KHASLISTAN

MOVEMENT IN INDIA
Adv. Sourabh Shripad Ganpatye
• The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to
create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state,
called Khālistān ('Land of the Khalsa'), in the Punjab region. The
proposed state would consist of land that currently forms Punjab,
India and Punjab, Pakistan.
• Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, according to Jagjit
Singh Chohan, had proposed all out help to create Khalistan during
his talks with Chohan following the conclusion of the Indo-Pakistani
War of 1971.
• Harjot Singh Oberoi : despite the historical linkages between Sikhs
and Punjab, territory has never been a major element of Sikh self-
definition. He makes the case that the attachment of Punjab with
Sikhism is a recent phenomenon, stemming from the
1940s. Historically, Sikhism has been pan-Indian, with the Guru
Granth Sahib (the main scripture of Sikhism) drawing from works of
saints in both North and South India, while several major seats in
Sikhism (e.g. Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, Takht Sri Patna Sahib in Bihar,
and Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra) are located outside of Punjab.
• territorialization of the Sikh community would be formalized in March
1946, when the Sikh political party of Akali Dal passed a resolution
proclaiming the natural association of Punjab and the Sikh religious
community. Oberoi argues that despite having its beginnings in the
early 20th century, Khalistan as a separatist movement was never a
major issue until the late 1970s and 1980s when it began to militarize.
Emergence in India

• Established on 14 December 1920, Shiromani Akali Dal was a Sikh

political party that sought to form a government in Punjab.
• Following the 1947 independence of India, the Punjabi Suba
movement, led by the Akali Dal, sought the creation of a province
(suba) for Punjabi people. The Akali Dal's maximal position of
demands was a sovereign state (i.e. Khalistan), while its minimal
position was to have an autonomous state within India. The issues
raised during the Punjabi Suba movement were later used as a
premise for the creation of a separate Sikh country by proponents of
Khalistan.
Emergence in India
• As the religious-based partition of India led to much bloodshed, the
Indian government initially rejected the demand, concerned that
creating a Punjabi-majority state would effectively mean yet again
creating a state based on religious grounds.
• However, in September 1966, the Union Government led by Indira
Gandhi accepted the demand. On 7 September 1966, the Punjab
Reorganisation Act was passed in Parliament, implemented with effect
beginning 1 November 1966. Accordingly, Punjab was divided into the
state of Punjab and Haryana, with certain areas to Himachal
Pradesh. Chandigarh was made a centrally administered Union territory
Anandpur Sahib Resolution
• As Punjab and Haryana now shared the capital of Chandigarh, resentment was felt
among Sikhs in Punjab. Adding further grievance, a canal system was put in place over
the rivers of Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej, which flowed through Punjab, in order for water to
also reach Haryana and Rajasthan. As result, Punjab would only receive 23% of the
water while the rest would go to the two other states. The fact that the issue would
not be revisited brought on additional turmoil to Sikh resentment against Congress.
• The Akali Dal was defeated in the 1972 Punjab elections. To regain public appeal, the
party put forward the Anandpur Sahib Resolution in 1973 to demand radical
devolution of power and further autonomy to Punjab. The resolution document
included both religious and political issues, asking for the recognition of Sikhism as a
religion separate from Hinduism, as well as the transfer of Chandigarh and certain
other areas to Punjab. It also demanded that power be radically devoluted from the
Central to state governments.
Anandpur Sahib Resolution
• In 1973, the Akali Dal adopted a resolution containing both political
and religious demands in a meeting held at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab.
• The resolution, generally known as Anandpur Sahib Resolution,
demanded that the Centre’s jurisdiction should be restricted only to
defence, foreign affairs, communications, and currency and the entire
residuary powers should be vested in the states.
• It stated that the Constitution should be made federal in the real
sense and should ensure equal authority and representation to all the
states at the Centre.
Anandpur Sahib Resolution
• The document was largely forgotten for some time after its adoption
until gaining attention in the following decade. In 1982, the Akali Dal
and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale joined hands to launch the Dharam
Yudh Morcha in order to implement the resolution. Thousands of
people joined the movement, feeling that it represented a real
solution to such demands as larger shares of water for irrigation and
the return of Chandigarh to Punjab
Chohan in Pakistan and US
• Following the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Chohan visited Pakistan as a guest of
such leaders as Chaudhuri Zahoor Elahi. Visiting Nankana Sahib and several
historical gurdwaras in Pakistan, Chohan utilized the opportunity to spread the
notion of an independent Sikh state. Widely publicized by Pakistani press, the
extensive coverage of his remarks introduced the international community,
including those in India, to the demand of Khalistan for the first time. Though
lacking public support, the term Khalistan became more and more
recognizable. According to Chohan, during a talk with Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto of Pakistan, Bhutto had proposed to make Nankana Sahib the capital of
Khalistan.
• On 13 October 1971, visiting the United States at the invitation of his
supporters in the Sikh diaspora, Chohan placed an advertisement in the New
York Times proclaiming an independent Sikh state. Such promotion enabled him
to collect millions of dollars from the diaspora, eventually leading to charges in
India relating to sedition and other crimes in connection with his separatist
activities.
Khalistan National Council

• Chohan travelled to Britain in 1979. There, he would establish

the Khalistan National Council, declaring its formation at Anandpur
Sahib on 12 April 1980. Chohan designated himself as President of the
Council and Balbir Singh Sandhu as its Secretary General.
• In May 1980, Chohan travelled to London to announce the formation of
Khalistan. A similar announcement was made in Amritsar by Sandhu, who
released stamps and currency of Khalistan. Operating from a building
termed "Khalistan House", Chohan named a Cabinet and declared himself
president of the "Republic of Khalistan," issuing symbolic Khalistan
'passports,' 'postage stamps,' and 'Khalistan dollars.' Moreover, embassies
in Britain and other European countries were opened by Chohan
Delhi Asian Games (1982)
• The Akali leaders, having planned to announce a victory for Dharam
Yudh Morcha, were outraged by the changes to the agreed-upon
settlement. In November 1982, Akali leader Harchand Singh
Longowal announced that the party would disrupt the 9th Asian
Games by sending groups of Akali workers to Delhi to intentionally get
arrested. Following negotiations between the Akali Dal and the
government failed at the last moment due to disagreements
regarding the transfer of areas between Punjab and Haryana.
• Following the conclusion of the Games, Longowal organised a
convention of Sikh veterans at the Darbar Sahib. It was attended by a
large number of Sikh ex-servicemen, including retd. Major
General Shabeg Singh who subsequently became Bhindranwale's
military advisor
• Armed Khalistani militants of this period described themselves
as kharku, most likely meaning 'noise maker,' from the
Punjabi kharaka ('noise') in reference to their strident activity. In the
period between 4 August 1982 and 3 June 1984, more than 1200
violent incidents took place, resulting in the death of 410 people and
the injury of 1180.
Operation Blue Star
• In July 1983, Akali Dal President Harchand Singh Longowal had invited
Bhindranwale to take up residence at the sacred temple complex,
which the government would allege that Bhindranwale would later
make into an armoury and headquarters for his armed uprising
• An Indian military operation between 1 and 8 June 1984, to remove
militant religious leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his armed
followers from the buildings of the Harmandir Sahib complex (aka the
Golden Temple) in Amritsar, Punjab—the most sacred site in Sikhism.
• Along with the Army, the operation would involve Central Reserve
Police Force, Border Security Force, and Punjab Police. Army units led
by Lt. Gen. Kuldip Singh Brar (a Sikh), surrounded the temple complex
on 3 June 1984.
• “The action is not against the Sikhs or the Sikh religion; it is against
terrorism. If there is anyone amongst them, who have strong religious
sentiments or other reservations, and do not wish to take part in the
operation he can opt out, and it will not be held against him.”
• — Lieutenant General Kuldip Singh Brar
• Bhindranwale was killed in the operation, while many of his followers
managed to escape. Army casualty figures counted 83 dead and 249
injured. According to the official estimate presented by the Indian
Government, the event resulted in a combined total of 493 militant
and civilian casualties, as well as the apprehension of 1592 individuals
Assassination of Indira Gandhi and anti-Sikh riots

• On the morning of 31 October 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated

in New Delhi by her two personal security guards Satwant
Singh and Beant Singh, both Sikhs, in retaliation for Operation Blue
Star. The assassination triggered the 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots across North
India. While the ruling party, Indian National Congress (INC),
maintained that the violence was due to spontaneous riots, its critics
have alleged that INC members themselves had planned
a pogrom against the Sikhs.
• n 1985, The Government of India attempted to seek a political
solution to the grievances of the Sikhs through the Rajiv-Longowal
Accord, which took place between Longowal and Prime Minister Rajiv
Gandhi. The Accord—recognizing the religious, territorial, and
economic demands of the Sikhs that were thought to be non-
negotiable under Indira Gandhi's tenure—agreed to establish
commissions and independent tribunals in order to resolve the
Chandigarh issue and the river dispute, laying the basis for Akali Dal's
victory in the coming elections.
Air India Flight 182
• Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montréal-
London-Delhi-Bombay route. On 23 June 1985, a Boeing 747operating
on the route was blown up by a bomb mid-air off the coast of Ireland.
A total of 329 people aboard were killed, 268 Canadian citizens, 27
British citizens and 24 Indian citizens, including the flight crew.
• On 31 August 1995, Chief Minister Beant Singh was killed in a suicide
bombing, for which the pro-Khalistan group Babbar Khalsa claimed
responsibility. Security authorities, however, reported the group's
involvement to be doubtful. A 2006 press release by the Embassy of
the United States in New Delhi indicated that the responsible
organisation was the Khalistan Commando Force
Militant groups

• Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)

• Bhindranwala Tiger Force of Khalistan (BTFK; aka Bhindranwale Tiger Force, BTF)
• Khalistan Commando Force (KCF)
• Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA)
• Khalistan Liberation Force
• Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF)
• International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF),[  based in the United Kingdom.
• All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF)
• Dashmesh Regiment
• Shaheed Khalsa Force
THANK YOU