KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
04-Jun-2019
Dal Khalsa and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar)’s annual ‘Sikh Genocide Remembrance’ march got support from Students for Society (SFS), a left leaning student body. This is the first time SFS has lent support to the march. Punjab University Student council president Kanupriya took part in the march and extended her support to the cause of Dal Khalsa, that raised demand of Khalistan during the march. “It is a time when fascism is in control of power and there is need to stand with minorities. SFS supports demand of self-determination of Dal Khalsa,” said Kanupriya. Activists led by Dal Khalsa youth leader Paramjit Singh Mand were carrying photographs of damaged Golden Temple and Akal Takht and those killed in the army action. Addressing the protest march, Dal Khalsa chief H S Dhami said: “The sentiments of sovereignty that were strengthened by the Army attack have not been buried with the passage of time and change in the political scenario.”
02-Jun-2019
Police recovered two hand grenades from a bag that was hurriedly dropped by two unidentified motorcycle borne youth at a naka (temporary check post) laid on Ajnala- Amritsar road in Amritsar District.
01-Jun-2019
Police arrested Nishan Singh, belonging to a Sikh radical organisation, in Amritsar District and recovered .32 bore revolver from his possession.
31-May-2019
As several Sikh bodies, including separatist outfits, have started preparations for observing the 35th Anniversary of the Operation Bluestar on June 6, authorities are taking all security measures to turn the holy city into a fortress. Besides, 5,000 police personnel from Amritsar and the neighboring districts of Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Pathankot were already deployed, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police have called six companies of paramilitary forces to maintain law and order in the city.
30-May-2019
Pro-Khalistan groups like the Dal Khalsa and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) led by Simranjit Singh Mann will hold ‘genocide remembrance marches’ across the city on the eve of the anniversary. The Dal Khalsa has also given a call for ‘Amritsar bandh’ on June 6 to mark the anniversary.
26-May-2019
Three of the Khalistan accused arrested earlier in separate incidents this year and in 2018 were charge sheeted by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a special court in Mumbai. Although police had arrested them, identified as Harpal Singh, Mohiuddin Siddiqui and Gurjeet Singh Nijjar at different time in different locations, they were being instructed by a single operative who was working at the behest of his masters in Canada, United Kingdom and Pakistan.
08-May-2019
Amritsar (rural) police arrested a serving soldier of Indian Army named as Malkiat Singh alias Fauji for allegedly spying for Pakistan and recovered sensitive documents from his possession in the area of Khasa cantonment, Amritsar. Police had recovered suspicious photographs, 3 mobile phones, training manual of Indian army, army’s movement details and other sensitive documents having secret information of military areas, etc.
04-May-2019
Police arrested two persons, Arvinder Singh and Jaspreet Singh, allegedly linked to the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and recovered 15 passports, a pistol, six live cartridges and Pakistani currency worth 15,000 from their possession in Nawanshahr District of Punjab.
27-Apr-2019
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh states that the appointment of a wanted Khalistani terrorist to spearhead the ‘Khalistan Referendum 2020’ campaign by ‘Sikhs For Justice’ (SFJ) has exposed the true motive and intent behind the separatist movement. He also urges the Government of India (GoI) and global community to join India in cracking down on this grave threat to its peace and security.
23-Apr-2019
A PhD student at the Central University Bathinda (Bathinda District) identified as Hilal Ahmed Mantoo was arrested for his involvement in Pulwama attack.
16-Apr-2019
India and Pakistan reported progress in the talks on construction of infrastructure facilities for Indian Sikh pilgrims looking to visit Kartarpur Pakistan. The meeting was held in Gurdaspur in Indian state of Punjab.The Pakistani committee included Khalistan supporter Gopal Singh Chawla, who is also associated with Hafiz Saeed, the chief of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). India has stated that it would continue the technical talks on infrastructure but not official level talks on the movement of pilgrims.
13-Apr-2019
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh criticized the Canadian Government’s decision to remove all references to Khalistani extremism in its 2018 report on terrorist threats to Canada. The CM stated that it was clearly aimed at protecting its political interests in a poll year on the pretext of pressure groups in the Sikh community.The Canadian government had removed eight references to Sikh extremism and six references to Khalistan from its terror report.
31-Mar-2019
Punjab Police stated that a militant cell (consisting Harvinder Singh, Sultan Singh, Karamjeet Singh, Lovepreet Singh, and Gurpreet Singh) was busted in an unspecified location in the state in which 32 bore pistol along with a magazine and four live rounds and 15 letter pads of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) were recovered from the arrestees. The accused were planning to kill Hindu leaders and members of Dera Sacha Sauda. They were planning to arrange weapons training in Jammu and Kashmir and were in touch with Khalistani militants including Jagtar Singh Hawara of BKI who is in jail, Ranjit Singh Pakhoke, active member of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), residing in Germany.
29-Mar-2019
Fake Indian currency notes (FICN) of face value Rs 6,500 was seized from two Indian nationals coming from Pakistan via Samjhauta Express were intercepted by the Customs officials at the Land Customs Station (LCS), Attari in Punjab.
28-Mar-2019
Jalandhar Police arrested a militant identified as Amrik Singh alias Manga reportedly belonging to Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) and Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) from Jalandhar District. He was wanted in twin blasts case at Jalandhar bus stand carried out by Satnam Singh alias Satta Lasuri on April 28, 2006 and May 24, 2006. Pakistan-based KZF leader Ranjeet Singh Neeta and USA-based Balwinder Singh Possi had masterminded the blasts along with Amrik Singh. Amrik had a close association with infamous terrorists Gurdeep Singh alias Deepa Heranwala of KCF.
19-Mar-2019
Indian and Pakistani experts travelled to the border crossing in Punjab for the proposed Kartarpur Corridor to discuss the coordinates for the “zero point” where Sikh pilgrims will cross over. The two sides will meet next on April 2 2019, to take forward plans to complete the corridor in time for the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak.
15-Mar-2019
Punjab Police’s state special operation cell arrested an electrician, identified as Ram Kumar, who was working for Military Engineering Service (MES) under the charge of passing on sensitive military information to a Pakistan-based intelligence operative.
14-Mar-2019
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh stated, in connection with Kartarpur Corridor, that India’s agenda may be religious but Pakistan’s is totally disruptive. He further stated, "While Pakistan Prime Minister talks of peace, their Army Chief continues to promote his evil designs". The plan was to complete the project by November 23, 2019, the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
14-Mar-2019
India did not raise the issue of Pakistan supporting the Khalistani movement during delegation-level talks to discuss the modalities of the Kartarpur Corridor. An official stated that ‘We did not want to give Pakistan an opportunity to deviate from discussing the modalities of the corridor, which is a priority for us. Indian security agencies had raised concerns about Pakistan using the corridor to push the Khalistani agenda of secessionist groups, including Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a U.S.-Canada based group who are planning to organise a convention on ‘Khalistan-Referendum 2020’ at the Kartarpur shrine.
05-Mar-2019
National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested an accused suspected, identified as Amir Nazir Mir, to be involved in 2018 Grenade attack on a Police station in Punjab from Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). On September 14, 2018, four grenades were hurled at the building of Maqsudan Police Station in Jalandhar, in which one police personnel was injured. Further, investigation has revealed that the attack was handiwork of Kashmir-based terror outfit Ansar Ghazawat-ul-Hind (AGH).
27-Feb-2019
Police was notified after public noticed pro-Khalistan slogans like ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ and “Referendum 2020” which were painted on the walls of Ridhi Sidhi Colony and on a mile stone in Alamgarh in Ferozpur District.
22-Feb-2019
National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge-sheet against eight people allegedly owing allegiance to the banned Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF), in a case of attempt to murder Shiv Sena leader Amit Arora on February 3, 2016 in Ludhiana. Those charge sheeted include Hardeep Singh alias Shera, Ramandeep Singh alias Canadian, Dharminder Singh alias Guguni, Anil Kumar alias Kala, Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi, Harmeet Singh alias Happy (suspected to be in Pakistan), Gurjinder Singh alias Shastri (suspected to be in Italy) and Gursharanbir Singh alias Pehalwan (suspected to be in UK)
14-Feb-2019
A protest march was taken out at Jalandhar against life imprisonment awarded by the Nawanshahr District Court to three Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) activists for procession of pro-Khalistan literature.
14-Feb-2019
Security has been stepped up for the Additional Sessions Judge Randhir Verma who had sentenced the three BKI activists. Superintendent of Police (SP) Harish Dayama stated that ‘In view of protests in Nawanshahr and around, we have provided more security to the judge’.
12-Feb-2019
Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir states in Lok Sabha that Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) were involved in the November 2018 attack in Amritsar.He also informed that the two people were arrested in connection with the incident and three people residing abroad have been accused in the attack.