KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 01-Feb-1981
Dal Khalsa organizes a joint-seminar with senior Sikh Sophisticates’ Forum in support of Khalistan at Panchayat Bhawan in Chandigarh.
India 20-Mar-1981
Dal Khalsa workers raise pro-Khalistan slogans during the 54th Sikh educational conference at Chandigarh.
India 20-Mar-1981
Around 85 Dal Khalsa volunteers take out a procession demanding the creation of Khalistan at Anandpur Sahib in Amritsar.
India 23-May-1981
SGPC President Gurcharan Singh Tohra demands holy status for Amritsar and the closure of all tobacco, cigarette and liquor shops in the city.
India 12-Jul-1981
The working committee of AISSF expresses resentment over anti-Sikh articles published in the Jalandhar based vernacular papers, especially one belonging to Lala Jagat Narain. Narain asked to apologize by August 22 or face dire consequences..
India 26-Jul-1981
During the World Sikh Convention in Amritsar, Gajinder Singh, a Panch of Dal Khalsa and his associates distribute pro-Khalistan literature.
India 15-Aug-1981
Around 20 Dal Khalsa volunteers hoist a “Nishan Kesari” flag at Sector 22-D Gurudwara and Manji Sahib in Amritsar, and subsequently in Ludhiana and Jalandhar, where they also raise pro-Khalistan slogans. .
India 27-Aug-1981
During the visitors’ gathering session at Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Dal Khalsa activists headed by Satnam Singh raise pro-Khalistan slogans.
India 09-Sep-1981
The chief editor of Hind Samachar, Lala Jagat Narain shot dead near Ladowal village in Ludhiana. A strong critic of the Khalistan movement, he had survived an earlier assassination attempt in January 1981.
India 13-Sep-1981
A team of Punjab Police sent to arrest Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale attacked and fired at by his followers at Chando Kalan in Haryana.
India 16-Sep-1981
Confrontation between police and Khalsa College students in Amritsar.
India 20-Sep-1981
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale arrested in Chowk Mehta in Amritsar. Seventeen Damdami Taksal supporters killed when they attack the police team. Several followers of Bhindranwale and Shiromani Akali Dal arrested for inciting communal violence at various places in the state.
India 20-Sep-1981
Minority communities attacked in Jalandhar and Tarn Taran.
Pakistan 29-Sep-1981
In retaliation against the arrest of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, five members of the Dal Khalsa led by Gajinder Singh and his associates Satnam Singh, Jasbir Singh, Karam Singh and Tejinder Singh hijack an Indian Airlines flight IC-423, which was carrying 117 passengers from New Delhi to Srinagar, and force it to land in Lahore. At India’s request, Pakistan special forces rescue the passengers and arrest the hijackers.
India 15-Oct-1981
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale is released from detention after India’s Home Minister, Giani Zail Singh tells Parliament that the courts lacked evidence against him.
India 18-Oct-1981
Akali Dal presents its 15 point demands.
India 09-Nov-1981
Three followers of Bhindranwale die while assembling bombs at Gurudwara Gurdarshan Prakash Mehta Chowk.
India 19-Nov-1981
Police Inspector Pritam Singh Bajwa, Head Constable Ujjagar Singh, and Constables Kesar and Surat Singh killed in an encounter in Daheru village in Ludhiana district. The police team was conducting a search operation to arrest Tarsem Singh Kalasinghian, who escaped with all the militants hiding in the house of Amarjit Singh Nihang..
India 22-Dec-1981
Jathedar Santokh Singh, leader of Akali Dal (Tara Singh) and President of Delhi Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee, shot dead by terrorists in a West Delhi colony..