Operation Mand was a military operation launched by the Punjab Police in India to capture or kill

Avtar Singh Brahma Avtar Singh Brahma (1951 – 22 July 1988) was a Sikh militant ( kharku) and one of the main founding figures and the second leader of Khalistan Liberation Force, founded in 1986, during the insurgency in Punjab, India. Avtar Singh became kno ...

and

Tat Khalsa The Tat Khalsa (), also romanised as Tatt Khalsa, known as the Akal Purkhias during the 18th century, was a Sikh faction that arose from the schism following the passing of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708, led by his widow Mata Sundari, opposed to th ...

members on 21 and 22 July 1986.

Background

Avtar Singh Brahma was a Sikh ''

kharku Kharku (Punjabi: ਖਾੜਕੂ , ; ''khāṛakū, khaarakoo''; literally meaning courageous, bold, brave, dreaded, feared, or domineering; alternatively spelt as Kharaku) is a Punjabi term used as a self-designation by Sikh militants of the ...

'' who had founded the group Tat Khalsa. He quickly grew to prominence by launching constant attacks on CRPF, BSF,

Police The police are Law enforcement organization, a constituted body of Law enforcement officer, people empowered by a State (polity), state with the aim of Law enforcement, enforcing the law and protecting the Public order policing, public order ...

, and

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

patrols. He would defeat security forces in the Battle of Manakpur. Following this, Brahma centered his group and operation in the Mand region which is the riverbank land along the Beas. Brahma would be dubbed the "King of Mand" and became the '' de facto'' ruler of the region, which covers an area of .

Operation

On 21 July 1986, Operation Mand would be launched. The Operation was led and planned by

KPS Gill Kanwar Pal Singh Gill (29 December 1934 – 26 May 2017) was an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. He served twice as DGP for the state of Punjab, India, where he is credited with having brought the Punjab insurgency under control. While man ...

and was approved by Julio Riberio. About 30

companies A company, abbreviated as co., is a legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether natural, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common purpose and unite to achieve specifi ...

of security forces assisted by helicopters, bulldozers and mechanized boats, were deployed for the operation. Brahma operated 5 groups of 25–30 operatives. The operation did not go as expected for the Indian forces. Thousands of police and paramilitary forces surrounded the Mand region and closed in on the Tat Khalsa men. According to Avtar Singh, he and his fellow Tat Khalsa members clashed with and repulsed an attacking force of officers and paramilitary, with the attacking force suffering high casualties. Avtar Singh also claims to have shot down a paramilitary helicopter, might be with the help of one member called Toofan Singh although this claim is denied by the Indian state. Both helicopters are reported to have retreated after this. The battle continued for some time, but eventually, the security forces fell back. Avtar Singh Brahma and fellow Tat Khalsa members managed to escape at night. The operation lasted for 40 hours.

Aftermath

The operation faced heavy criticism for being "overkill". It was initially described as the destruction of the Khalistan capital, but police had only captured a few weapons. The operation also saw criticism from Revenue Minister Major Singh Uboke, a dissident in the ruling party. He called Operation Mand "Operation Fraud". He accused, at a cabinet meeting, the security forces of harassing and torturing "innocent Sikh youths and even women".

Pop culture

The operation is depicted in the 2017 Indian film '' Toofan Singh''.

References

{{Khalistan movement Conflicts in India History of Sikhism Khalistan movement Conflicts in 1986 Counterterrorism in India Insurgency in Punjab Battles involving India Terrorist incidents in India in 1986 1986 mass shootings in Asia 1980s in Punjab, India Sikh terrorism in India Rajiv Gandhi administration Mass shootings in India 1986 murders in India