The recent emergence of Amritpal Singh has made it clear that there are active attempts to reignite the Khalistan movement in Punjab, India. At the moment, while a section of people believe that the movement will never rise again in Punjab or anywhere across the country, the other section says there are similarities between the uprising of Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and the rise of Amritpal Singh.
On April 1, the banned Khalistani terrorist organisation Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) took responsibility for three arson attacks on the intervening night of March 31 and April 1 in Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. Though there is no official statement from the security agencies in India, and there is no way to verify the claims, if it is true, the incident would be the most significant Khalistani attack in the country in decades. There were no casualties, but the losses tallied up to several crores.
The hostile neighbour Pakistan’s hand in pushing the Khalistani movement in India cannot be ignored. There were reports that Amritpal Singh got funds from Pakistan along with weapons. Furthermore, his treasurer reportedly received funds from Pakistan. Many Khalistani terrorists are living in Pakistan, and a few months back, one of them was also spotted at a Gurudwara.
OpIndia went through a few recent interviews to understand the role of Pakistan during the insurgency in Punjab. In a recent interview with Vaad hosted by Arihant Pawariya, ex-Khalistani Kuljinder Dhillon talked about his life during the Khalistan movement. He narrated how he came in contact with Bhindranwale, his role during Operation Blue Star, and the role of Pakistan in those years.
Dhillon said that he was baptised (Amrit Chakhna) in 1978 by the then-chief of Damdami Taksal Kartar Singh. He has been associated with Damdami Taksal since 1977. Till then, he did not come in contact with Bhindranwale. In 1982, when he went to Guru Gobind Singh College (Khalsa College), Chandigarh, Dhillon noticed no branch of the All India Sikh Federation (AISF) in the college. He was among the first members of the newly established branch in the college. Notably, AISF was closely linked to the Khalistani movement, and its members see Bhindranwale as their leader.
Regarding the incident that allegedly started militancy in Punjab, Dhillon said that the Nirankari sect was increasing its presence in Punjab for years. In 1978, they announced an event in Amritsar. Bhindranwale did not like the idea and announced that he would not let the event take place. However, Nirankaris had support and permission from the government. On the day of the event, Bhindranwale’s group also went to the location.
Dhillon said that Nirankaris believed the group came to attack them and allegedly opened fire. At least seven people were killed that day. At that time, Gurbachan Singh was the chief of the Nirankari sect. Following the incident, Bhindranwale announced a bounty on Gubachan Singh and promised to weigh the person in gold if someone kills him. At that time, only Nirankaris were the target. However, the insurgency quickly spiraled out of control and became a war against Hindus and the central government.
The beginning of Operation Blue Star
Regarding Operation Blue Star, Dhillon said that from June 1, 1984, to June 3, 1984, they planned their positions and how they would fight the Indian security agencies. At that time, Khalistanis believed they were going up against CRPF and the Punjab Police. However, the security agencies were planning something totally different.
In an ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Lt Gen Kuldip Singh Brar narrated how Operation Blue Star was initiated. On May 31 that year, Lt Gen Brar was supposed to go on a two-month vacation with his wife. However, hours before their scheduled trip, he received a call from Delhi and was summoned to Chandigarh.
Upon reaching Chandigarh, what he thought was a normal meeting turned out to be a plan to remove Khalistani terrorists from the Golden Temple. He was briefed about the plan, and his leave was immediately canceled. Lt Gen Brar took charge of the operation, and the operation began on the intervening night of June 3 and June 4.
Lt Gen Brar pointed out that they had strict instructions to complete the operation before dawn. In Vaad’s interview with Dhillon, the ANI podcast with Lt Gen Brar, and an explanatory video on Operation Blue Star by The Print, one thing was common, the Army was expecting locals to join hands with Khalistanis against the Indian Army. Had it happened, it would have been impossible to control the situation.
Thus, Lt Gen Brar had strict instructions to complete the operation before dawn. Once the sun was up, the information about the operation would reach the inner areas of Punjab, and a large congregation of Sikhs was expected to start marching towards Amritsar with whatever weapon they could get their hands on.
The role of Pakistan in the Khalistani movement
Dhillon mentioned that he was aware of help coming from Pakistan in the form of weapons and other materials. Lt Gen Brar mentioned Pakistan was also sending drugs to inject money into the Khalistani movement apart from weapons. Both Dhillon and Lt Gen Brar, in their respective interviews, said that there was a possibility that Pakistan would attack India after learning about the Operation. Notably, it was only in the morning that Dhillon and the other Khalistanis realised that they were up against the Indian Army and not against CRPF or Punjab Police. It was a demoralising moment for the Khalistanis lodged in the Golden Temple.
Dhillon said General Shabeg Singh, the commanding officer of Bhindranwale’s private militia in Golden Temple, told everyone to keep fighting till the evening of June 5. He told everyone to ration bullets and use only one bullet per person as they were getting low on ammunition. It was believed that by the evening, Pakistan would attack India, and the Army would be forced to move to the border to push the Pakistani Army back. They planned to disperse across Punjab once Army moved away to the borders. However, it did not happen. Pakistan never attacked, and Khalistanis lodged in the Golden Temple lost to the Army.
‘No one had thought Indian Army would enter Golden Temple.’
Though there was an action against Khalistanis already underway, no one among them thought the Indian Army would enter the Golden Temple, and that too with tanks. It was believed that attacking a religious place was not something the Army would do. However, the Indian Army had strict instructions to weed out Khalistanis at any cost. However, they were also instructed to ensure minimal damage to the temple and lives.
Contradictory statements of Dhillon and Lt Gen Brar
In the interviews, there were many contradictory statements about the operation. While Lt Gen Brar said the Khalistanis had automatic guns, Dhillon claimed they only had guns like 303. Furthermore, Dhillon categorically denied holding civilians hostage to use them as a shield. He said it was true that the Indian Army made announcements urging civilians to come out, but the announcements were made very far from the place where the civilians were lodged in the Golden Temple. No one could even hear what the Army announced.
On the contrary, Lt Gen Brar noted that no one came out despite the Army’s announcements. In the end, before it was time to start the operation, a few old Sikh men came out. When debriefed, they informed the Army officials that the civilians were held hostage inside by Khalistanis to use them as a shield.
The statement could be matched by the fact that when the Army caught Dhillon, he had no weapon on him. He lied to the Army officials that he was just a student who came to Golden Temple to offer prayers. He was carrying a student ID from Chandigarh. Army officials believed him and put him in a room where civilians were being kept for safeguarding. Later, the room was attacked with grenades. Though Dhillon claimed it was the Army throwing the grenade, there is no clarity on what had happened and who threw the grenade.
Trip to Pakistan
Dhillon was shifted to a hospital for treatment, from where he managed to escape. After that, he crossed the border and went to Pakistan. Notably, he stayed with the Pakistan Army officials who took good care of him. They used their spies in India to find out his background, and once his identity as a Bhindranwale associate was confirmed, Dhillon spent his time there comfortably. The idea of taking care of him was to lure him into bringing more Sikh youth to initiate terror activities in India, and they succeeded.
Dhillon made several trips to Pakistan before he was finally captured in November 1985. During that time, he kept believing that Bhindranwale escaped from Golden Temple alive and was living in Pakistan. Interestingly, he was not alone in believing that, several Khalistanis who ran away to Pakistan believed the same.
The Pakistani Army used their delusion about Bhindranwale being alive for their benefit and got Dhillon and others to do their dirty work. It was only after Dhillon got caught that he finally realised that Bhindranwale was dead.
The Khalistani movement has harmed Punjab’s economy
Dhillon expressed his dismay over the rise of the Khalistan movement in Punjab. He said that as it adversely affected the economy during the insurgency, it will be the same again for the state if the Khalistani movement rekindles. He mentioned that the property rates are already going down in the state, and now no business house will dare to establish a business in Punjab. He spoke about his friend whose business colleague refused to buy land in Punjab even though the rates were almost half compared to neighbouring Haryana. Further, he pointed out that only a day after the Ajnala incident, there were reports that a woman dressed in Nihang attire brought Gutka Sahib and tried to use the holy book to take control of a plot.
West Pakistan ditched East Pakistan in 1971
Lt Gen Brar noted in his interview that West Pakistan ditched its Army in East Pakistan during the Bangladesh war so it wasn’t surprising that they didn’t turn up to support the Khalistanis. He narrated how General Niyazi was anguished to learn that his government left him without any support, forcing him to surrender. He mentioned that Pakistan has a habit of leaving the battlefield without caring about its men. In multiple wars, especially during the Kargil war, there were reports that Pakistan denied accepting the bodies of its soldiers. It was the Indian Army that performed their last rites.
Pakistan is going to ditch the movement again
From Sikhs For Justice to other Khalistani groups, Pakistan is trying to provide support to every Khalistani element. However, history suggests, if the time comes when Amritpal Singh and his likes need help from Pakistan to save their lives, the fountainhead of global terrorism will once again leave them alone.