death threats over her coverage of the 1985 Air India bombing.
In February 2008, BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
reported that the Chief of the Punjab Police, NPS Aulakh, alleged that militant groups were receiving money from the British Sikh community.
The same report included statements that although the Sikh militant groups were poorly equipped and staffed, intelligence reports and interrogations indicated that Babbar Khalsa was sending its recruits to the same terrorist training camp
Terrorist training camp
A terrorist training camp is a training camp whose purpose is to teach students methods of terrorism. Terrorists train there to launch attacks, ranging from suicide bombing practice to field combat. They are often located in regions for the aims of those conducting the training, or in traditional...
s in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
used by Al Qaeda.
A June 2008 article by Vicky Nanjappa, writing for Rediff.com, stated that a report by India's Intelligence Bureau
Intelligence Bureau
Intelligence Bureau was the main internal intelligence agency of British India. It can also refer to:* Intelligence Bureau , the domestic intelligence organization of India...
indicated that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence
Inter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
organization was "desperately trying to revive Sikh" militant activity in India.
In 2008, a CBC report stated that "a disturbing brand of extremist politics has surfaced" at some of the Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi
Vaisakhi is an ancient harvest festival celebrated across North Indian states, especially Punjab by all Punjabis regardless of religion. In Sikhism the Khalsa was founded on same day as the Vaisakhi festival, so Sikhs celebrate twice as much....
parades in Canada, and The Trumpet agreed with the CBC assessment.
Two leading Canadian Sikh politicians refused to attend the parade in Surrey
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
, saying it was a glorification of terrorism.
In 2008, Dr. Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
, Prime Minister of India, expressed his concern that there might be a resurgence of Sikh extremism.
On 24 September 2009, Centralchronical.com carried a report attributed to United News of India
United News of India
United News of India is one of the two primary Indian news agencies. It works in collaboration with several foreign news agencies and partners, including Reuters and DPA....
that police arrested two Babbar Khalsa "militants" earlier in the day. The article described the arrests as a "major breakthrough in the assassination case of Rulda Singh, president of the Punjab Rashtriya Sikh Sangat who was shot at and seriously injured by two unidentified persons at his residence near New Grain market on 29 July."
Pre-1947
Sikh involvement in militant organisations have existed Pre-1947 (before Indian Independence), and after 1947. The goal of some pre-1947 organisations being to gain Indian Independence from the BritishGhadar PartyGhadar PartyThe Ghadar Party was an organization founded by Punjabi Indians, in the United States and Canada with the aim to liberate India from British rule...
A militant extremist organisation set up overseas to drive the British out of India. Its members were mostly from the Sikh community and were dubbed "Sikh extremists". by the British authorities at that time.Babbar Akali movement
The Babbar Akali movement, which emerged in the wake of the Akali Movement, and was an underground terrorist movement established in the Jalandhar Doab in 1921. Members fought pitched battles with police and committed acts of violence. Many were killed in police encounters but out of the 67 taken alive "5 were sentenced to death, 11 to transportation for life and 38 to various terms of imprisonment".First Indian National ArmyFirst Indian National ArmyThe First Indian National Army is the term often used to denote the Indian National Army as it existed between February and December 1942...
Existing between February and December 1942, the First Indian National ArmyFirst Indian National Army
The First Indian National Army is the term often used to denote the Indian National Army as it existed between February and December 1942...
was formed by Mohan Singh Deb
Mohan Singh Deb
Mohan Singh was an Indian Military officer and member of the Indian Independence Movement most famous for his role in organising and leading the First Indian National Army in South East Asia during World War II...
(who was described as an extremist) to free India from British rule, and fought in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, with support from Japan, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Post-1947
A 2007 AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n research report cited difficulties in researching both violent and non-violent activities of the various (perhaps 22, in 1987) Sikh separatist groups. Names of groups are used interchangeably in reports, intentionally or through error. Bias and sensationalism in government and media reports reduce their reliability. The illegal nature of the organizations also presents challenges.
Institute for Conflict Management, on its South Asia Terrorism Portal, alleged that Pakistan's ISI was making "serious attempts" to reinvigorate terrorism in India, and that "terror groups" were working together to accomplish that goal.
Babbar Khalsa
Babbar KhalsaBabbar Khalsa
Babbar Khalsa , also known as Babbar Khalsa International , is a Sikh armed organisation based in India. Many consider the Babbar Khalsa a Resistance movement, and it played a prominent role in the Punjab insurgency. Babbar Khalsa International was created in 1978, after a number of Sikhs were...
has been listed as a terrorist organization in the
European Union,
Canada,
India,
UK,
and the United States.
A Canadian Sikh, Ajaib Singh Bagri, co-founder of Babbar Khalsa, said in a 1984 speech, after Hindu Mobs had murdered thousands of Sikhs in Delhi that "Until we kill 50,000 Hindus, we will not rest."
The United States has designated the Babbar Khalsa responsible for the bombing of Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montreal–London–Delhi route. On 23 June 1985, the airplane operating on the route a Boeing 747-237B named after Emperor Kanishka was blown up by a bomb at an altitude of , and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while in Irish airspace.A...
on 27 June 2002.
According to Terry Milewski
Terry Milewski
Terry Milewski is a Canadian journalist, who is currently the senior political correspondent for CBC News. Prior to his current post, he was based in Vancouver. Milewski has come under fire from major political actors at times during his career for his reporting.Milewski has reported in...
, CBC News, Canadian courts have further established that Talwinder Singh Parmar
Talwinder Singh Parmar
Talwinder Singh Parmar , born in village Panshta , district Kapurthala, Punjab, India, was a highranking member of the Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa. He belonged to the Sikh Rajput community....
, a founder of Babbar Khalsa
Babbar Khalsa
Babbar Khalsa , also known as Babbar Khalsa International , is a Sikh armed organisation based in India. Many consider the Babbar Khalsa a Resistance movement, and it played a prominent role in the Punjab insurgency. Babbar Khalsa International was created in 1978, after a number of Sikhs were...
, was the mastermind of the Air India bombings.
Milewski further reported that some parade floats portray Parmar as a "shaheed" (martyr).
Babbar Khalsa was listed in 1995 one of the 4 "major militant groups" in the Khalistan movement.
Bhindranwale Tigers Force of Khalistan
Also known variously as Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan and Bhindranwale Tiger Force, this group appears to have been formed in 1984 by Gurbachan Singh Manochahal. After the founder's death, the BTF (or BTFK) seems to have disbanded or integrated into other organizations.The BTF was listed in 1995 one of the 4 "major militant groups" in the Khalistan movement.
International Sikh Youth FederationInternational Sikh Youth FederationThe International Sikh Youth Federation is banned under British, Indian, Canadian and American terrorism legislations.- Bannings :In February 2001, the United Kingdom banned twenty-one groups, including the ISYF, under a new terrorism law....
Lord Bassam of Brighton, then Home OfficeHome Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
minister, stated that ISYF members working from the UK had committed "assassinations, bombings and kidnappings" and were a "threat to national security."
The ISYF is listed in the UK as a "Proscribed Terrorist Group".
It was also added to the US Treasury Department terrorism list on 27 June 2002.
There are allegations that the ISYF has long been supported by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence organization.
Andrew Gilligan
Andrew Gilligan
Andrew Paul Gilligan is a British journalist best known for a 2003 report on BBC Radio 4's The Today Programme in which he said a British government briefing paper on Iraq and weapons of mass destruction had been 'sexed up', a claim that ultimately led to a public inquiry that criticised Gilligan...
, reporting for The London Evening Standard, stated that the Sikh Federation (UK) is the "successor" of the ISYF, and that its executive committee, objectives, and senior members... are largely the same.
The Vancouver Sun reported in February 2008 that Dabinderjit Singh
Dabinderjit Singh
The Sikh Federation is a non-governmental organisation registered as a political party. Its most prominent spokesman is Dabinderjit Singh.-Formation and International Sikh Youth Federation links:...
was campaigning to have both the Babbar Khalsa and International Sikh Youth Federation de-listed as terrorist organizations.
It also stated of Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day
Stockwell Day
Stockwell Burt Day, Jr., PC, MP is a former Canadian politician, and a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. He is a former cabinet minister in Alberta, and a former leader of the Canadian Alliance. Day was MP for the riding of Okanagan—Coquihalla in British Columbia and the president of...
that "he has not been approached by anyone lobbying to delist the banned groups". Day is also quoted as saying "The decision to list organizations such as Babbar Khalsa, Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation as terrorist entities under the Criminal Code is intended to protect Canada and Canadians from terrorism"
Khalistan Commando ForceKhalistan Commando ForceThe Khalistan Commando Force or KCF is a private paramilitary organization operating in the Indian state of Punjab. According to the US State Department, and the Assistant Inspector General of the Punjab Police Intelligence Division, the KCF was responsible for the deaths of thousands in India,...
The KCF was formed in 1986.According to the US State Department, and the Assistant Inspector General of the Punjab Police Intelligence Division, the KCF was responsible for the deaths of thousands in India, including the 1995 assassination of Chief Minister Beant Singh
Beant Singh (chief minister)
Beant Singh was an Indian Chief Minister of Punjab from 1992 to 1995. Singh was a Sikh, and a member of the Congress Party....
.
The KCF was listed in 1995 one of the 4 "major militant groups" in the Khalistan movement.
Khalistan Liberation ForceKhalistan Liberation ForceThe Khalistan Liberation Force or KLF is a militant group, and is part of the Khalistan movement to create a Sikh homeland called Khalistan via armed struggle...
The KLF was formed in 1986, and was believed responsible for several bombings of civilian targets in India during the 1980s and 1990s, sometimes in conjunction with Islamist KashmirKashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
separatists.
The Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA) is reputed to have been a wing of, or possibly associated with, or possibly a breakaway group from, the KLF.
The KLF was listed in 1995 one of the 4 "major militant groups" in the Khalistan movement.
See also
- Ghadar PartyGhadar PartyThe Ghadar Party was an organization founded by Punjabi Indians, in the United States and Canada with the aim to liberate India from British rule...
- Indian Independence MovementIndian independence movementThe term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
- Bhindranwale
- Extremist GroupsExtremist GroupsExtremist Groups: An International Compilation of Terrorist Organizations, Violent Political Groups, and Issue-Oriented Militant Movements is a reference book compiling information on over 200 groups classified as extremist.Contributing editor Richard H...
- FanaticismFanaticismFanaticism is a belief or behavior involving uncritical zeal, particularly for an extreme religious or political cause or in some cases sports, or with an obsessive enthusiasm for a pastime or hobby...
- Human rights in Punjab, IndiaHuman rights in Punjab, India-Background:From 1984 to 1994, the state of Punjab in northern India was engaged in a power struggle between the militant secessionist Khalistan movement and Indian security forces...
- Religious terrorismReligious terrorismReligious terrorism is terrorism by those whose motivations and aims have a predominant religious character or influence.In the modern age, after the decline of ideas such as the divine right of kings and with the rise of nationalism, terrorism more often involved anarchism, nihilism and...
- Religious violenceReligious violenceReligious violence is a term that covers all phenomena where religion, in any of its forms, is either the subject or object of violent behaviour. Religious violence is, specifically, violence that is motivated by or in reaction to religious precepts, texts or doctrines...
- Terrorism in IndiaTerrorism in IndiaTerrorism in India is primarily attributable to religious communities and Naxalite radical movements.The regions with long term terrorist activities today are Jammu and Kashmir, Mumbai, Central India and the Seven Sister States...
- Christian terrorism
- Jewish religious terrorism
- Religious warReligious warA religious war; Latin: bellum sacrum; is a war caused by, or justified by, religious differences. It can involve one state with an established religion against another state with a different religion or a different sect within the same religion, or a religiously motivated group attempting to...
- Operation Blue StarOperation Blue StarOperation Blue Star ) 3– 6 June 1984 was an Indian military operation, ordered by Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, to remove Sikh separatists from the Golden Temple in Amritsar...
- KhalistanKhalistanKhalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
- 1991 Punjab killings1991 Punjab killingsThe 1991 Punjab killings was a massacre of train passengers that occurred on 15 June, 1991 in Ludhiana district, Punjab state, India. The Sikh militants killed at least 80 train passengers travelling in two trains near the city of Ludhiana in India. The militants attacked two trains about a...
- 1987 Punjab killings1987 Punjab killings1987 Punjab killings are killings of 34 Hindu bus passengers in Haryana state in India in July 1987 by the suspected Khalistan Commando Force militants....
- List of Victims of Terrorism in Indian Punjab