Template:More citations needed
| Office | Jathedar of the Akal Takht
|
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Gurdev Singh Kaunke |
| Successor | Darshan Singh
|
| Born | 1954-06-06 |
| Born | Manochahal, Tarn Taran, Panjab |
| Died | Template:Death date and age |
| Place of death | Rataul, Tarn Taran, Panjab
|
Gurbachan Singh Manochahal was a Sikh extremist militant, who founded the Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan in 1984.[1][2]
Early life
Gurbachan Singh was born on 6 June 1954 in the village Manochahal, 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.
Manochahal was shot in the arm during the 1978 Sikh–Nirankari clashes. After this incident, he had maintained a relationship with Damdami Taksal and became acquainted with other members of the organization, such as Amrik Singh and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Insurgency
Template:Sfn 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.Template:Citation needed
In 1992, a separate Panthic committee headed by Dr. Sohan Singh was formed. 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.Template:Citation needed
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.[3]
Death
Manochahal carried a bounty of Template:INR30 lakh on his head. He was killed in a police encounter on 1 March 1993 by Punjab Police. Manochahal escaped from the police's dragnet on 27 February in Bagrian village before the police cornered him in the nearby Rataul village the following day. He was armed with a machine gun and After a heavy firefight, he was killed. The chief of the Punjab Police, Kanwar Pal Singh Gill later proclaimed, "Now I can say that we have finished militancy in Punjab."[5][6]
Bibliography
- [{{{url}}} The Khalistan Movement in Punjab, India, and the Post-Militancy Era: Structural Change and New Political Compulsions](2009). https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Gurbachan_Singh_Manochal
References
- ↑ Kharku lehar in Punjab{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Gyan Books(1 January 2000). ISBN 9788121206594
- ↑ Fighting for Faith and Nation{{#if:Mahmood|, Mahmood}. University of Pennsylvania Press(1996). ISBN 9780812215922
- ↑ Old men and their Official secrets - Times of India. The Times of India. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
- ↑ The Rajiv Gandhi years. India Today. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
- ↑ Indian police kill top Sikh guerilla. The Daily Gazette(1 March 1993).
- ↑ [{{{url}}} Manochahal killed in encounter]. The Indian Express(1 March 1993).