Gurbachan Singh Manochahal
Gurbachan Singh Manochahal was a Khalistani,[1] activist. who founded the Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan in 1984[2] (in reaction to operation bluetstar that Indian army performed to neutralize khalistani activists who were given shelter in Darbar Sahib also known as Golden Temple, and served as the acting Jathedar of Akal Takht from April 1986 to January 1987.
Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal | |
---|---|
ਬਾਬਾ ਗੁਰਬਚਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਾਨੋਚਾਹਲ | |
Jathedar of Akal Takht | |
In office 27 April 1986 – 26 January 1987 | |
Preceded by | Gurdev Singh Kaunke |
Succeeded by | Darshan Singh |
Personal details | |
Born | Gurbachan Singh 6 June 1954 Manochahal, Tarn Taran, Panjab |
Died | 27 February 1993 38) Rataul, Tarn Taran, Panjab | (aged
Militant group | Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan |
Post | Chief |
Early life
Gurbachan Singh Manochahal was born on 6 June 1954 at village Manochahal in Tarn Taran district in the Indian state of Punjab to S. Atma Singh and Gurmej Kaur. He served in the Indian Army during his youth. He was later court martialed from the army.
Manochahal was shot in the arm during the 1978 Sikh–Nirankari clashes. Manochahal maintained a relationship with Damdami Taksal and became acquainted with other members of the organization, such as Amrik Singh and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Insurgency
[3] Manochahal led a resolution at the 1986 Sarbat Khalsa to declare the resolve of a separate Sikh homeland and also formed a Panthic committee which would lead Sikhs per this resolution.
In 1992, a separate Panthic committee headed by Dr. Sohan Singh was formed.Ok It called for the boycott of the 1992 Punjab Legislative Assembly election. Elections resulted in a Congress Government under Beant Singh of the Congress Party. The formation of this committee undermined the influence of Manochahal who was criticized for his support for political participation and led to a divide between the armed groups within Punjab.
Per Maloy Krishna Dhar, a former Joint Director, Intelligence Bureau, India, he was given the task to negotiate with Gurbachan Singh Manochahal. He contacted Manochahal through a journalist source, was blindfolded and taken a few hundred kilometres from Amritsar to meet with him where he secretly held negotiations for three hours before he was blindfolded again and transported back.[4]
Death
"Indian police kill top Sikh guerilla". The Daily Gazette. 1 March 1993.</ref>
Bibliography
- Van Dyke, Virginia (2009), "The Khalistan Movement in Punjab, India, and the Post-Militancy Era: Structural Change and New Political Compulsions", Asian Survey, 49 (6): 975–997, doi:10.1525/as.2009.49.6.975 https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurbachan_Singh_Manochal
References
- Dang, Satyapal; Bakaya, Ravi M. (1 January 2000). Terrorism in Punjab. Gyan Books. p. 412 pages. ISBN 9788121206594.
- Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley (1996). Fighting for Faith and Nation. Series in Contemporary Ethnography. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 159ff. ISBN 9780812215922.
- Van Dyke 2009, p. 990.
- "Old men and their Official secrets - Times of India". Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
- "The Rajiv Gandhi years". India Today. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2017.