KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
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.
23-Aug-2019
To send a message of universal brotherhood on the occasion of 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Punjab Government will invite religious heads of different faiths, including Pope Francis, the Dalai Lama, Puri Shankaracharya for the anniversary celebrations at Dera Baba Nanak in November. To represent the Muslim community, discussions are underway to invite a religious leader from Mecca, along with Shahi Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid. It is learnt that the Dalai Lama has already confirmed his presence at the function. The Government has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for flagging off a Jatha to Pakistan on November 8 and President Ram Nath Kovind for the November 12 function to be organised at Sultanpur Lodhi, where the government is preparing for a massive function by setting up a tent city. The religious gurus would be invited for Dera Baba Nanak, where the event would go on for four days.
21-Aug-2019
Calling it a state-sponsored massacre of Sikhs, the pro-freedom Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa has said that the November 1984 killings started after Rajiv Gandhi was sworn-in as Prime Minister of India on October 31st along with four cabinet colleagues at 6.45 pm.
21-Aug-2019
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) has decided to hold fortnightly meetings to review the progress of the construction work of Kartarpur corridor so as to complete the project by October 31 deadline. UMHA additional secretary Gobind Mohan on August 21 visited Kartarpur corridor site at Dera Baba Nanak to review the construction work. The first jatha (group) is likely to cross the border through the corridor on November 8 to celebrate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev. "He has directed to hold fortnightly meetings to review the progress of construction work," said sources.
20-Aug-2019
The Punjab and Haryana High Court put Punjab Government on notice on a plea seeking release of 8-year-old son of Malaysian woman arrested by Punjab Police for funding terror activities. The woman, Kulbir Kuar was arrested from Delhi airport on August 15 for her linkage with a pro-Khalistan group SFJ. The court was told that Diljot Singh is son of Kulbir Kaur, who was deported to India from Malaysia and was arrested at the Delhi airport. The police sent the child to a shelter home in Gurdaspur. The state’s response has been sought by August 27.
19-Aug-2019
The Fatehgarh Sahib District Police in Punjab arrested an African national, identified as Splair Sunde alias Emeka Ekechifor supplying drugs from Vipan Garden near Uttam Nagar in New Delhi. SSP Amneet Kondal said the anti-narcotic cell of the district police had recently recovered 1-kilogram heroin from one Jaswinder Singh alias Toni of Mandi Gobindgarh during a special checking. During the interrogation, Jaswinder Singh revealed the name of Nigerian citizen Splair Sunde who was supplying heroin and cocaine to him. Based on this information, the special team was sent to nab Ekechi to Delhi where he was arrested along with the narcotic.
18-Aug-2019
According to official figures, an average of three drug overdose deaths occurred in a month in Punjab between April 2017 and July 9, 2019. The number can, however, be much higher as viscera samples are sent to the laboratory for examination only when a police case is registered. The state government’s forensic laboratory received viscera samples of 134 people suspected to have died of drug overdose during the period. Experts found traces of drugs in 78 cases while in 14 samples pesticide was found. Morphine, an opiate pain reliever, is the most commonly used intoxicant in Punjab and accounts for over 88 % of overdose deaths reported in last 23 months. As heroin is a derivative of morphine, the presence of the drug indicates that the individuals were either consuming heroin or taking morphine directly. Maximum overdose deaths were reported in Amritsar (15), followed by Hoshiarpur (11). Ludhiana recorded 8 deaths, Ferozepur and Jalandhar had five deaths each and Bathinda and Gurdaspur accounted four each.
18-Aug-2019
A woman was arrested with 4,000 habit-forming tablets and five grams of Heroin from Ubhawal road Sangrur District.
17-Aug-2019
ABVP members of Punjab University alleged that former president of Punjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) Kanupriya boycotted Independence Day celebrations and protested for a referendum in favour of a separate Punjab.They alleged that she has disrespected the country’s independence by tagging Independence Day as a “black day”.
15-Aug-2019
Violent protest took place outside Indian High Commission in London when protesters carrying ‘Khalistani’ and Kashmiri flags tried to push across the Police line and threw objects targeting Indian Diaspora. The Indian Diaspora was celebrating the Independence Day on August 15. The violent protesters had arrived in London from Birmingham and Nottingham.
15-Aug-2019
BSF arrested an Indian smuggler Harjinder Singh alias Jinder from Mohammadi Wala border outpost in Ferozepur District. A magazine, 31 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the arrestee. Moreover, 16 kilo grams of heroin was recovered from the arrestee. He was arrested by BSF while he was coming back from the Pakistani side by swimming across the Sutlej river.
15-Aug-2019
Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Chandigarh unit had seized 2.7 kilo gram opium and 6.14 kilo gram Heroin from Ludhiana, Amritsar and Ferozepur in Punjab in two weeks preceding Independence Day (August 15). NCB Director General (DG) Rakesh Asthana stated that they plan to focus n cross border cartels bringing drugs from Afghanistan. Bureau also plan a crackdown on Delhi-Punjab drug network operated by Af-Pak based cartels.