The police killed several important Sikh militant leaders in Punjab in recent weeks. The most important among them were Bhai Sukhdev Singh Babbar Chief of the Babbar Khalsa International, and Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala, chief of Khalistan Commando Force, Indian security forces and intelligence agencies launched a massive attack on activists of the Khalistan movement, A dozen odd militant workers were being eliminated daily in genuine or fake police encounters. Apart from the military offensive, India also carried out political attacks on the Sikh movement recently. It pulled out from its torture chambers an important B.K.1. activist, Gurdip Singh Sibia, produced him at a closely guarded public function and used him to attack the movement politically, Sibia’s argument was that Sikhs were fighting a lonely battle which would prove futile. A series of propaganda news were carried by a section of Punjab’s controlled media alleging that Bhai Sukhdev Singh Babbar had been living lavishly and that he had gone in for second marriage. The woman concerned, although now in police custody, bravely denied the charge and asserted that the Babbar Khalsa chief was actually her brother. In the wake of these developments came statements by Punjab chief minister Beant Singh and police chief K.P.S.Gill the “law and order” had improved. They gave an impression that the Khalistan movement was on the wane and that the militancy was on way to being contained. Leaders of pro-India C.P.I. also echoed these sentiments to suggest that the situation in Punjab had considerably improved. Legitimacy to these views was provided by traditional Akalis functioning under the aegis of “six panthic organizations” when they decided to contest the forthcoming municipal election. Earlier, in February they had boycotted the election to the state’s Assembly. The call for the boycott had been issued by the underground militant movement. Evidently the Akalis wanted to g0 their own way disregarding the views of militants on the election despite the fact that these leaders had sometime ago publicly accepted militants as leaders of the Sikh panth,

These who talk of “improvement” in Punjab’s political situation as a result of the deaths of certain pro-Khalistan activities do not really understand the fundamental reality of the Punjab problem. The Sikh movement is not coterminous with a few Sikh leaders, howsoever important they may be. Even the death of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale had not meant an end to the movement. Indian propaganda machinery had predicted the fall of the Sikh movement soon after the operation “Blue Star.” Similar claims were made after the operation “Black Thunder” at Amritsar in 1987. The death of Bhai Sukhdev Singh (Sukha Sipahi) was also celebrated as death knoll of the movement, The Indian state and its mercenaries are not willing to accept the reality that the current Sikh movement is mass based and its aim is freedom from Indian colonialism. Traditional Akalis tend to go with the Indian state because the movement has hit their vested interests; they have been rendered irrelevant and unemployed. The Akalis want to stage a comeback as self-styled protectors of Sikh youths. One item on the Akali agenda these days is to seek the release of Bhai Sukhdev Singh and Bhai Harjinder Singh. The two Sikh youth leaders have, in turn, asked Akalis to rally round the Sikh movement and respond to the unity call issued by Bhai Daljit Singh,

There have been different phases of the movement. It has been through ups and downs, The same will happen in the future too. But it is unlikely to lose its basic ingredient namely the historical Sikh resolve to attain freedom from Indian imperialism. Fighting or boycotting elections is not an end in itself. It is a means to the end. Elections provide an opportunity to politically mobilize the masses in favor of or against a plank. The Sikh movement had showed in February 1992 that an overwhelming majority of the electorate were against the Indian state and were on the side of the movement. Politics is a continuous process. Just as it is in Indian state’s interest to propagate Khalistan as a mere dream, it is in Sikh’s interest to show that the dream is viable and that a vast majority of the Sikhs and non-Sikhs stand by it. The movement leadership will have to review their strategy and tactics in the light of the experience gained. The enemy must not get away with the impression that Sikh tactics or strategy is predictable. A certain amount of flexibility will have to be introduced. It is important to take note of the Sikh masses’ views expressed from time to time on matters of strategy or tactics. The Sikh militant movement will also have to review its organizational structure to make it impregnable. It is unimaginative to operate in formations of semi-traditional warfare. The movement must make fresh efforts to build up an over ground structure to work in tendon with the underground movement. If necessary, a complete break with the traditional Akali leadership may be made, Traditional Akalis are on the side of the Indian state, their public postures notwithstanding. More imaginative ways of weakening the Indian state will have to be devised by the Sikh over ground and underground movement. More violence against one or the other target does not bring the goal nearer. A sustained movement must involve the masses, The Sikh leadership is called upon at this critical juncture to give lie to the propaganda that the movement for Khalistan has been contained.

Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 28, 1992