Dal Khalsa (organization)

Dal Khalsa is an extremist[5][6] Sikh organisation, based in the city of Amritsar. The outfit was formed in 1978 by Gajinder Singh, the hijacker[7][8][9] of Indian Airlines Flight 423.[2][3] It came to prominence during Insurgency in Punjab, India along with Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in 1981. Members of the Dal Khalsa have also been accused of the assassination of Lala Jagat Narain.[1] The primary aim of Dal Khalsa is to form a religion-based Sikh nation called Khalistan.[6]

Dal Khalsa
ਦਲ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ
Formation13 April 1978 (1978-04-13)[1]
FounderGajinder Singh[2][3]
TypeSikh nationalism
PurposeCreation of a Sikh religion-based sovereign state
HeadquartersAmritsar, Punjab (India)
Region served
Worldwide
Official language
Punjabi
Key people
Kanwarpal Singh[4]

History

Origin

On 13 April 1978, the members and leaders of the Sant Nirankari Mission (regarded by orthodox sikh as heretics) held a convention at the Golden Temple. Opposed to this mission, Damdami Taksal and Akhand Kirtani Jatha formed a procession to protest the convention. Soon a clash broke out between the two sides in which 2 Nirankaris and 13 orthodox Sikhs were killed.[10][11] This clash was termed the 1978 Sikh–Nirankari clash.

Dal Khalsa (DK) was founded in the immediate aftermath of this incident by Gajinder Singh at a convention held at a Gurdwara in Chandigarh with the objective of establishing an independent Sikh state called Khalistan, governed by Sikh religious laws.[3]

Noted journalist Mark Tully in his book claimed that Sanjay Gandhi and Giani Zail Singh were instrumental in the formation of DK in order to promote Bhinderawale and to harass Akalis.[12]

At its first annual conference held in Gurdaspur in December 1979, the DK, with the support of All India Sikh Students Federation, passed a resolution demanding that Amritsar be officially declared a "holy city". This was later taken up with the Indian government by the SGPC in 1980 but the demand was rejected by the government. Sikh Students Federation organised a procession on 31 May 1981 which was opposed by a Hindu procession.

On 1 August 1981, DK Activists raised the Khalistan Flag at the location of the 1978 Sikh-Nirankari clash. The flag was also raised at various places in the Punjab state during India's Independence Day on 15 August 1981.[13]

During 1981 the DK along with other Sikh organisations such as the Sikh Students Federation, SGPC and Shiromani Akali Dal demanded associate membership in the United Nations for the 'Sikh Nation'.

Militancy and Ban

A 10-year ban was put on the DK by the Indian government in 1982 following militant activities carried out by the organization.[14][15]

These included the hijacking of the Indian Airlines Flight 423 on 29 September 1981. The plane was hijacked by five members of the DK including the founder Gajinder Singh. The hijackers forced the plane to land in Lahore and demanded 500,000 USD random and the release of Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Pakistani authorities were able to convince the release of most of the passengers and eventually Pakistani military conducted a commando operation to apprehend the hijackers and free the captives. Even though General Zia Ul-Haq promised full cooperation to the Indian authorities, the hijackers were never extradited to India.[16] The hijackers were identified as Gajinder Singh, Satnam Singh of Paonta Sahib, Jasbir Singh of Ropar, Tejinderpal Singh of Jalandhar and Karam Singh of Jammu.

The DK and National Council of Khalistan were banned by the Indian government in May, 1982 after which the DK went underground.[17][13] Two years later, the DK announced its "Government in Exile" in June, 1984.

Revival of Dal Khalsa

The ban imposed on DK was lifted in 1992. The leader of the organisation, Gajinder Singh continued to reside in Pakistan even after this lift of the ban.[18] In 1996, Gajinder Singh tried to escape to Germany but he was deported back to Pakistan. Since the lifting of the ban, DK has openly operated in India.[19]

On 30 September 2005, Gajinder Singh stepped down as Chairman of the organisation with Satnam Singh Paonta, one of the co-founders,[13] chosen as his successor.

In June 2005, the DK became a constituent member of the Punjab Rights Forum.

Currently Harcharanjit Singh Dhami is the president of DK, and Kanwarpal Singh is the secretary general.[6]

In February 2007 the DK broke from its earlier stance regarding participation in Indian politics by supporting two candidates in the Punjab polls, most notably SGPC member Karnail Singh Panjoli. During the Punjab legislative assembly elections the DK also supported candidates from the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) led by Simranjit Singh Mann.

Recent activity

In September, 2008, DK named the expatriate Sikh leader Manmohan Singh vice president. Singh had already been placed on an Indian government blacklist for past militant activities.[20]

On 3 November 2009, marking 25 years of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots following the assassination of then PM Indira Gandhi, DK called for a Bandh.[21]

In November 2009, Kanwarpal Singh and other noted Sikh representatives from various organizations, under the leadership of Justice (retd) Ajit Singh Bains met Shalini Dewan, the Director of United Nations Information Centre at New Delhi and urged the UN to intervene in getting justice for victims of 1984 incident.

In January 2010, DK along with other separatist organisations in India, namely the National Socialist Council of Nagaland and All Parties Hurriyat Conference of Jammu Kashmir came together to demand "early solution to the impasse" of Kashmir, Nagaland and Punjab.[22][13] On 26 January 2010, DK wrote a letter to prime minister Manmohan Singh highlighting constitutional and legal discriminations faced by Sikhs in India. It demanded that Indian state should immediately abrogate Article 25 (2)(b) of the Indian constitution as it violates the fundamental recognition of Sikhs as a separate religion.[23] On 12 May 2010, the important day of victory of Banda Singh Bahadur, DK participated in parades where flags of Khalistan was unfurled pictures and slogans of Sikh militants were openly displayed.[24][25]

In 2015, DK demanded opening of Cow-Slaughterhouses in Punjab[26] and also questioned Beef-Ban in Jammu and Kashmir.[27]

In September 2015, DK and Shiromani Akali Dal (Panch Pardani) merged into a single entity by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the main aim to achieve a separate Sikh home land.[28]

Nanakshahi calendar

On 14 March 2010 DK commemorated 227th anniversary of the historic event when Sikh warrior Baba Baghel Singh, unfurled Nishan Sahib atop the historic Red Fort in 1783. At a well-attended convention at a village gurdwara built in memory of Baba Baghel Singh, DK rejected the amended version of the SGPC Nanakshahi Calendar which went back to the original Sikh calendar with Bikrami dates (moon dates). They released the Nanakshahi calendar (Mool Nanakshahi Calendar) created by SGPC sponsored Sikh scholar Pal Singh Purewal.[29][30] The calendar has been dedicated to the great Sikh warrior Baba Baghel Singh.[30]

DK spokesperson Kanwarpal Singh rued that the SGPC has killed the letter and spirit of Nanakshahi calendar by mixing it with Bikrami calendar, which had its roots in Hinduism. "We had mentioned dates of Gurpurabs [Sikh religious days] according to original calendar adopted in April 2003 as we believe that the amended version has an imprint of RSS ideology," Singh said.[31] "DK fully recognises the conspiracy behind this which is led by Hindutva Fanatics and the RSS. In principle, we are totally against the changes as per Bikrami calendar made by the SGPC on the dictates of SAD (Badal) to appease Sant Samaj," he alleged. On 3 January 2010, SGPC executive members had given approval to bring amendments in Nanak Shahi Calendar, following the green signal from Akal Takht. However, several Sikh organisations have condemned the changes brought in the calendar.[32]

Sit-in and hunger strike

DK party activists held 72 hours sit-in protest at outside the main entrance gate of Darbar Sahib Complex from 3 June to 6,2010.

March 2023 controversy

On March 23, 2023, news reports showed Gurcharan Singh, a leader from Dal Khalsa UK, giving a controversial speech while addressing a group of protestors near the High Commission of India in London. A part of his speech in Punjabi translated to: "Bhagat Singh was a bootlicker and a traitor who showed the Sikh community as terrorists. He should not be called a great martyr (Shaheed-e-azam)."[33]

References
  1. M.Arokia Selva Sundar, K. Sasikala (10 November 2019). "Operation Blue Star and White Paper on Punjab Agitation". Think India Quarterly. 22 (10): 9361–9371.
  2. "Panch Pardhani merges with Dal Khalsa". Tribune India. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  3. Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley (1996). Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 82. ISBN 978-0812215922.
  4. "Dal Khalsa to convene assembly of minorities". Tribune India. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  5. Pandher, Sarabjit (3 January 2015). "Dal Khalsa for deadline to free ex-militants". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
  6. "On IC-423 hijack: Lahore to Pathankot, via Kandahar". The Hindu. 25 January 2016. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  7. "Hijacker of IA flight discharged". The Hindu. 22 February 2000. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  8. "SIKH SEPARATISTS HIJACK INDIAN JETLINER TO PAKISTAN". The New York Times. 30 September 1981. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  9. Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley (1996). Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 78-79. ISBN 978-0812215922.
  10. "Other people's wars: A Review of Overseas Terrorism in Canada". Toronto, Canada: The Mackenzie Institute. 8 June 2003. Archived from the original on 24 October 2005. Retrieved 17 July 2005.
  11. Mark Tully & Satish Jacob (1985). Amritsar: Mrs Gandhi's Last Battle. Rupa Publications. ISBN 9788129109170.
  12. "Formation, ideology and modus operandi of Dal Khalsa". Khalistan Extremism Monitor. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  13. "Agency Decisions". 13 January 2015.
  14. Sloan, Stephen; Anderson, Sean K. (3 August 2009). Historical Dictionary of Terrorism. ISBN 9780810863118.
  15. "On IC-423 hijack: Lahore to Pathankot, via Kandahar". The Hindu. 25 January 2016. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  16. Sloan, Stephen; Anderson, Sean K. (3 August 2009). Historical Dictionary of Terrorism. p. 628. ISBN 9780810863118.
  17. Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, India: The treatment of the Dal Khalsa and Balbir Singh by the Indian authorities; recent activities of Dal Khalsa; whether the Indian government views Dal Khalsa as a "terrorist organization", 19 November 2002, IND40419.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4da926.html [accessed 27 April 2023]
  18. PTI (30 August 2020). "Akal Takht set to honour radical Dal Khalsa founder & accused hijacker Gajinder Singh". ThePrint. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  19. "Blacklisted Sikh leader appointed". The Tribune. 20 September 2008.
  20. "Sikh leaders to meet UN official today". The Tribune. 10 November 2009.
  21. "terrorist-group-incident-text-india-punjab-all-parties-hurriyat-conference-aphc_Jan-2010". www.satp.org. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  22. Singh, Prabh. "Dal khalsa wrote letter to Indian PM on constitutional and legal discriminations | SikhSiyasat.net – Sikh News and Multimedia". Sikhsiyasat.net. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  23. "Khalistan posters, slogans mark the Fateh March in memory of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur". Punjabnewsline.com. 12 May 2010. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  24. "Other States / Punjab News : Khalsa marches mark major Sikh". The Hindu. 13 May 2010. Archived from the original on 19 May 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  25. "Dal Khalsa favours cow slaughter houses in Punjab". Punjab News. 18 September 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  26. "Beef Ban: Why is There No Ban on Liquor, asks Dal Khalsa". Kashmir Life. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  27. India (18 September 2015). "Sikh extremists merge parties, bring end to unsuccessful stint in electoral politics". The Indian Express. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  28. "Mool Nanakshai Calendar (MNC) Implementation Conference". 16 November 2017.
  29. "Dal Khalsa rejects SGPC version, released original version of the Nanakshahi calendar". Punjabnewsline.com. 14 March 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  30. "Dal Khalsa rejects SGPC version, released original version of the Nanakshahi calendar | www.punjabnewsline.com". 4 March 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  31. Dal Khalsa denounces changes in Nanakshahi Calendar
  32. "WATCH: Khalistanis insult Bhagat Singh, call him a 'traitor'". Firstpost. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
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