KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
04-Sep-2019
Two persons, identified as Harpreet Singh (20) and Vikram Singh (28) were killed and another one, Gurjant Singh (27) injured in a low-intensity blast in an agricultural field near Kaler village in Tarn Taran in Tarn Taran District. Harpreet was a part-time carpenter, Vikram a mason, while Gurjant rears cattle to make a living. Punjab Police suspects that blast could have links with terror organisations. It is suspected that the two deceased and the person injured in the blast might have been assembling a crude bomb at the site. The police were conducting raids and questioning suspects to probe links of those killed in the blast with radical organisations.
04-Sep-2019
India snubbed Pakistan delegation when they tried to ‘indirectly’ raise issues relating to J&K when the two sides met for the third round of talks on the Kartarpur corridor, as they were bluntly told to ‘stick to the agenda’. The Indian side led by SCL Das, Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, was quick to “rebuff”, as he “snubbed” the Pakistan officials by saying “don’t talk about concerns other than Kartarpur corridor, as we have greater concerns (cross-border terrorism) than you. Better we stick to the agenda rather than delve on other issue”, said a source.
04-Sep-2019
The agreement on the Kartarpur Corridor project, which will open the famed pilgrimage centre to Indians, could not be signed after Pakistan declared that it would charge fees from the visitors. According to the sources, Pakistan has insisted on charging a service fee for allowing pilgrims to visit Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib, which is not agreeable in the spirit of smooth and easy access through the corridor.”
03-Sep-2019
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and raised the issue of forceful conversion and marriage of a Sikh girl, Jagjit Kaur in Pakistan and said the neighbouring country should protect the rights of the minorities.
03-Sep-2019
According to reports, the Khalistani separatist elements are trying to radicalise Sikh youth in the Indian state of Punjab through sustained campaigns on social media run from countries like Canada, UK and Germany. Khalistani supporters have also organised rallies against India in connivance with the ISI in the UK.
02-Sep-2019
The Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) decided to approach the United Nations (UN) against forced conversions of minorities in Pakistan. SGPC chief Gobind Singh Longowal said that the Sikh body is planning to write to the UN regarding the issue.
02-Sep-2019
President of the radical group Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) Simranjit Singh Mann stated that the Pakistan Government and PM Khan should take special care of Sikh minorities living in the country. He revealed that a statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh was also vandalised in Lahore recently. Such incidents are not positive signs for the minority community in Pakistan, said Mann.
01-Sep-2019
Pakistan and India will hold the next high-level talks on the proposed Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims on September 4, which would take place on the Indian side of the Wagah Border - Attari Border - where the two countries are expected to finalise the draft agreement pertaining to the opening of the corridor.
01-Sep-2019
Activists of Bajrang Dal Hindustan set fire to the effigy of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Amritsar and called for solidarity between Hindu and Sikhs to protest against the continued lack of action by the Pakistani government on the abduction of the Sikh girl, who was forcibly converted and then married to a Muslim man.
01-Sep-2019
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is going to start various events for celebrating the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev at Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala District in Punjab from November 1.
30-Aug-2019
15 Officials from each India and Pakistan discussed the technical modalities of the Kartarpur corridor, the first meeting held at the Zero point, after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status leading to fresh tensions between the two countries. The meeting lasted for close to two hours during which various technical aspects pertaining to the corridor were discussed.
30-Aug-2019
According to reports, the Kartarpur Corridor will be opened in a ceremony on the eve of 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak on November 11. The officials of the two countries will review technical aspects of the bridge constructed on Ravi river. The consultations between technical experts of India and Pakistan will revolve around the "bridge" to be built by Pakistan.
30-Aug-2019
The Punjab Government is planning to convene a special one-day session of the State Legislative Assembly to make the 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak Dev a memorable event. The proposed session, likely to be held in September-October, would focus completely on the Sikhs’ first guru during which no legislative work or discussion on other matters would be conducted. For the special session, the Government is planning to invite the former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh as the special guest.
29-Aug-2019
Pakistan spy Harpal Singh Pala, a former IAF official's son who was arrested in Jalandhar on August 25, revealed during interrogation that it was Gopal Singh Chawla (Pro-Khalistan leader and former secretary of the PSGPC) who radicalised him and recruited him as an agent of the ISI's espionage network.
27-Aug-2019
Dal Khalsa alleged that the political divisions within police hierarchy and divisive politics played by Congress and Akali Dal are responsible for the miscarriage of justice in Bargari sacrilege case. Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwarpal Singh in a statement said, “Self-contradictory Statements by both the leaders in the last one month on this issue have put them in poor light”.
26-Aug-2019
Mohali Police arrested a Nigerian couple, identified as Makaogu John and Fahe Rechelle from Delhi for supplying drugs to peddlers in Punjab and Haryana. Police recovered 40gm heroin from their possession.
26-Aug-2019
A recent Punjab Government forensic lab report revealed that 78 out of 134 samples collected in the past 23 months have shown that most of the deaths were caused by drug overdose. Amritsar topped the list of drug overdose deaths reported in the past 24 months.
26-Aug-2019
Congress Party in Punjab slammed BJP MP Subramaniam Swamy for raising apprehensions on the security of the Kartarpur corridor and claimed that there is no threat as Punjabis will act as the first line of defence.
25-Aug-2019
Several Congress leaders in Punjab, including two State Cabinet Ministers, on August 25 hit out at BJP MP Subramanian Swamy for his remarks that the work on the Kartarpur corridor should be stopped in the interest of the nation. The senior Congress leaders, including eight party MLAs, castigated Mr. Swamy and said his comments on the Kartarpur corridor had hurt sentiments of the Sikhs.
25-Aug-2019
The Punjab State Government is set to make the celebrations of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak a global affair. It is in talks to hold an event on Guru’s life and teachings in New York’s Times Square. Apart from inviting world-renowned dignitaries and prominent Sikh faces, who have valuable contribution to their respective fields, a laser show on the life of the founder of Sikhism will be held. A Sikh organisation having rights to hold events at Times Square is learnt to have approached the government.Since holding the event at the international venue requires various permissions and huge funds, the government would be looking for sponsors for the event planned in October. Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and senior ministers are expected to be part of the event. Apart from New York, events have been planned in other cities of the US, UK, Canada, Italy, Germany and Australia.
25-Aug-2019
Police arrested two persons, identified as Vikram Singh (55) and Vikas Kumar (40) and recovered 2.5 kilograms of opium from their possession on Sua Road at Jhande village in the Ludhiana District of Punjab. Police claimed that the suspects were going to supply the opium to their customers.They brought the opium from other states and supplied it to their clients in Punjab and Haryana.
25-Aug-2019
Police arrested a man, identified as Harpal Singh Pala from near Kartarpur in Jalandhar District of Punjab for allegedly providing secret information about Indian Air Force (IAF) and Army installations to Pakistan-based pro-Khalistan leader Gopal Singh Chawla. He was also allegedly in contact with Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) chief Ranjit Singh Neeta and Kulwant Singh Mathada, who is promoting the ‘Referendum 2020’. Police recovered seven mobile handsets from him.
24-Aug-2019
An official spokesperson stated that the tribunal set up by the Government of India to adjudicate ban on SFJ issued a show-cause notice to the pro-Khalistan group. He said that a notice has been issued to SFJ as to why the association declared unlawful, be not adjudicated to be so and why the order confirming the declaration be not made. The association has been given 30 days to respond from the date of service of the notice. The objections, reply or affidavits may be filed before the next date of hearing.
24-Aug-2019
BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said the work on the Kartarpur corridor should be stopped in the interest of the nation and there should be no talks with Pakistan on any issue. He also said that Sikhs were nationalists and they would understand it.
23-Aug-2019
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested seven foreigners for allegedly running a clandestine cross-border heroin smuggling racket and seized narcotics tablets worth over INR 1 lakh in a separate case in Punjab.Officials said the drug seizure was affected by NCB officials of Chandigarh zone as the roots of the case are in Punjab.The drug is heavily trafficked to Bangladesh and Indian agencies are on their guard to check its transport across the border.