Cover story PUNJAB MILITANCY The ISI is plotting to revive a dead dream. Ensconced in Lahore, two of Khalistan movement’s most dreaded militants are fanning the flames of a deep-seated anger. By Asit Jolly ndia’s most wanted Khalistan terrorist lives in plush military- style quarters, adjoining Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport. Wadhawa Singh Babbar remains busy plotting carnage against his home country with his Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) hosts. The 65-year-old grey-bearded head of perhaps the deadliest Khalistani terror group, Babbar Khalsa IInternational (BKI), along with his ISI minders, remains engaged in trying to revive the long-defeated Khalistan movement in Punjab. On the walls surrounding his operations centre are detailed section maps not only of Punjab but also of adjoining north Indian states that are the BKI’s extended battlefield. Like chess pawns, multi-coloured pins are moved around on these maps, marking potential targets. With ISI-sponsored militant groups in comparative disarray in Kashmir, Pakistan’s long-stated ambition of “inflicting death by a thousand cuts” on its larger neighbour is being pursued through well-funded and equipped Khalistani groups. Their deadly intent was evident in the seizure on October 12 of an RDX cargo in Ambala, Haryana. Recent events in Punjab have rejuvenated militant Sikh groups. In 2007, there were sectarian clashes between Sikhs and followers of the breakaway Sacha Sauda sect. More recently, there was widespread public indignation over the rejection of the mercy petititon of Devinderpal Singh Bhullar. Bhullar faces a death sentence for killing nine persons in an attempt on former Youth PRABHJOT GILL Congress chief Maninderjeet Singh Bitta in 1993. The radical fringe is seeking three things. It wants retribution for Operation Bluestar—the Indian Army’s attack on Amritsar’s Golden Temple in June 1984 to flush out terrorists hiding inside Cover story PUNJAB MILITANCY G U E S T C O L U M N K.P.S.GILL SINISTER The writer was DGP, Punjab Police. He heads the Institute for Conflict Management, Delhi There have been ominous indicators that the spectre of Khalistani terror 4 SIGNS has returned to haunt the country. It has already cost many lives. SHINGAR CINEMA OCT 14, 2007 IT’S AN 18-YEAR-OLD PLOT Babbar Khalsa terrorists bomb Ludhiana’s ISI has persisted with its ‘K2’plan to bring together Khalistani and Kashmiri terrorists popular Shringar cinema, killing seven people and injuring more than 20. here is, in counterterrorism, no stance, been continuous recoveries of Nor is there anything particularly room for complacency. Given weapons and explosives. There were novel in the BKI-LeT combination. DELHI CINEMABLASTS MAY 22, 2005 TSouth Asia’s fractious environ- at least four instances in 2010, where Indeed, as the Khalistanis came ment, any terrorist incident beyond a substantial quantities of RDX were re- under near-terminal pressure in the Babbar Khalsa terrorists set off explosions certain scale has the potential to un- covered in Punjab. Data compiled by early 1990s, the ISI authored its ‘K2’ inside Delhi’s Liberty and Satyam cinemas leash forces that may be difficult to the Institute for Conflict Manage- programme—a plot to bring together killing one person and injuring 60 others. contain. The discovery of 5 kg of RDX ment, Delhi, confirms the arrest of at Khalistani and Kashmiri terrorists. The blasts take place during the screening of Jo Bole So Nihal, a film considered offensive and equipment to rig improvised ex- least 134 terrorists over the past The project was an abject failure, but by many orthodox Sikhs. plosive devices in a car in Ambala on decade (2001-2011). the ISI has continued its efforts. October 12, is, consequently, cause It is equally important, however, to The reality is, the Punjab Police BURAILJAILBREAK JAN 22, 2004 for concern. recognise that the last major incident and intelligence network have estab- Intelligence relating to these re- of terrorism by the Khalistanis was lished extraordinary capacities of AMBALARDXHAUL OCT 12, 2011 Babbar Khalsa militants Jagtar Tara and two coveries indicates a plot involving the the Ludhiana bomb blast of October penetration, with most movements of others accused of assassinating Punjab Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) 15, 2007, and even this was engi- terrorist cadres and sympathisers Sniffer dogs help recover 5.6 kg of RDX from a car at the Ambala cantonment. Police chief minister Beant Singh escape from and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), neered by a combination of BKI cadres closely monitored. Police action has say Babbar Khalsa operatives were transporting the explosives to Delhi. Chandigarh jail by digging a 104 ft tunnel. backed by Pakistan’s Inter Services and Hindu mercenaries. The BKI is also educated the public about the Intelligence (ISI), and such linkages finding it difficult to recruit dedicated horrors of terrorism. Crucially, de- the holy shrine. It wants to avenge vised explosive device (IED) packed with and a principal perpetrator in assassi- between Pakistan-based Khalistani cadres in Punjab. Most of its opera- spite the maladministration in Punjab the mass killing of over 3,000 Sikhs fol- 5 kg of RDX would instantly kill scores of nating Punjab chief minister Beant and Islamist terrorist groupings are a tives are seduced by purely merce- since 1993, no government or major lowing Indira Gandhi’s assassination people in its immediate surroundings, Singh in 1995, claimed ownership of further source of apprehension. nary motives, including the promise political formation has compromised four months later. It believes that the besides critically injuring dozens of the aborted terror plot. In a statement There is speculation that the explo- of resettlement abroad. with terrorism. The sole exception only definition of “justice” is secession others,” says Gopalji Mishra, who has printed on Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) sives were intended for strikes in was the effort by one national party to from India. “Sikhs cannot be compelled investigated over 500 blast sites as stationery originating from Pakistan, Delhi and, coming soon after the Delhi JARNAIL SINGH BHINDRANWALE use some ex-terrorists in the gurd- to live under alien rule,” says a former head of Punjab’s Forensic Science he stated that the RDX consignment was High Court bombings, there has been WITH HIS FOLLOWERS wara elections this year, but the out- militant, who is confident of “dying in Laboratory and subsequently as ad- meant to target Congress leader Sajjan a certain stridency in the reportage come for them was disastrous. Khalistan.” This interview (see viser to the state police. Kumar for his alleged involvement in on the Ambala recoveries. This has There is, nevertheless, a well box) was given under conditions of the 1984 riots following Indira Gandhi’s not been diminished by statements funded and virulent propaganda strict annoymity. assassination. “The KTF considers it a emanating from the Government. campaign ongoing, and this is often In Punjab alone, 170 terrorists, in- he lethal consignment smuggled duty to kill Sajjan Kumar who is one of There is a degree of overreaction mounted from the human rights plat- cluding ‘sleepers’, have been arrested Tfrom Pakistan across the Jammu the biggest enemies of the Sikh quam and posturing here. Assessments of form. Khalistani groups continue to over the past four years leading to the border had moved unchallenged to the (community),” Tara said while warning the threat of the possible revival of enjoy freedom abroad, and attempts recovery of a varied arsenal comprising garrison town 200 km north of the police against “hounding” innocent Khalistani terrorism should be based to recapture gurdwaras where they a sub-machine gun, 20 AK-47 assault Capital before Delhi Police’s Special Sikhs with no link to his plot. “Our next on objective conditions. First, it is im- have lost influence continue. Extrem- rifles, numerous small arms, hundreds Cell, alerted by suspicious mobile attempt (on Sajjan Kumar) will follow portant to recognise that this is not an ist Sikh politics has, on occasion, of rounds of armour-piercing ordnance phone intercepts originating in Nepal, very soon,” he warned. abrupt manifestation of something manifested itself in violence abroad, and over 100 kg of assorted explosives seized it. Briefed by some BKI ‘sleepers’ Sources in the Delhi Police say that new. Pakistan has kept Khalistani ter- the most recent case being the mur- including RDX, PETN (pentaerythritol active in Punjab, two clean-shaven there is no confirmation of Tara’s claim rorism on life support ever since the der of Sant Ramanand by Khalistan tetranitrate) and gelignite. Police offi- Sikh couriers, who were driving the that the RDX was meant to target Sajjan comprehensive defeat of the move- Zindabad Force activists in Vienna in cials say anaesthetic material was also nondescript car with the explosives, Kumar. “It could be just a ruse used by ment in Punjab. The Ambala recover- May 2009. The Punjab border is also seized, suggesting that kidnapping had vanished without a trace. ISI to instigate BKI operatives on the ies are part of a sustained Pakistani the scene of rampant smuggling and also returned to the terrorist agenda. Police believe the RDX, meant to be ground,” a senior official claimed. effort to reactivate Khalistani groups. the ISI continues to link up criminals The October 12 ISI-backed distributed among ‘sleeper’ cadres in Tara was one of four BKI operatives Indeed, evidence of such efforts is lit- with the surviving rump of Khalis- Khalistani offensive, intended to target Delhi, was intended to create havoc in who on a freezing January 2004 night tered right across the 18 years of tanis based in Pakistan. There is an Delhi, was foiled by two Labrador snif- Delhi’s bazaars ahead of Diwali similar slid through a 104 ft-long tunnel under peace in the state.