Kharku (Punjabi: ਖਾੜਕੂ Template:Small, Template:Nastaliq Template:Small; khāṛakū, khaarakoo; literally meaning courageous, bold, brave, dreaded, feared, or domineering; alternatively spelt as Kharaku)[1] is a Punjabi term used as a self-designation by Sikh militants of the Punjab insurgency who were followers of the Khalistan movement.[2]
History
During the later years of British India and early decades following Indian independence, some slogans were coined during those times which invoked the word Kharku to serve a political message, an example being "Khanda Kharku, Nehru Bhajju", meaning: "when Sikh swords begin to clatter, Nehru shall flee".[3] The Kharkus fought an insurgency primarily between the years of 1978–1993, sparked by the 1978 Sikh-Nirankari clash, which led to the deaths of 13 orthodox Sikhs.[4]
Their ultimate goal was the establishment of a sovereign Sikh state (Khalsa Raj) based upon political justice.[4] The movement gained further strength in the 1980's after Operation Blue Star, Operation Woodrose, and Operation Black Thunder, and fallout from the assassination of Indira Gandhi, which sparked country-wide anti-Sikh pogroms.[4][5] The Kharkus of the 1980's and 1990's were associated with martyrdom and respected as Shaheeds (martyrs for a religious cause).[6] The Kharku movement was especially strong in rural areas of Punjab.[7] The ranks of militants drew primarily from the Majha region from those belonging to a lower socio-economic status and Jat background.[8]
They were generally supported by the Sikh masses, especially during the beginning of the insurgency. Support waned during the latter years until the movement faded, eventually relegated to the underground.[7] The reasons for their decline are a lack of common vision, lack of a commitment to a worthwhile cause, and losing trust of the common folk.[7] Hundreds of Kharkus were killed by police and military forces during the insurgency.[7] Many of those who survive remain in hiding or have escaped abroad.[7]
Terminology
Etymology
Kharku is etymologically derived from the word 'kharag' (honed), which originally referred to an iron scimitar.[9]
Other names
They were also referred to as 'Kharku Singhs' or simply as 'Mundey' (boys).[10] Other terms for them were 'Jujharu' (hardworker), 'Jangju Sikhs' (fighter), 'freedom fighters', and even 'Khalistani mujahideens'.[11][12] Controversially, the term is also used by some to describe Sikh terrorists who indiscriminately massacred local Hindus and other innocent civilians.[13] Kharkus viewed themselves as revolutionaries rather than as terrorists.[14] The English-language media outlets and the government referred to the militants as 'Uggarwadi' (ferocious).[9]
Titles
Kharkus took titles and names quite seriously and it was risky for media outlets to report on individual Kharkus without using their preferred terminology and honorifics.[11] They were against being labelled as "militants" or "terrorists" ('dehshatpasand', 'dehshatgard, or 'atankawadi') and demanded that Sikh honorifical terms, such as "Bhai", "Sant", and "Sardar", be appended as prefixes when reporting their names.[11] Journalists and editors who dared to not heed these demands put their life in danger.[11]
See also
- List of terrorist incidents in Punjab, India
- Timeline of the Punjab insurgency
- Khalistani groups
- Martyrdom in Sikhism
- Punjabi Suba movement
- Dharam Yudh Morcha
- Anandpur Sahib Resolution
- Sutlej Yamuna link canal
- Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
- National Security Guard, commonly known as 'Black Cats'
- Khalsa bole
References
- ↑ ਖਾੜਕੂ - Meaning in English - ਖਾੜਕੂ Translation in English, Shabdkosh.com. SHABDKOSH. Retrieved 2023-03-09.
- ↑ Crafting State-Nations : India and other multinational democracies{{#if:Stepan|, Stepan}. Johns Hopkins University Press(2011). ISBN 978-0-8018-9942-3
- ↑ Transformation of Sikhism{{#if:Narang|, Narang}. Kalyani Publishers(1960). ISBN 81-7096-330-3
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Sikh militants' terms of discourse: Religion, Khalistan/nation and violence. Sikh Formations({Template:Date).
- ↑ Slow violence in post-1984 Punjab: Remembering, forgetting and refusals. Sikh Formations({Template:Date).
- ↑ Migration, mobility and multiple affiliations : Punjabis in a transnational world{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}(2015). ISBN 978-1-316-33795-0
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Rise, Dynamics, and Decline of Violence in Punjab: A Critical Reassessment of Existing Explanations{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Guru Nanak Dev University(2021)
- ↑ Beyond the Land of Five Rivers: Social Inequality and Class Consciousness in the Canadian Sikh Diaspora{{#if:Sandhu|, Sandhu}. Sociology Department of the University of Western Ontario(2016)
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Commemorating Hurt: Memorializing Operation Bluestar. Sikh Formations({Template:Date).
- ↑ Terrorism in Punjab : understanding grassroots reality{{#if:Puri|, Puri}. Har-Anand Publications(1999). ISBN 81-241-0619-3
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Culture behaviour and personality{{#if:Subramanyam lakshmi|, Subramanyam lakshmi}. Mittal Publications(2001). ISBN 81-7099-815-8
- ↑ Contemporary Affairs: A Quarterly Journal on Contemporary Issues in India and the Third World in a Global Context, Vol. 2, Issue 1{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Patriot Publishers(1988)
- ↑ A home at last{{#if:Sinhā|, Sinhā}. Ocean Books(2001). ISBN 81-87100-51-6
- ↑ Punjab in prosperity and violence : administration, politics, and social change, 1947-1997{{#if:|, {{{last}}}}. Published for K.K. Publishers for Institute of Punjab Studies, Chandigarh(1998). ISBN 81-86912-01-0
Further reading
- Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants{{#if:Mahmood|, Mahmood}. University of Pennsylvania Press(2010). ISBN 9780812200171
- Identity and Survival: Sikh Militancy in India 1978-1993{{#if:Dhillon|, Dhillon}. Penguin UK(2006). ISBN 9789385890383