KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
01-Jun-2021
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) asked to expedite the work on the martyrs’ gallery, dedicated to those killed during Operation Bluestar, on the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar. The ‘karsewa’ for the gallery being set up in the basement of Gurdwara Shaheedan in the Operation Bluestar memorial, was entrusted to Damdami Taksal, once headed by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The ceremony was officially launched in 2017 in the presence of the then SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh and Damdami Taksal head Harnam Singh Khalsa. But the project that was aimed to be completed within a year lingered on. SGPC chief secretary Harjinder Singh Dhami said the work got affected due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. In the backdrop, the idea was to have portraits of ‘militants’ and pilgrims, who lost lives during the Army ‘assault’ in June 1984. Banking on the compensation of Rs10,000 awarded to the kin of Sikh activists in 1984, the SGPC has in its possession a list of 743 persons. On the other hand, a survey was conducted by Dal Khalsa which was compiled in a directory titled ‘Martyrs of June 1984 holocaust’ in 2006. It carried a brief about the militants and was updated twice in 2007 and 2012. The Damdami Taksal, in collaboration with the SGPC, Dal Khalsa and a US-based organisation, has prepared two lists comprising 890 persons.
01-Jun-2021
Akal Takht announced a documentary on the Army’s Operation Bluestar in its thirty-seven years anniversary. For the purpose, officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh has asked eyewitnesses and others to submit their experiences in a video format so that these could be compiled to recreate what happened inside the Golden Temple complex between June 1 and 10 in 1984. The idea is to have an authentic and credible account with the help of eyewitness’ interviews and interrogation reports of the Army. The Jathedar met an eyewitness, Harwinder Singh Khalsa, a ‘Panth Sewak’ awardee, to know about his experience.
31-May-2021
According to sources, the Damdami Taksal, which is working on a ‘memorial gallery’ on the premises of the Golden Temple in Amritsar to honour those who perished during Operation Blue Star, has managed to collect information of around 900 people, most of whom are militants, with hardly any data on devotees who were killed at the time. Despite the long history of politics over the issue, no Sikh body has accurate data on those killed during the operation. The spokesperson of the Damdami Taksal, Sarchand Singh said, “We have around 900 names so far. Around 80 per cent of these are Sikh fighters. We have managed to collect around 600 pictures of those killed inside Golden Temple. These pictures will be displayed in the gallery.” Asked how many devotees were killed during the operation, he put the approximate number at 3,000. A gurdwara called ‘Operation Blue Star Memorial’, was constructed in the Golden Temple premises in 2013 and the new gallery will come up in the basement of this memorial.
31-May-2021
The Dal Khalsa, in remembrance of Sikhs and pilgrims who were killed during Operation Bluestar, has decided to organise ‘Ghallughara Yadgari Samagam’ in four districts of the state from June 3 to 6. The events will be held at Moga and Mullanpur (Ludhiana) on June 3, Bhatinda on June 4 and Amritsar on June 5. The organisation called upon masses to gather at Akal Takht on June 6.
31-May-2021
Sikh and Hindu refugees living in Ludhiana have hailed the Union government’s move to invite applications from immigrants belonging to minority communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh for Indian citizenship.
30-May-2021
Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh flayed the Punjab government for not providing vaccine to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for organising free vaccination camps at Gurudwaras.
28-May-2021
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) demanded from the Pakistan government the safety and security of Sikhs living there. SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur raised the demand raising concern over reports of threats to members of the Sikh community in Pakistan.
28-May-2021
The Central government invited non-Muslims like Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists belonging to Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab to apply for Indian citizenship. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification in this effect for immediate implementation of the order under the Citizenship Act 1955 and Rules framed under the law in 2009 even though the rules under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) enacted in 2019 are yet to be framed by the government.
26-May-2021
Moga Police booked three operatives of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) for killing gangster Sukha Lamme in June 2020. The accused were identified as Arshdeep Singh, Lovepreet Singh and Kamaljeet Singh of Dala village of Moga. Lovepreet and Kamaljeet were arrested on May 22 for their involvement in several heinous crimes in the past. Arshdeep, who is living abroad, is yet to be arrested.
25-May-2021
Police arrested a drug peddler of Delhi, identified as Pritpal Singh after it recovered 1kg of heroin from his possession at Doraha in Ludhiana district.
25-May-2021
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) decided to move ahead with its plans to make religious films but under the ambit of Sikh ‘rehat maryada’ as directed by Akal Takht.
24-May-2021
Anti-Narcotics staff arrested two persons, Mangal Singh Manga and Ganagdeep Singh Raja and recovered 2.6 kg of opium from their possession in Tarn Taran district.
24-May-2021
Police, in separate cases, arrested 10 persons and recovered more than 7,000 intoxicant tablets and drug money worth Rs 9 lakh besides 3-gram heroin in Ferozepur district.
24-May-2021
The National Investigation Agency (NIA)’s recent charge sheet revealed big details of narco-smuggling route between Pak-Gujarat-Punjab. The charge sheet was filed in connection with a narcotics case that arose out of Gujarat.
23-May-2021
Punjab Police’s Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) recovered 13.30 kg heroin, worth Rs 66 crore in the international market, during a joint operation with the BSF along the Pakistan border in Ferozepur district.
22-May-2021
Punjab Police arrested two operatives of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), identified as Lovepreet Singh alias Ravi and Ram Singh alias Sonu from the rear side of Senior Secondary School near railway crossing Mehna in Moga district on May 22. The duo allegedly involved in several heinous crimes in the last one year, including the murder of a sect follower and firing on a priest. They were acting on the directions of KTF’s Canada-based chief, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose name incidentally figured in the list of Khalistani operatives that was handed over by Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the latter’s visit to India in 2018. With their arrest, police also foiled a plan to kill another sect follower, who they were targeting to take revenge in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege cases. Three 0.32 bore pistols with 38 live cartridges and one 0.315 bore pistol with 10 live cartridges, along with two magazines, were also recovered from the suspects. The DGP Dinkar Gupta disclosed that “Besides, Nijjar, three of their other KTF’s co-conspirators, identified as Arshdip, Ramandip and Charanjit alias Rinku Bihla, are hiding out in Surrey (BC) Canada, while one, Kamaljeet Sharma alias Kamal, is still absconding.” He said while Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh and Ramandeep Singh alias Raman Judge went to Canada legally in 2019 and 2017 respectively, Charanjit Singh alias Rinku Bihla had gone there illegally in around 2013-14. The DGP also said investigations were in progress to unravel further links of the accused and trace other previous crimes in which they might have been involved.
20-May-2021
Police arrested three youths, identified as Varun Kumar, Mohit Sharma alias Pandit and Simranjeet Singh Randhawa and recovered 1.6kg charas from them in Model Town in Jalandhar district.
19-May-2021
Police arrested three persons, including a woman, for allegedly being involved in drug peddling, and recovered 1.6 grams heroin, 580 grams opium, 560 grams gold and Rs 49,48,700 cash from their possession near Tanda Chowk in Hoshiarpur district.
18-May-2021
A Tarn Taran court has rejected an anticipatory bail plea of a dismissed Punjab Police inspector, accused of letting off two drug smugglers arrested with 1kg of heroin in March. Baljit Singh, who was posted in the Civil Lines area of Tarn Taran, had allegedly released Malkit Singh alias Palta, and his brother-in-law Bau Singh after accepting ₹3.5 lakh as bribe on March 31.
17-May-2021
Delhi Police filed a 3000-page charge sheet against 16 persons including Punjabi actor and activist Deep Sidhu in connection with the violence took place at Red Fort on Republic Day. About 524 police persons and 11 farmers were injured in this violence.
17-May-2021
Police arrested two drug peddlers including a foreign woman on the charges of selling heroin from Shahkot in Jalandhar district. According to police, the accused have been identified as Elizabeth alias Liz a citizen of Kenya and presently living in New Delhi and Sammi Kapur son of Desraj a resident of Delhi. 505 grams heroin was recovered from their possession and the accused were travelling in a car.
16-May-2021
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered three packets of heroin weighing 2.5 kilograms and one pistol from Abohar in Fazilka district. According to BSF, an intelligence-based search operation was carried out by personnel of the second battalion leading to the recovery of the packets with a pistol, made in Turkey and one magazine.
16-May-2021
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta asked all police chiefs in districts to launch a crackdown on drug smugglers and suppliers in their areas. In a virtual meeting, the DGP asked police officers to also launch a combing operation to nab all those selling or smuggling drugs. He made it clear that under the zero-tolerance policy against drugs, every Commissioner of Police (CP) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) should not let the sale of drugs in their jurisdictions.
16-May-2021
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh said that the State Government will be renovating all those places visited by Sikh Gurus under “Charan Chhoh” project. He said nearly 103 such places in Punjab have been identified which are not only being preserved to keep the future generations in touch with their great heritage and the values that Sikh Gurus promoted.
15-May-2021
Car-borne drug smugglers shot dead two assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) and injured another in the new grain market in Jagraon in Ludhiana district. The accused also opened fire on a group of youths, who tried to record the incident on their phones, while fleeing the spot. The youngsters, however, escaped unhurt. Ludhiana Police said the assailants have been captured in the CCTVs installed in the area. An alert has been sounded and special teams have been formed to arrest the accused.