Sukhdev Singh Babbar
Encyclopedia
Sukhdev Singh Babbar was the leader of Babbar Khalsa International the most heavily armed, most feared and most powerful of dozens of the militant
groups in Punjab State that are fighting for an independent state for Sikhs, known as Khalistan
. He founded (along with Talwinder Singh Babbar and Amarjit Kaur) and commanded BKI continuously for 14 years until his death in 1992.
, Amritsar
, Punjab
, India
. He could study up to the middle level only. He had three brothers. His elder brother, Mehal Singh "Babbar" is also an active leader of the Babbar Khalsa International. The older brother of both Mehal and Sukhdev, Angrej Singh, is blind. His family owned 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) of land in the village of Dassuwal. The wives of Sukhdev Singh Babbar and Mehal Singh Babbar are sisters who belonged to the adjoining village of Ghariala
with the objective secede from India
and form the state of Khalistan
for Sikhs. The first Unit of BKI was founded in Canada in 1981. This organization has presence in the US, Canada
, UK, Germany
, France
, Belgium
, Norway
, Switzerland
and Pakistan
. Babbar Khalsa International became a major participant in Khalistan movement
under his guidance and participated in hundreds of operations against Indian security forces and remained active in several Indian states.
The New York Times described Sukhdev Singh Babbar as the president of the Babbar Khalsa International, the best armed, most feared and most powerful of dozens of the militant groups in Punjab State that are fighting for an independent state for Sikhs, known as Khalistan
. During Khalistan movement
, the very name of Sukhdev Singh Babbar, chief of Babbar Khalsa International, would strike terror in the minds of the police
Faultlines indicates India used the cat system (Special Forces personnel disguised as militants), to trap Mr. Babbar. He was captured with the help of a former Babbar militant turned police-cat, who informed on him in exchange for a reward of INR 1,000,000. This former militant helped trap Mr. Babbar by arranging a meeting of top Babbar militants, ostensibly to work out future strategy. For helping neutralize the chief of the most powerful militant group in the state, the turned militant also received a full third of the reward on Singh.
Immediately after his death in 1992, Punjab Police
illegally occupied Mr. Babbar's house where he had died. An Inspector General ranked officer of Punjab Police occupied Mr. Babbar’s house, in the city of Patiala-(House Number 20, Phase I, Urban Estate, Patiala) and it was not handed over to his family even on the orders of Punjab and Haryana High Court
in 1997. Supreme Court of India
also rejected the SLP filed against Punjab and Haryana High Court
orders in August 1998 but his house was still not handed back to his family. In 1999, a “contempt of court proceedings” case against Government of Punjab
and Punjab Police
officials was being heard in the court of Justice V.S. Aggarwal, Punjab and Haryana High Court
. Finally his family members left their home and hearth for an ‘unknown place’, reportedly in a foreign country, a major portion of the ancestral house of the Babbar Khalsa chief now stands demolished and the remaining dilapidated two-room set is locked.
were commemorated as Martyrs in a memorial service held at Surrey Sikh Temple on 132 Street, Surrey
, British Columbia
, Canada
which was attended by hundreds of worshippers. Ajaib Singh Bagri, who was acquitted of charges in the Air India Flight 182
case, presented an address at the ceremony.
Militant
The word militant, which is both an adjective and a noun, usually is used to mean vigorously active, combative and aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in 'militant reformers'. It comes from the 15th century Latin "militare" meaning "to serve as a soldier"...
groups in Punjab State that are fighting for an independent state for Sikhs, known as Khalistan
Khalistan
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
. He founded (along with Talwinder Singh Babbar and Amarjit Kaur) and commanded BKI continuously for 14 years until his death in 1992.
Early life
Sukhdev Singh Babbar was born on 9 August 1955 to Jind Singh and Harnam Kaur in the village of Dassuwal, PattiPatti, India
Patti is a city and a municipal council in the Tarn Taran district of the Indian state of Punjab, located 45 km from Amritsar. Patti is the town of Mai Bhago's husband who fought in support of Guru Gobind Singh Ji against the Mughals in the war of Muktsar...
, Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He could study up to the middle level only. He had three brothers. His elder brother, Mehal Singh "Babbar" is also an active leader of the Babbar Khalsa International. The older brother of both Mehal and Sukhdev, Angrej Singh, is blind. His family owned 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) of land in the village of Dassuwal. The wives of Sukhdev Singh Babbar and Mehal Singh Babbar are sisters who belonged to the adjoining village of Ghariala
Participation in the Khalistan movement
As per The Tribune, the day of the Nirankari-Sikh clash (April 13, 1978) was also the day when his marriage was fixed. On this day, he took the pledge to take revenge on the Nirankaris. He founded the Babbar Khalsa International along with Talwinder Singh ParmarTalwinder Singh Parmar
Talwinder Singh Parmar , born in village Panshta , district Kapurthala, Punjab, India, was a highranking member of the Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa. He belonged to the Sikh Rajput community....
with the objective secede from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and form the state of Khalistan
Khalistan
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
for Sikhs. The first Unit of BKI was founded in Canada in 1981. This organization has presence in the US, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, UK, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Babbar Khalsa International became a major participant in Khalistan movement
Khalistan movement
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
under his guidance and participated in hundreds of operations against Indian security forces and remained active in several Indian states.
The New York Times described Sukhdev Singh Babbar as the president of the Babbar Khalsa International, the best armed, most feared and most powerful of dozens of the militant groups in Punjab State that are fighting for an independent state for Sikhs, known as Khalistan
Khalistan
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
. During Khalistan movement
Khalistan movement
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
, the very name of Sukhdev Singh Babbar, chief of Babbar Khalsa International, would strike terror in the minds of the police
Death
He died on 9 August 1992 when heavily armed policemen stormed a comfortable villa in the crowded city of Patiala in early August and captured him. At the time, he was India's most wanted Sikh militant. As per The New York Times, The circumstances of his death remain disputed. Initially, police said that he was killed in a gun battle outside the city. After that, they said that he was unarmed and that he committed suicide by ingesting a cyanide capsule. A third report said that he was shot by the police after his capture. On his controversial death, he was described as the most prominent militant leader since 1978 who had aura of invincibility, his death severely weakened BKI.Faultlines indicates India used the cat system (Special Forces personnel disguised as militants), to trap Mr. Babbar. He was captured with the help of a former Babbar militant turned police-cat, who informed on him in exchange for a reward of INR 1,000,000. This former militant helped trap Mr. Babbar by arranging a meeting of top Babbar militants, ostensibly to work out future strategy. For helping neutralize the chief of the most powerful militant group in the state, the turned militant also received a full third of the reward on Singh.
Family sufferings and afterwards
When Mr. Babbar was alive, Indian security forces were accused of using inhumane methods to gather information about Sukhdev Singh Babbar. As per Amnesty International, they illegally detained-without-charge, beat, and harassed his family members to gain information about Babbar Khalsa Leaders. His sister-in-law was once beaten so violently that the ligaments of her left arm and shoulder got torn, then her hands were tied behind and she was made to lie on the floor on her stomach. She was lashed with a whip and then interrogated. Policemen then placed roller planks on her legs and three men got up and rolled the planks up and down until she fainted with pain.Immediately after his death in 1992, Punjab Police
Punjab Police
Punjab Police may refer to:* Punjab Police , which operates in the Indian state of Punjab* Punjab Police , which operates in the Pakistani province of Punjab...
illegally occupied Mr. Babbar's house where he had died. An Inspector General ranked officer of Punjab Police occupied Mr. Babbar’s house, in the city of Patiala-(House Number 20, Phase I, Urban Estate, Patiala) and it was not handed over to his family even on the orders of Punjab and Haryana High Court
Punjab and Haryana High Court
Punjab and Haryana High Court is a common High Court for both the States of Punjab and Haryana and Union territory of Chandigarh, in India. It is situated at Chandigarh, the capital of the States of Punjab and Haryana. The sanctioned strenghth of this High Court is 68 judges consisting of Chief...
in 1997. Supreme Court of India
Supreme Court of India
The Supreme Court of India is the highest judicial forum and final court of appeal as established by Part V, Chapter IV of the Constitution of India...
also rejected the SLP filed against Punjab and Haryana High Court
Punjab and Haryana High Court
Punjab and Haryana High Court is a common High Court for both the States of Punjab and Haryana and Union territory of Chandigarh, in India. It is situated at Chandigarh, the capital of the States of Punjab and Haryana. The sanctioned strenghth of this High Court is 68 judges consisting of Chief...
orders in August 1998 but his house was still not handed back to his family. In 1999, a “contempt of court proceedings” case against Government of Punjab
Government of Punjab (India)
The Government of Punjab also known as the State Government of Punjab , or locally as State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Punjab and its 20 districts...
and Punjab Police
Punjab Police
Punjab Police may refer to:* Punjab Police , which operates in the Indian state of Punjab* Punjab Police , which operates in the Pakistani province of Punjab...
officials was being heard in the court of Justice V.S. Aggarwal, Punjab and Haryana High Court
Punjab and Haryana High Court
Punjab and Haryana High Court is a common High Court for both the States of Punjab and Haryana and Union territory of Chandigarh, in India. It is situated at Chandigarh, the capital of the States of Punjab and Haryana. The sanctioned strenghth of this High Court is 68 judges consisting of Chief...
. Finally his family members left their home and hearth for an ‘unknown place’, reportedly in a foreign country, a major portion of the ancestral house of the Babbar Khalsa chief now stands demolished and the remaining dilapidated two-room set is locked.
Honours
The Vancouver Sun has reported that on October, 1997, Mr. Sukhdev Singh Babbar along with Talwinder Singh ParmarTalwinder Singh Parmar
Talwinder Singh Parmar , born in village Panshta , district Kapurthala, Punjab, India, was a highranking member of the Sikh militant group Babbar Khalsa. He belonged to the Sikh Rajput community....
were commemorated as Martyrs in a memorial service held at Surrey Sikh Temple on 132 Street, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
which was attended by hundreds of worshippers. Ajaib Singh Bagri, who was acquitted of charges in the Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182
Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montreal–London–Delhi route. On 23 June 1985, the airplane operating on the route a Boeing 747-237B named after Emperor Kanishka was blown up by a bomb at an altitude of , and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while in Irish airspace.A...
case, presented an address at the ceremony.