Context: 

Recently, hundreds of followers of Amritpal Singh, a radical preacher and pro-Khalistan leader, clashed violently with police outside Ajnala police station near Amritsar, demanding the release of one of their colleagues who had been taken into custody in an alleged kidnapping case.

What is the Khalistan movement?

• It is a fight for a separate, sovereign Sikh state in present day Punjab (both India and Pakistan). 
• The movement was crushed in India following Operation Blue Star (1984) and Operation Black Thunder (1986 and 1988), but it continues to evoke sympathy and support among sections of the Sikh population, especially in the Sikh diaspora in countries such as Canada, the UK and Australia.

When did the movement start and why?

• The political struggle for greater autonomy began around the time of Independence, with the Punjabi Suba Movement for the creation of a Punjabi-speaking state. 
• The States Reorganisation Commission, in its 1955 report, rejected this demand, but in 1966, after years of protest, the state of Punjab was reorganised to reflect the Punjabi Suba demand.
• The erstwhile Punjab state was trifurcated into the Hindi-speaking, Hindu-majority states of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana and the Punjabi-speaking, Sikh-majority Punjab.

What was the Anandpur Sahib Resolution?

• This Resolution demanded autonomy for the state of Punjab, identified regions that would be part of a separate state and sought the right to frame its own internal constitution.
• While the Akalis themselves repeatedly made it clear that they were not demanding secession from India, for the Indian state, the Anandpur Sahib Resolution was of grave concern.

When did Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale come into the picture?

• Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was a charismatic preacher in Punjab who went beyond demands for greater autonomy.
• He positioned himself as “the authentic voice of the Sikhs” and criticized the Akali Dal’s leadership.
• By the 1980s, Bhindranwale’s popularity had grown significantly, becoming a problem for the government.
• In 1982, Bhindranwale, with support from the Akali Dal’s leadership, launched the Dharam Yudh Morcha civil disobedience movement, demanding socio-economic reforms for Punjab’s rural Sikh population. 
• Bhindranwale took up residence inside the Golden Temple and directed demonstrations and clashes with the police, leading to a violent confrontation between the militants and the Indian Army in 1984.

What was Operation Blue Star?

• Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian Army to flush out militants from the Golden Temple and neutralise Bhindranwale.
• Operation Blue Star began on June 1, 1984.
• The Army faced fierce resistance from Bhindranwale and his heavily armed supporters, leading to a larger and more violent operation than intended.
• A large number of civilian casualties occurred during the operation, adding to the trauma.

What happened in the aftermath of Operation Blue Star?

• Operation Blue Star was successful in killing Bhindranwale and freeing the Golden Temple of militants.
• However, it caused grave wounds to the Sikh community around the world and galvanized the demand for Khalistan.
• Indira Gandhi’s assassination on October 31, 1984, by two Sikh bodyguards triggered the worst communal violence since Partition.

What is the status of the Khalistan movement today?

• Punjab has long been peaceful, but the movement lives among some Sikh communities overseas. 
• The deep rooted anger over Operation Blue Star and the desecration of the Golden Temple continues to resonate with some in the newer generations of Sikhs. 
• However, even as Bhindranwale is viewed as a martyr by many and the 1980s remembered as dark times, this has not manifested into tangible political support for the Khalistan cause.

News Source: The Indian Express 

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