Babbar Khalsa
The Babbar Khalsa or Babbar Khalsa International, is a pro-Khalistan militant organisation that aims to create an independent Sikh state in the Punjab region. It has used armed attacks, assassinations and bombings in aid of that goal, and is deemed to be a terrorist entity by various governments. Besides India, it operates in North America and Europe.
BKI was created in 1978 after clashes with the Nirankari sect of Sikhs. It was active throughout the 1980s in the Punjab insurgency and gained international notoriety in June 1985, for killing 329 civilians in Air India Flight 182 in Canada's worst case of mass murder and for the associated 1985 Narita International Airport bombing in Japana bungled attempt at mass murder on Air India Flight 301, intended to happen while both flights were simultaneously airborne to India; an incorrect setting, or a faulty timer, resulted in the second bomb killing two baggage handlers while the suitcase was being transferred to the Air India 747. Its activities and influence severely declined in the 1990s after several of its senior leaders and other militants were killed in encounters with Indian state and central police forces.
The organisation is designated as an international terrorist organisation by the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Malaysia, 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 Sukhdev Singh Babbar after the 1978 Sikh–Nirankari clash. On 13 April 1978, while observing the founding day of the Khalsa, the Sant Nirankari Mission clashed with the Damdami Taksal and the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, aggravated by Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale 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 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 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. 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. BK kept up a low level of activity until 1983.On 24 April 1980, the Nirankari head, Gurbachan Singh was murdered. 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 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 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 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 of Pannchata Mohinder Pal for blasphemy 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 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 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 and fired victory shots.
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. In the same year, Sukhdev Singh Babbar claimed responsibility for the killing of 76 Nirankaris.
Some terrorists acts committed 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 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 going from Montreal, Canada to New Delhi, India. An improvised explosive device placed inside the cargo hold of the Boeing 747 detonated and destroyed the plane at an altitude of 31,000 feet in Irish airspace and it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. 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 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, " is 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 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 Malkiat Singh Sidhu was ambushed in Canada, surviving being shot by four gunmen.
In February 1986 Babbar Khalsa members killed DSP Harpal Singh. He was killed along with his father.
On 19 January 1987 Babbar Khalsa members under Sukhdev killed Joginder Pal Pandey in Ludhiana. He was the general secretary of the Indian National Congress Party in Punjab and a member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly. 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.
In September 1987, Babbar Khalsa launched an attack with Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala. The target was Station house officer Sub-Inspector 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. 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, 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 Politician's gunman, a police sergeant, near Batala 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.