KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
17-Jan-1986
United Akali Dal leader Mohkam Singh rejects the appeal of five -high priests to cooperate with SGPC in re-construction of the Akal Takht, and refuses to recognize the Jathedar of Akal Takht, Kirpal Singh.
10-Jan-1986
A “Rasta Roko Agitation” called by .the radical Sikh students’ group AISSF fails to evoke public response.
10-Jan-1986
The radical Sikh students’ group AISSF called for the “Rasta Roko Agitation”. However, it did not evoke any response from the public.
28-Dec-1985
Shaheed Samagam at Gurudwara Gurdarshan Prakash in Amritsar attended by United Akali Dal and AISSF workers. Mohkam Singh reads out a resolutions authorizing Thakur Singh to look after the affairs of Damdami Taksal.
20-Aug-1985
Akali Dal Leader Harchand Singh Longowal shot dead at a village gurudwara in Sherpur (Sangrur) in Jullundur district.
26-Jul-1985
Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Parkash Singh Badal and other Sikh leaders reject the Rajiv-Longowal accord for not including the rehabilitation of army deserters in the accord. The party withdraws its “Dharam Yudh Morcha”.
25-Jul-1985
The Punjab extremist groups --United Akali Dal and AISSF -- reject the Rajiv-Longowal Accord. At a meeting convened by United Akali Dal, Harchand Singh Longowal, Barnala and Balwant Singh accused of destroying the Akal Takht.
24-Jul-1985
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and Harchand Singh Longowal sign the Punjab Accord, in which the government accepts the demands of Akali Dal, which in turn agrees to end its agitation.
09-Jul-1985
Former Ludhiana Senior Superintendent of Police A.P Pandey escapes an assassination attempt. .
10-May-1985
A former Member of Parliament and Lok Dal leader, Chaudhary Balbir Singh shot dead by Khalistani extremists in Hoshiarpur.
05-May-1985
SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra declares that the Akal Takht would be re-constructed according to the Sikh tradition.
01-May-1985
Joginder Singh dissolves all the factions of Shiromani Akali Dal and forms a 9-member committee with Inderjit Singh Advocate as General Secretary and Simranjeet Singh Mann as convenor. Harchand Singh Longowal resigns as Akali Dal President, and rejects the announcement made by Joginder Singh. The district Jathedars, however, disapproved of the 9-member committee and also rejected Longowal’s resignation.
01-Apr-1985
Punjab Home Minister Buta Singh is ex-communicated from the Sikh panth due to his failure to appear before the Akal Takht.
05-Mar-1985
The Jathedar of Akal Takht asks Punjab Home Minister Buta Singh to appear before it and accept his punishment.
27-Feb-1985
The Akali Dal declares June 3 to June 6 would be observed as Black Days, and demands the ban on the radical group AISSF be lifted.
06-Feb-1985
At the residence of Capt. Amarinder Singh, many eminent Sikhs including retired army and civilian officers held a meeting in which they formed a “Sikh Forum”. The forum has been created to work for the welfare of the Sikhs with Capt. Amarinder and Lt. Gen. J S Arora as its convenors. Justice R S Narula, Manmohan Singh and Brig. Sukhjit Singh as the member of the Executive Committee. During the meeting, a 7-member committee was also formed to study the implications of Anandpur Resolution, River Water dispute, Chandigarh and other territorial issues, riots in Delhi and at other places, and Operation Blue Star.
30-Nov-1984
Gurcharan Singh Tohra re-elected as the President of SGPC along with PS Lalpura as the Vice President. Lalpura rules out talks with the government without the Anandpur Resolution, which seeks more autonomy for Punjab.
31-Oct-1984
India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi shot dead by two of her Sikh bodyguards, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh at the gates of her 1 Akbar Road residence in New Delhi. Anti-Sikh riots erupt across India, in which thousands of Sikhs are killed, while Sikhs in other states are forced to flee to Punjab.
29-Sep-1984
Indian Army withdraws from the Golden Temple and hands over the keys of the building to SGPC.
02-Sep-1984
World Sikh Convention held at Gurudwara Shaheddan in Amritsar The head priest of Akal Takht, Giani Kirpal Singh declares India’s President Giani Zail Singh as “Tankhiya” or guilty of religious misconduct and ex-communicates union sports minister Baba Buta Singh. The government must withdraw from the Golden Temple by September 30, 1984, he warns.
11-Aug-1984
Baba Santa Singh condemns the demand for Khalistan and ex-communicates GS Tohra from the Sikh Panth during a Sarbat Khalsa called by him
17-Jul-1984
Nihang leader and Jathedar Baba Santa Singhji Budahdal starts Kar Sewa of Akal Takht. The SGPC and the high priest of Akal Takht refuse to recognize the Kar Sewa and declare Baba Santa Singh as “Tankhiya” – or guilty of religious misconduct. The high priest also ex-communicates him from the Sikh Panth and directs the sangat not to take any part in Kar Sewa.
03-Jun-1984
The Indian Army storms the Golden Temple (the holiest shrine in Sikhism), in Amritsar using tanks and heavy artillery to flush out militants from the Akal Takht as part of Operation Bluestar. Several other Khalistani strongholds were also attacked across the state. The Akal Takht was extensively damaged during the three-day operation. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Amrik Singh, General Subeg Singh and many other extremists killed in the attack. Harchand Singh Longowal, GS Tohra, Manjit Singh, Harminder Singh Sandhu and others arrested from the Golden Temple. Prakash Singh Badal demands the withdrawal of the army from the Golden Temple. He also calls on Sikhs to observe June 17 as “Ardas Diwas” and to wear black turbans and dupattas and return medals or awards received from the government.
23-May-1984
Harchand Singh Longowal announces the decision to intensify the Dharam Yudh Morcha and to start the non-cooperation movement from June 3. He also asks people to obstruct the movement of food grains and not to pay land revenue.
12-May-1984
The Chief editor of the Hind Samachar group of papers, Ramesh Chandra, shot dead at a busy intersection of Jullundur.