Khalistan Separatist Movement of India

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The Khalistan movement aimed to create a separate Sikh country. The territorial definition of the proposed country ranges from the Punjab state of India to the greater Punjab region, including the Indian Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Northern Districts of Rajasthan such as Sri Ganga Nagar and Hanuman Garh. The movement remained very active in the Punjab state of India from1970s to early 1990s however there are still some elements inside and outside India who are struggling for their separate homeland.

 After the partition the majority of the Sikhs migrated from the Pakistani part to the Indian province of Punjab. India's independence in 1947, The Punjabi Suba Movement led by the Sikh political party Akali Dal led to the trifurcation of the Punjab state. The remnant Punjab state became Sikh-majority and Punjabi-majority. Subsequently, a section of the Sikh leaders started demanding more autonomy for the states, alleging that the Central government was discriminating against Punjab. Although the Akali Dal explicitly opposed the demand for an independent Sikh country, the issues raised by it were used as a premise for the creation of a separate country by the proponents of Khalistan.

In June 1984, the Indian Government ordered a military operation, Operation Blue Star to clear Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar and thirty other Gurdwaras (Sikh Place of Worship) of armed terrorists who were desecrating Gurudwaras by using those as sanctuary. The Indian Army used 3,000 armed troops of the 9th Division of the National Security Guards, 175 Parachute Regiment and artillery units, and 700 Jawans. During this operation, Indian Army had around 83+ casualties with 220 injuries, and 200- 250 Sikh militants were killed. The handling of the operation, damage to the Holy shrine and loss of life on both sides, led to widespread criticism of the Indian Government. The Indian government did this under complete media blockage. However, the eyewitness accounts of survivors revealed the real picture to public. This lead of widespread distrust and anger against the Indian government and primarily the Indian Prime Minister. The Indian Prime Minister Indira Ghandi was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards in retaliation. Following her death, thousands of Sikhs were massacred. The subsequent insurgency saw several secessionist militant groups becoming active in Punjab, supported by a section of the Sikh Diaspora.Indian security forces suppressed the insurgency in the early 1990s, but Sikh political groups such as some Sikh parties continued to pursue an independent Khalistan through non-violent means. Pro-Khalistan organisations such Dal Khalsa International are also active outside India.

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