Babbar Khalsa
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Babbar Khalsa, officially Babbar Khalsa International (BKI, , ), is a Khalistani militant organisation that aims to create an independent nation-state of Khalistan in the
Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
region. It has used armed attacks, assassinations and bombings in aid of that goal, and is deemed to be a
terrorist Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of violence against non-combatants to achieve political or ideological aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violence during peacetime or in the context of war aga ...
entity by various governments. Besides India, it operates in
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and
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
. BKI was created in 1978 after clashes with the
Nirankari Nirankari (, ''lit.'' "formless one") is a Sects of Sikhism, sect of Sikhism.Harbans Singh, Editor-in-Chief (201Nirankaris Encyclopedia of Sikhism Volume III, Punjabi University, Patiala, pages 234–235 It was a reform movement founded by Bab ...
sect of Sikhs. It was active throughout the 1980s in the
Punjab insurgency The Insurgency in Punjab was an armed campaign by the separatists of the Khalistan movement from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. Economic and social pressures driven by the Green Revolution prompted calls for Sikh autonomy and separatism. This ...
and gained international notoriety in June 1985, for killing 329 civilians (mostly Canadians) in
Air India Flight 182 Air India Flight 182 was a passenger flight operating on the Montréal–Mirabel International Airport, Montreal–Heathrow Airport, London–Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi–Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumb ...
in Canada's worst case of mass murder and for the associated 1985 Narita International Airport bombinga bungled attempt at mass murder on a second Air India flight on the same day. Its influence declined in the 1990s after several of its senior leaders were killed in encounters with Indian police. The organisation is officially banned and designated as an international terrorist organisation by the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Malaysia,Archived copy
and India.


Origin

The name ''Babbar Khalsa'' is taken from the Babbar Akali Movement of 1920, which fought against the British Rule of India. The modern-day BK was created in 1978 by Talwinder Singh Parmar and Sukhdev Singh Babbar after the
1978 Sikh–Nirankari clash The 1978 Sikh–Nirankari clash occurred between the Sant Nirankari Mission and Sikhs of Damdami Taksal and Akhand Kirtani Jatha on 13 April 1978 in Amritsar, Punjab, India. Sixteen people—thirteen traditional Sikhs and three Nirankari follow ...
. On 13 April 1978, while observing the founding day of the Khalsa, the
Sant Nirankari Mission Sant Nirankari Mission is a new religious movement, spiritual organisation based in Delhi, India. It was founded in 1929 by Buta Singh. Sudiksha (Sant Nirankari mission), Mata Sudiksha, the daughter of Hardev Singh, is the sixth spiritual head ...
clashed with the
Damdami Taksal The Damdamī Ṭaksāl, Jatha Bhindra(n), or Sects of Sikhism, Sampardai Bhindra(n) is an orthodoxy, orthodox Khalsa Sikhism, Sikh cultural and educational organization, based in India. They are known for their teachings of ''Vidya (philosophy ...
and the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, aggravated by Sant Jarnail Singh BhindranwaleExcerpts
/ref> and Fauja Singh in which 15 people died. BK was formed with the support of Bibi Amarjit Kaur with Talwinder Singh as the president. A criminal case was filed against sixty-two Nirankaris by the Akali-led government in Punjab but all the accused were acquitted. The Punjab government Chief Minister
Prakash Singh Badal Parkash Singh Badal (8 December 1927 – 25 April 2023) was an Indian politician and Sikh rights advocate who served as the 8th Chief Minister of Punjab from 1970 to 1971, from 1977 to 1980, from 1997 to 2002, and from 2007 to 2017, the longes ...
decided not to appeal the decision. The case of Nirankaris received widespread support in the media. Soon an environment was created against the Nirankaris, perceived as the enemies of Sikhism. The chief proponents of this attitude were BK, Akhand Kirtani Jatha,
Damdami Taksal The Damdamī Ṭaksāl, Jatha Bhindra(n), or Sects of Sikhism, Sampardai Bhindra(n) is an orthodoxy, orthodox Khalsa Sikhism, Sikh cultural and educational organization, based in India. They are known for their teachings of ''Vidya (philosophy ...
and the All India Sikh Students Federation, which was banned by the government.


Activities


1970s

# Babbar Khalsa started targeting people who sympathised with the Nirankaris. In the subsequent years following this clash, several murders took place in Punjab and the surrounding areas allegedly by Damdami Taksal and the BK. After carrying out attacks, BK members would retreat to the
Golden Temple The Golden Temple is a gurdwara located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is the pre-eminent spiritual site of Sikhism. It is one of the Holy place, holiest sites in Sikhism, alongside the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur in Kartarpur, Pakistan, ...
. Police did not enter the temple complex to avoid hurting the sentiments of Sikhs.


1980s

# According to C. Christine Fair, Babbar Khalsa was opposed to Bhindranwale and more concerned with propagating sectarian violence and enforcing Sikh personal law than supporting
Khalistan movement The Khalistan movement is a separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing an ethno-religious sovereign state called Khalistan () in the Punjab region. The proposed boundaries of Khalistan vary between different gr ...
. BK kept up a low level of activity until 1983. # On 24 April 1980, the Nirankari head,
Gurbachan Singh Gurbachan Singh (10 December 1930 – 24 April 1980) was the third guru of the Sant Nirankari mission, considered to be heterodox by mainstream Sikhs. He was born in Peshawar (modern-day Pakistan). He was declared next Guru by his father and ...
was murdered.Excerpt
/ref> Initially, associates of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and members of BK were suspected, but in 1983, a member of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, Ranjit Singh, surrendered and admitted to the assassination three years later, and was sentenced to serve thirteen years at the
Tihar Jail Tihar Prisons, popularly known as Tihar Jail, are a prison complex in India and are one of the largest complexes of prisons in India. There are 9 functional prisons spread over more than 400 acres. Run by Department of Delhi Prisons, the prison ...
in Delhi. # One of Babbar Khalsa's earliest activities was the killing of Nirankari Shaadi Lal by Sukhdev Singh Babbar and Kulwant Singh Nagoke. He was the President of Anandpur Sahib Municipality and one of the Nirankari seven stars. # On 9 September 1981, Lala Jagat Narain was assassinated. Narain was a former Punjab Legislative Assembly member and a former Member of Parliament. He was also the found of Hind Samachar. Narain was an outspoken critic of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and of the Khalistan movement. After the assassination, Bhindranwale expressed resent against Narain, stating that Narain's newspaper portrayed Sikh Gurus as "lovers of wine and women". Babbar Khalsa claimed responsibility. # Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale offered himself to the police for arrest on 20 September 1981, and was taken to a circuit house instead of prison. Shortly after Bhindranwale courted arrest, agitated Sikhs clashed with the police and paramilitary forces, resulting in the death of 18 protestors. On the day of his arrest, three armed men, from Babbar Khalsa, on a motorcycle opened fire using machine guns in a market in
Jalandhar Jalandhar () is a city in the state of Punjab, India, Punjab in India. With a considerable population, it ranks as the List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population, third most-populous city in the state and is the largest city in the ...
in retaliation, killing four people and injured twelve. The next day, in another incident at Tarn Taran one Hindu man was killed and thirteen people were injured allegedly done by Babbars. On 14 October 1981 Bhindranwale was released by the Punjab Police. # On 16 October 1981, Sukhdev and fellow Babbar Khalsa members attacked Niranjan Singh who was a Nirankari and
Indian Administrative Service The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) is the Public administration, administrative arm of the All India Services of Government of India. The IAS is one of the three All India Services along with the Indian Police Service (IPS) and the Indian ...
officer. He was a key accused in the 1978 Sikh-Nirankari clash. Niranjan managed to survive the attack in an injured state, but his brother was killed. # On October 23, 1981, Babbar's killed the
Sarpanch A sarpanch, gram pradhan, mukhiya, or president is a decision-maker, elected by the village-level constitutional body of local self-government called the gram sabha (village government) in India. The sarpanch, together with other elected panchay ...
of Pannchata Mohinder Pal for
blasphemy Blasphemy refers to an insult that shows contempt, disrespect or lack of Reverence (emotion), reverence concerning a deity, an object considered sacred, or something considered Sanctity of life, inviolable. Some religions, especially Abrahamic o ...
and ''beadbi''. # On 16 November 1981, 2 Babbar Khalsa members on motorcycles under Sukhdev Singh Babbar killed Parhal Chand the Nirankari head of Kapurathala district. In the killing Chand's father was killed and his brother was injured. # On the morning of 19 November 1981, Police Inspector Pritam Singh Bajwa and Constable Surat Singh were gunned down in Daheru village nearby Khanna in
Ludhiana district Ludhiana district is one of the 23 districts in the Indian state of Punjab. It is Punjab's largest district by both area and population. Ludhiana, the largest city in Punjab, is the district headquarters. The main industries are bicycle parts ...
while attempting to apprehend Tarsem Singh Kalasinghian and his associates hiding at the residence of Amarjit Singh Nihang, all members of BK. This act gained BK and its chief Talwinder Singh Babbar notoriety. # In 1981 Babbar Khalsa split between members in foreign nations under Tawlinder Singh and members in India under Sukhdev Singh Babbar who was made overall head. Sukhdev said no unlawful activity will be done outside of India. # On May 22, 1982, Babbar Khalsa members opened fire directed at Nirankari's in Patti killing 4 and injuring many more. # On October 27, 1982, Surinder Singh Sodhi, Babbar Khalsa members and Labh Singh killed Resham Singh. Resham was the Sant Nirankari head of
Hoshiarpur District Hoshiarpur district is a district of Punjab, India, Punjab state in northern India. Hoshiarpur, one of the oldest districts of Punjab, is located in the North-east part of the Punjab state and shares common boundaries with Gurdaspur district in ...
and 1 of the 7 stars. Babbars, Sodhi and Labh Singh had disguised themselves as police. They had approached Resham posing as officers who just wanted to chat. As Resham was talking about Bhindranwale, supposedly negatively, Babbars, Labh Singh and Sodhi pulled out stenguns and opened fire killing him instantly. It is said that Babbars, Sodhi and Labh Singh fled on a
Royal Enfield Bullet The Royal Enfield Bullet is an overhead valve, single-cylinder, four-stroke motorcycle initially made by Royal Enfield in Redditch, Worcestershire England. It is now produced by Royal Enfield at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, a company originally ...
and fired victory shots.ਖਾੜਕੂ ਯੋਧੇ in Punjabi by Maninder Singh Baja Ajit Newspaper July 15, 1988 #On September 10, 1983, Babbar killed Kulwant Singh the Nirankari head of Faridkot. # In 1984 Babbar Khalsa members fought side-by-side with Bhindranwale's men during
Operation Blue Star Operation Blue Star was a military operation by the Indian Armed Forces conducted between 1 and 10 June 1984 to remove Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other Sikh militants from the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), a holy site of Sikhism, and i ...
. # In 1984 Sukhdev Singh Babbar claimed responsibility for the killing of 76 Nirankaris. # Some terrorists acts done in Canada, India and Germany have been claimed in the name of BK. Parmar and Kalasinghian were both able to escape from India via the Nepal border and reach Canada. During his residence in Canada, Talwinder Singh continued to lead BKI activities. He was involved in terror financing, recruitment and radicalization of Sikh youths, procurement of small arms and explosives, and the development and coordination of terrorist attacks. After
Operation Blue Star Operation Blue Star was a military operation by the Indian Armed Forces conducted between 1 and 10 June 1984 to remove Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other Sikh militants from the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), a holy site of Sikhism, and i ...
the organisation fell into disarray but was able to regroup and remained active. # On 23 June 1985, Babbar Khalsa militants bombed
Air India Flight 182 Air India Flight 182 was a passenger flight operating on the Montréal–Mirabel International Airport, Montreal–Heathrow Airport, London–Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi–Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumb ...
going from Montreal, Canada to New Delhi, India. An
improvised explosive device An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional warfare, conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached t ...
placed inside the cargo hold of the
Boeing 747 The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023. After the introduction of the Boeing 707, 707 in October 1958, Pan Am ...
detonated and destroyed the plane at an altitude of 31,000 feet in Irish airspace and it crashed into the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
. All 329 passengers were killed, including 268 Canadian, 27 British and 24 Indian citizens. # Parmar and Inderjit Singh Reyat were arrested by the
Royal Canadian Mounted Police The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP; , GRC) is the Law enforcement in Canada, national police service of Canada. The RCMP is an agency of the Government of Canada; it also provides police services under contract to 11 Provinces and terri ...
(RCMP) on explosive charges, linking the two to the Air India Flight 182 bombing and 1985 Narita International Airport bombing. Parmar was acquitted of all charges. Inderjit Singh Reyat admitted to building the bomb, was convicted in the Air India bombing. Reyat a member of the ISYF, was found guilty of manslaughter for making the bombs and had to spend more than 20 years in prison at Canada, and is the only individual convicted in these attacks as of 9 February 2009. The Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182 concluded that, regarding Talwinder Singh Parmar, " tis now believed that he was the leader of the conspiracy to bomb Air India flights" Five BK members from Montreal were arrested May 30, 1986, for another plot to bomb Air India flights out of New York City. Newspaper editor Tara Singh Hayer was targeted with a bomb at his office in the same year. Just weeks later, Sikhs from the
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
temple along with Air India bombing suspects Talwinder Singh Parmar and Ajaib Singh Bagri were arrested after being wiretapped discussing blowing up the Parliament and kidnapping children of MPs in India. Visiting Punjabi
Cabinet Minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ' prime minister', ' p ...
Malkiat Singh Sidhu was ambushed in Canada, surviving being shot by four gunmen. # In February 1986 Babbar Khalsa members killed DSP (Deputy Superintendent of Police) Harpal Singh. He was killed along with his father. # On 19 January 1987 Babbar Khalsa members under Sukhdev killed Joginder Pal Pandey in
Ludhiana Ludhiana () is the most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab.164.100.161.224 http://164.100.161.224 › filesPDF Ludhiana State: Punjab Business & Industrial Centre, Tier 2 1 ... The city has an estima ...
. He was the general secretary of the Indian National Congress Party in Punjab and a member of the
Punjab Legislative Assembly The Punjab Legislative Assembly or the Punjab Vidhan Sabha is the unicameral legislature of the state of Punjab (India), Punjab in India. The Sixteenth Punjab Legislative Assembly was constituted in March 2022. At present, it consists of 117 M ...
. In the attack Pandey's security guard Sohan Lal was killed. Three Babbar's in a vehicle had opened fire when Pandey's car was stopped at a gas station. This incident led to a curfew in Ludhiana. # Babbar Khalsa launched an attack in September 1987 with Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala. The target was Station house officer
Sub-Inspector Sub-inspector (SI), or sub-inspector of police or police sub-inspector (PSI), is a rank used extensively in South Asia: in the police forces of Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka, which are primarily based on the British model. It was form ...
Mith Singh. Mith Singh had been hand-picked by then chief of Punjab Police Julio F. Riberio. He was picked to deal with Budhsinghwala. Mith Singh had been accused of police brutality and targeting Budhsinghwala's family. Mith Singh had dragged Budhsinghwala's father by his hair in a public humiliation. Budhsinghwala began plotting to kill Mith Singh in revenge for his actions with Husan Singh and Babbar Khalsa members. The attack was carried out by Budshinghwala and fellow Sikh militants on 15 September 1987, at around 9:00 in the morning. Mith Singh was shot while he was walking along with his guard, a police
constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...
. Both of their guns were taken by Budhsinghwala. In the crossfire a schoolboy was also killed and five others were injured. The killing is said to have greatly alarmed Punjab Chief of Police Riberio. Mith Singh was one of his best and most loyal officers. # On October 19, 1989, Babbar Khalsa, KLF, and SSF collectively claimed responsibility for killing 2
Black Cat A black cat is a Cat, domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific Purebred, breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular or mixed breed. Most black cats have golden iris (anatomy), irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Bl ...
(NSG), one CID constable and one shop owner indifferent parts of Punjab. # On November 16, 1989, Toofan Singh, Sukhdev Singh Babbar, and other Kharkus of BKI and KLF claimed responsibility for killing a
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
Politician's gunman, a police
sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
, near
Batala Batala is the eighth largest city in the state of Punjab, India in terms of population after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Mohali and Hoshiarpur. Batala ranks as the second-oldest city after Bathinda. It is a municipal cor ...
for killing Babbar Khalsa member Gurnam Singh in a false encounter. # On November 16, 1989, Toofan Singh, Sukhdev Singh Babbar, and other Kharkus of BKI and KLF claimed responsibility for attacking two police stations near Jhanda.


1990s

# Commandant Gobind Ram was killed on January 10, 1990. Gobind Ram was killed in a bomb blast at the headquarters of the 75th battalion of the Punjab Armed Police in
Jalandhar Jalandhar () is a city in the state of Punjab, India, Punjab in India. With a considerable population, it ranks as the List of cities in Punjab and Chandigarh by population, third most-populous city in the state and is the largest city in the ...
. He was commandant of the 75th battalion. According to an informant Gobind Ram's body had to be swept off the floor. The planning of the killing was done by Toofan Singh and Babbars. The bomb was planted in the cooler of his office. In the blast, three others, including
Sub-Inspector Sub-inspector (SI), or sub-inspector of police or police sub-inspector (PSI), is a rank used extensively in South Asia: in the police forces of Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka, which are primarily based on the British model. It was form ...
Prem Kumar, were killed and at least four were critically wounded. The blast also caused major damage to the building. All the windows of the second floor were broken and a fire broke out on the first floor. Multiple vehicles parked were also damaged. Gobind Ram was known as the "butcher". He was known involved in 38 extrajudicial executions. He had been on the hit list of Sikhs over his role in fake encounters. He had also beat and tortured the wives of Sikhs. He was also known for forcing people to drink urine calling it "Gobind Ram's ''amrit''". # On January 31, 1990, KLF, BKI, KCF, and SSF collectively claimed responsibility for killing Punjab BJP secretary Gurbachan Singh Patanga. In a press note they said that the BJP were greater enemies of the Sikhs than
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
and for this reason Patanga was killed. # On February 12, 1990, SSP of
Batala Batala is the eighth largest city in the state of Punjab, India in terms of population after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Mohali and Hoshiarpur. Batala ranks as the second-oldest city after Bathinda. It is a municipal cor ...
, Samat Kumar Goel, narrowly survived an assassination attempt near Nanak Chak by Babbar Khalsa. Babbar Khalsa members had planted a mine on the road Goel's car was to travel. The mine blew up after Goel's vehicle drove over it. Goel's car faced minor damage in the explosion while the BSF car behind his suffered most of the damage. Following this, Babbar Khalsa members opened fire on Goel's car and security personnel before fleeing. # On February 16, 1990, KCF, BTFK (Sangha), BKI, and SSF collectively claimed responsibility for an explosion in
Phillaur Phillaur is a town and a municipal council as well as a tehsil in Jalandhar district in the Indian state of Punjab. The city is situated 20 km from Ludhiana, 45 km from Jalandhar and 140 km from Amritsar. It is situated on the border of the Doa ...
that killed Inspector Harcharan Singh Soori and Assistant Sub-Inspector Ram Moorti on the 11th. The bomb also wounded two sergeants. The explosion happened in an armoured and guarded police training facility. Both were put in a special armoured room for extra safety, but were killed at 9 pm from an explosion within their room. Both officers had been accused of torturing Sikhs. Inspector Soori had survived a previous assassination attempt in 1988. # On February 25 and February 26 1990, Babbar Khalsa killed a police indormant and five CRPF soldiers. # On March 2, 1990, KCF, KLF, BKI, and SSF collectively claimed responsibility for killing one
sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
and two constables of Punjab Police in Nagoke and two civilians.World Sikh News (Punjabi) March 2, 1990 Page 2 # On March 16, 1990, Babbar Khalsa members killed three serial rapists near
Batala Batala is the eighth largest city in the state of Punjab, India in terms of population after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Mohali and Hoshiarpur. Batala ranks as the second-oldest city after Bathinda. It is a municipal cor ...
who were wanted in over 40 cases of rape. # On March 16, 1990, Babbar Khalsa claimed responsibility for killing multiple BSF men and one police informant in Zaffarwal. # On April 6, 1990, Babbar Khalsa claimed responsibility for killing one
assistant sub-inspector Assistant may refer to: * Assistant (by Speaktoit), a virtual assistant app for smartphones * Assistant (software), a software tool to assist in computer configuration * Google Assistant, a virtual assistant by Google * ''The Assistant'' (TV seri ...
and six constables. # On April 15 1990, 11 civilians were killed and 39 civilians were injured in a bomb blast orchestrated by BK in a Delhi bound bus in
Panipat Panipat () is an industrial , located 95 km north of Delhi and 169 km south of Chandigarh on NH-44 in Panipat district, Haryana, India. It is famous for three major battles fought in 1526, 1556 and 1761. The city is also known as ...
. # On May 14, 1990, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, president of SGPC, was attacked in his car. A jeep with about six militants drove beside Tohra's vehicle and opened fire. An escort car attempted to chase them but they escaped. Tohra managed to survive but was injured. Tohra's bodyguard was also injured. Tohra's driver was killed and so was former MLA H.S. Rajla who was accompanying Tohra. Budhsinghwala, Paramjit Singh Panjwar of
Khalistan Commando Force The Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) is a Sikh Khalistani militant organisation operating in the state of Punjab, India with prominent members based in Canada, United Kingdom and Pakistan. Its objective is the creation of a Sikh independent stat ...
, Sukhdev Singh Babbar of Babbar Khalsa, and Daljit Singh of the All India Sikh Student Federation collectively claimed responsibility. They said he was attacked for his involvement in Operation Blue Star. # On July 23, 1990, KLF, KCF, BKI, and SSF collectively claimed responsibility for killing the Chief Engineer of the SYL, ML Sekhri, and Superintending Engineer of the SYL, Avtar Singh. They were killed while attending a meeting with fellow engineers in
Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...
. # On September 21, 1990, KCF, KLF, BKI, and SSF claimed responsibility for an attack on a SPO base which killed 2 officers.World Sikh News (Punjabi) September 21, 1990 Page 2 # On September 21, 1990, KCF, KLF, BKI, and SSF claimed responsibility for killing a
Nirankari Nirankari (, ''lit.'' "formless one") is a Sects of Sikhism, sect of Sikhism.Harbans Singh, Editor-in-Chief (201Nirankaris Encyclopedia of Sikhism Volume III, Punjabi University, Patiala, pages 234–235 It was a reform movement founded by Bab ...
in
Patiala Patiala () is a city in southeastern Punjab, India, Punjab, northwestern India. It is the fourth largest city in the state and is the administrative capital of Patiala district. Patiala is located around the ''Qila Mubarak, Patiala, Qila Mubar ...
. # On September 28, 1990, KCF, KLF, BKI, and SSF claimed responsibility for killing Inspector Rajinderpal Singh. # On November 23, 1990, KCF, KLF, BKI, BTFK, and SSF claimed responsibility for killing
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...
president of
Jalandhar district Jalandhar district is a district in Doaba region of the state of Punjab, India. The district headquarters is the city of Jalandhar. Before the Partition of India, Jalandhar was also the headquarters of the Jalandhar Division, with constituent ...
, Gurdarshan Singh. They claimed he was a police informant involved in the killing of militants. # On November 24, 1990, at 9 am Babbar along with other militant groups part of the Sohan Singh Committee killed Superintendent of Police (Operations) Harjit Singh in a bomb blast at Tarn Taran. Sikh militants had been studying Harjit's travel routes for some time. A remote-controlled bomb had been placed on a road Harjit usually drove by to go to the doctor. When Harjit's lead security vehicles drove by and it was just his vehicle over the bomb it was detonated. In the explosion three of his security guards were killed and his vehicle was destroyed. Harjit's limbs were found over 100 meters away from the location of the explosion. A permanent curfew was put on the town after. A saying about the incident is, "He had a security vehicle in front of him and behind him, so he would be safe from all sides. But he didn’t count on his death coming from below". 22 days prior to his death Harjit had killed the chief of BTFK (S) Sukhwinder Singh Sangha along with four other militants. KLF, KCF, Babbar Khalsa, SSF, and BTFK (S) members held a meeting afterward pledging to kill Harjit within 31 days of Sangha's death. Major Singh of KCF was given the lead role in the killing. A famous kavishri
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
about this incident says, "24th November at exactly 9, for Sangha’s revenge Major Singh and his allies have arrived. Without wasting any time Kharkus have come to kill him... The five jathebandis roupshad said we would hit him hard... To become SSP he had done many misdeeds... Watch how with a computer system emote-controlled bomb Kharkus blow him up. Harjit’s wife watches his limbs blow up... Operation Shera has been done on the SP of Operation." # On June 7, 1991, BTFK (Sangha), KLF, KCF (Panjwar), and SSF claimed responsibility for an assassination attempt on India's Home Minister Subodh Kant Sahay in
Ludhiana Ludhiana () is the most populous Cities in India, city in the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab.164.100.161.224 http://164.100.161.224 › filesPDF Ludhiana State: Punjab Business & Industrial Centre, Tier 2 1 ... The city has an estima ...
. Kharkus made a bomb attack on his convoy. Sahay’s bulletproof vehicle flipped over, but he escaped with minor wounds. His driver and one bodyguard were seriously wounded. # On August 23, 1991, Mahinder Singh Bijli Val Babbar and Sher Singh Patti claimed responsibility for an encounter in Uttar Pradesh’s Baznaur. In the 13-hour encounter 15 police officers were killed and 20 injured. # Five months later, two BK members assassinated the A.K. Talib, the station director of All India Radio Chandigarh. # On September 7 1991, eight BK militants had an encounter with CRPF personnel near the village of Maujiya. The encounter lasted for 24 hours. # On October 26, 1991, R.N. Goyal, Chief Health Officers Ludhiana, Bachitar Singh Director Health Services Punjab, and five others were killed by KCF, KLF, BTFK, BKI, and SSF. They claimed that the doctors had forged autopsy's, improperly treated Sikhs, and aided in police killings. # After returning to India in 1992, both Sukhdev Singh Babbar and Talwinder Singh Parmar were killed in a gunfight encounter between Punjab Police and the duo. Sukhdev Singh Babbar was wanted in 1,000 killings and carried a bounty of 2.5 million rupees. # On August 31 1995, Dilawar Singh Babbar assassinated Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in a
suicide bomb A suicide attack (also known by a wide variety of other names, #Terminology , see below) is a deliberate Strike (attack) , attack in which the perpetrators suicide , knowingly sacrifice their own lives as part of the attack. These attacks are ...
attack at the civil secretariat in
Chandigarh Chandigarh is a city and union territory in northern India, serving as the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Situated near the foothills of the Shivalik range of Himalayas, it borders Haryana to the east and Punjab in the ...
. Dilawar claimed allegiance to the BK and four other members of the BK were named responsible for the killing of Beant Singh.


2000s

In the 2000s, Punjab police was able to apprehend several Babbar Khalsa terrorists and was also able to prevent several potential terrorist attacks linked to the organisation. In 2004, several members of the BK, accused of being involved in the assassination of CM Beant Singh, broke out of the Burail Jail and escaped to Pakistan. All the escapees were recaptured and sentenced to life sentence for the assassination. One of these escapees, Jagtar Singh Hawara, along with another accused was sentenced to death for the assassination in 2007. Three others were sentenced for life in prison. In 2008, another 2 members were convicted and sentenced for 7 years in prison. Hawara's death sentence was later commuted to life sentence in 2010. In 2011,
Central Bureau of Investigation The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is the domestic crime investigating agency of India. It operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Originally set up to investigate bribery and gover ...
moved against the commutation and argued in the
Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India is the supreme judiciary of India, judicial authority and the supreme court, highest court of the Republic of India. It is the final Appellate court, court of appeal for all civil and criminal cases in India. It also ...
that the case of Hawara was a "rarest of rare case". In 2010, Paramjit Singh Bheora was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2010. In May 2005, BK terrorists bombed Liberty Cinema on the G. T. Karnal Road, Delhi during the screening of the Hindi Film,
Jo Bole So Nihaal (film) ''Jo Bole So Nihaal'' (also transliteration, transliterated as ''Jo Bole So Nihal''; literally meaning "Whoever utters shall be fulfilled") is a 2005 Indian Action comedy film, action comedy film, directed by Rahul Rawail. It stars Sunny Deol, S ...
. One person was killed and 60 were injured. Several arrests were made in connection including the operatives who carried this attack out and the suppliers of RDX for the arrack. The attack was coordinated from
Stuttgart, Germany Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
on the directions of a nephew of the leader of BK, Wadhwa Singh. On 14 October 2007, BK militants bombed the Shingar Cinema Complex in Ludhiana, Punjab in which 6 people were killed and 37 wounded. The perpetrators were arrested. The police also recovered 2 pistols, 5.10 kg of
RDX RDX (Research Department Explosive or Royal Demolition Explosive) or hexogen, among other names, is an organic compound with the formula (CH2N2O2)3. It is white, odorless, and tasteless, widely used as an explosive. Chemically, it is classified ...
and 3 detonators from them. The militants had gone to Pakistan with a Sikh
jatha A Jatha (Punjabi language, Punjabi: ਜੱਥਾ Singular (grammatical number), g ਜਥੇ Plural, l) is an armed body of Sikhs that has existed in Sikh tradition since 1699, the beginning of the Khalsa (Sikh martial order). A Jatha b ...
for pilgrimage, where they received the training for making bombs. The group received explosive devices from Pakistan across the international border in
Bikaner Bikaner () is a city in the northwest of the States and territories of India, state of Rajasthan, India. It is located northwest of the state capital, Jaipur. It is the administrative headquarters of Bikaner District and Bikaner division. Fo ...
,
Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...
.


2010s

Four Babbar Khalsa members were arrested and later bailed in July 2010 in connection with the murder of a Sikh leader in Punjab, India. In March 2012, the execution of Balwant Singh Rajoana was stayed by the central government due to appeals by the SGPC. Later in 2013, Rajoana was additionally convicted of recovery of explosives and was sentenced for 10 years. In 2015, after a regime change at the center, Home minister
Rajnath Singh Rajnath Singh (; born 10 July 1951) is an Indian politician and lecturer who is serving the Defence Minister of India since 20 May 2019. He was also the Deputy Leader of the House, Lok Sabha since 2014. He also served the Home Minister in th ...
ordered relooking to the case . In a probe by Indian authorities in 2012, it was revealed that Pakistan's intelligence agency
Inter-Services Intelligence The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is the premier Pakistani Intelligence community, intelligence agency of Pakistan. It is responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing any information from around the world that is deemed relevant t ...
(ISI) provides immense financial support to BK and has provided over INR 800 million (80 crore) till that date. On 30 September 2012, retired military general of the Indian armed forces, Lt. Gen Kuldip Singh Brar, who led the
Operation Blue Star Operation Blue Star was a military operation by the Indian Armed Forces conducted between 1 and 10 June 1984 to remove Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other Sikh militants from the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), a holy site of Sikhism, and i ...
, was attacked with a knife on
Oxford Street, London Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road via Oxford Circus. It marks the notional boundary between the areas of Fitzrovia and Marylebone to the no ...
in an assassination attempt. BK was largely blamed for this attack. On 8 October, 2 suspects were arrested. Another man and a woman were also arrested on the charge. The 4 suspects were brought to trial and convicted for the assassination attempt on 10 December 2013. 2 of them were sentenced for 14 years and 2 were sentenced for 11 years of imprisonment. On 5 Jan 2015, Jagtar Singh Tara, another accused in the assassination of CM Beant Singh was caught in
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
and extradited to India. In March 2017, Balwinder Singh, the head of BK's operations in the United States, was sentenced to 15 years in prison by
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
U.S. district judge The United States district courts are the trial courts of the United States federal judiciary, U.S. federal judiciary. There is one district court for each United States federal judicial district, federal judicial district. Each district cov ...
for conspiracy to launch a terrorist attack in India in 2013. Singh pleaded guilty to providing funding and materials to a co-conspirator, who was to travel to India to assassinate or maim an Indian government official. The target government official was to be determined upon the co-conspirator's arrival. Between 2017 and 2023, many operatives, members and smugglers of BK were arrested within the territory of India and imprisoned by Indian courts as Punjab saw a new rise in Khalistani presence in the state. The leadership of BKI operated primarily from UK, Germany and Pakistan.


Financing

The group receives funds and support from its supporters within the Sikh community, that are largely located in Europe and North America. Historically, to get the financial and material support needed for operating terrorist activities, Babbar Khalsa has used in-person meetings, public rallies and fundraising events. Babbar organized and featured at Sikh rallies and fundraisers across Canada. Babbar was instrumental in channeling financial support to BKI from overseas Sikh communities. BKI is sponsored by Germany-based extremist organisations with an aim to revive an armed conflict in Punjab.


Presence

Babbar Khalsa militants have their presence outside of India in Pakistan, North America, Europe and Scandinavia. BKI at present is active in the US, Canada, the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland and Pakistan. BKI continues its operations from Pakistan with the support of Pakistan's
Inter-Services Intelligence The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is the premier Pakistani Intelligence community, intelligence agency of Pakistan. It is responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing any information from around the world that is deemed relevant t ...
(ISI). According to Indian sources the group has its headquarters in Lahore, Pakistan. In 1992, Talwinder Singh Babbar split from the BKI and formed the BK (Babbar) faction. This happened after serious differences erupted between Babbar and BKI's leadership. The Babbar faction has a presence in the UK, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland.


Babbar Khalsa and ISI

Pakistani's
Inter-Service Intelligence The Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is the premier Pakistani Intelligence community, intelligence agency of Pakistan. It is responsible for gathering, processing, and analyzing any information from around the world that is deemed relevant t ...
have been accused for backing and funding Babbar Khalsa in order to create internal disturbances in
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. Recently in
Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...
in India, Punjab Police have detained six
Babbar Khalsa International Babbar Khalsa, officially Babbar Khalsa International (BKI, , ), is a Khalistani militant organisation that aims to create an independent nation-state of Khalistan in the Punjab region. It has used armed attacks, assassinations and bombings in ...
terrorists who have been backed by ISI in order to execute an explosive detonation in the liquor shops in
Batala Batala is the eighth largest city in the state of Punjab, India in terms of population after Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Mohali and Hoshiarpur. Batala ranks as the second-oldest city after Bathinda. It is a municipal cor ...
.https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/4-babbar-khalsa-terrorists-backed-by-pakistan-isi-arrested-in-punjab-says-police-chief-8294587


Bans

It is officially banned and designated as an international terrorist organisation by several countries. *
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
*
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
*
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
*
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
*
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
*
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
*
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...


See also

*
Dal Khalsa (International) Dal Khalsa is a radical Sikh organisation, based in the city of Amritsar. The outfit was formed in 1978 by Gajinder Singh, the hijacker of Indian Airlines Flight 423. It came to prominence during Insurgency in Punjab, India, Insurgency in Punja ...
* Khalistan Liberation Force *
Insurgency in Punjab, India The Insurgency in Punjab was an armed campaign by the separatists of the Khalistan movement from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s. Economic and social pressures driven by the Green Revolution in India, Green Revolution prompted calls for Sikh aut ...
* Jagtar Singh Hawara * Kharku * Balwant Singh Rajoana


References

{{Terror outfits Sikh politics Organisations designated as terrorist by the European Union Organizations designated as terrorist by Canada Organisations designated as terrorist by India Organisations designated as terrorist by the United Kingdom Organizations based in Asia designated as terrorist Rebel groups in India Designated terrorist organizations associated with Sikhism Organisations designated as terrorist by Japan Insurgency in Punjab Organizations designated as terrorist by Malaysia 1978 establishments in Punjab, India Organizations established in 1978 Air India Flight 182 Organizations designated as terrorist by the United States Pro-Khalistan rebel groups