KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
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.
15-Aug-2019
Three anti-drug activists were attacked by drug peddler at Gurusar village in Muktsar District. The anti-drug committees of Gurusar and Ghagga villages today held a joint meeting to discuss the issue and rework their strategy. The members said they would not give in to the threats.
15-Aug-2019
A woman, identified as Kulbir Kaur was arrested for her linkage with a pro-Khalistan group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), from Delhi airport in New Delhi. According to Police, the arrestee had moved to Malaysia from Barnala city (Barnala District) in Punjab in 2008 and was one of the active members of the SFJ. Police said that, Kaur is accused of brainwashing some youths, who set fire to two liquor vends in Harpur Dhandoi and Panjgrayan villages in Gurudaspur District. Police was verifying whether she was also involved in funding of Referendum 2020 activists or not. However, Police official stated that during investigations it was revealed that the funding was made from someone in UK.
15-Aug-2019
According to report, since October 2018, at least 11 youths including six from Amritsar, two from Tarn Taran and one each from Delhi, Roorki (Uttarakhand) and Gurdaspur (Punjab) have been arrested for posting banners related to Referendum 2020.
14-Aug-2019
Drug smugglers opened fire at a Police party at Dadial village in Hoshiarpur District. The Police party was conducting a raid when the smugglers fired upon them. One smuggler was arrested while two others escaped. A pistol and 100 grams of intoxicant powder was recovered.
13-Aug-2019
One man was arrested along with one kilo gram of heroin worth INR one Million from Sirhind town in Fatehgarh Sahib District. He reportedly confessed that he brought drugs from Delhi and supplied in the various Districts of Punjab.
13-Aug-2019
Pakistani Science Minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted ‘’I appeal to all Punjabis in Indian army to refuse to be part of injustice and deny duty in Kashmir’’. In Reply Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh tweeted ‘’ Stop trying to interfere in India's internal matter. And let me tell you that the Indian Army is a disciplined and nationalist force, unlike your Army @fawadchaudhry. Your provocative statement will not work, nor will the Soldiers in our Army follow your divisive diktats”.
13-Aug-2019
A man was arrested for firing at the anti-drug campaign committee member at Kotli Ablu village in Muktasar District. A country made pistol and seven rounds of ammunition were recovered from the arrestee. Initial investigation has reportedly revealed that the arrestee was involved in drug peddling
12-Aug-2019
Radical Sikh organisation Dal Khalsa, United Akali Dal and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have decided to observe August 15 as Black Day. Kanwar Pal Singh of Dal Khalsa said that they will stage protests on Independence Day against the atrocities, political subjugation and denial of rights to Sikhs in the last seven decades. He also alleged that due to increased hostilities between Indo-Pakistan in the wake of government's abrogating article 370, the Kartarpur corridor is likely to become causality.
12-Aug-2019
Former MLA, Virsa Singh Valtoha had to face ire from the locals during his address on the death anniversary of Sukhdev Singh Babbar of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) at Dasuwal in Tarn Taran District in Punjab. Valtoha talked about his association with BKI. When he spoke on opening an old murder case of Patti-based surgeon Dr Sudarshan Trehan, who was shot on November 15, 1984, the organisers switched off the public address system and Valtoha was made to sit.
12-Aug-2019
Two female drug peddlers, Manjit Kaur alias Bitto and Amarjeet Kaur alias Kalo were arrested from Rajgarh village in Ludhiana District and Police seized 850-gram heroin worth over INR 1.5 crore and INR 5,00,000 drug money from their possession.
12-Aug-2019
Son of a Sarpanch (village head), Harwinder Singh was arrested with one kilo gram of opium outside Baghapurana in Moga District.
12-Aug-2019
A teenager who was abducted for ransom was allegedly murdered by drug addicts in Verka in Amritsar District of Punjab. The victim was identified as Prabhkeerat Singh. The perpetrators have been arrested by the Police.
12-Aug-2019
An individual identified as Jagdish Sharma died of an overdose of a synthetic drug at Ahata Badan Singh locality in Moga District.
11-Aug-2019
Government of India has put into motion the process to allow Sikhs, who figured on the now defunct “blacklist”, to visit India. The controversial list was done away in April 2019. GoI through embassies and high commissions abroad, written to the persons mentioned on the list that they can now travel to India. Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), a banned terrorist outfit, has welcomed the removal of the “blacklist” of Sikhs by the Indian Government. Some of its members have expressed the desire to visit India, but with a rider that they would be allowed to raise the demand for ‘Khalistan’.