The Dal Khalsa is not among the 32 terrorist organizations listed in India's Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002 (28 Mar. 2002, "Schedule"). The Indian government imposed a ban on the Dal Khalsa in 1982 following the hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane by the group's present leader, Gajinder Singh (The Times of India 2 Jan. 2002). The ban was lifted in 1992 (ibid.), and since then, reportedly, "the party has been functioning openly as a political outfit in the state holding seminars and discussions on issues dogging the Sikhs" (ibid. 23 Feb. 2002). An 18 January 2002 article published in The Times of India reiterates that Dal Khalsa, described as the "local unit" of the Dal Khalsa International, is "operating freely in the country."

However, Gajinder Singh, who was elected as party chief on 11 August 2001 (Frontline 19 Jan..-1 Feb. 2002; The Times of India 2 Jan. 2002) to a two-year term (ibid.), remains in Pakistan and is one of 20 terrorists India has demanded extradited (Frontline 2 Jan.-1 Feb. 2002). As well, a 19 March 2001 article published by Jane's World Insurgency and Terrorism stated that the then leader of the Dal Khalsa, Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, "is considered to be one of the most dangerous Sikh terrorists in the world."

A 1 August 2002 article published by the Chandigarh newspaper The Tribune reported that 15 activists of the Dal Khalsa, the All-India Sikh Students Federation (Mehta), the Khalsa Mission Committee, the Khalsa Panchayat, the United Sikh Organization, and the Khalra Dharam Parchar Committee had been injured when "police allegedly opened fire and resorted to lathi charge" during a "peaceful demonstration." Referring to the incident, the Dal Khalsa's office secretary, Sarbjit Singh Ghuman, who was among the leaders of the demonstration, stated that the district police chief had ordered the police to open fire "without any provocation for the same" (1 Aug. 2002 The Tribune).

As reported in a 12 October 2000 Tribune article, the Punjab State Human Rights Commission had found that "the arrest of Kanwar Pal Singh, the then secretary general of the Dal Khalsa, by the Amritsar police in June 1999 was motivated by other than legal and legitimate reasons." Reportedly, at the time of his initial arrest, Singh had been participating in a function organized by the Dal Khalsa to "pay homage to those killed in the 1984 Army action at the local Khalsa College" (The Tribune 12 Oct. 2000). Though he was released the next day, Singh was subsequently re-arrested, charged in four different cases and held in "police remand for 7 days before being sent to judicial custody" (ibid.).

Regarding the Dal Khalsa's present activities, the following information may be of interest.

A 19 March 2002 article in the Tribune, which referred to a letter signed by the the Dal Khalsa spokesperson Satbur Singh Sandhu, reported that the Dal Khalsa was seeking a ban on the Vishawa Hindu Parisahd and its "off-shoots" for "streamlining and instigating violence against Muslims in Gujarat."

An earlier article published in October 2001 reported that the Dal Khalsa had urged the Akal Takht to wage an awareness campaign against "deras [preaching centres (Sikhpoint.com Apr.-June 1998) or religious headquarters (DISKUS 1995)] working against Sikh principles" (The Times of India 23 Oct. 2001). As well, a 3 October 2001 article reported that the Dal Khalsa had accused the Punjab government of "failing to stop the anti-Sikh activities of Piara Singh Bhaniara" and was determined to continue its "democratic struggle against all those sects which were propagating the concept of living gurus and denigrating Sikh principles" (ibid. 3 Oct. 2001).

No mention of a Balbir Singh in connection with the Dal Khalsa could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

DISKUS. 1995. Volume 3, Number 2. Sewa Singh Khalsi. "Problems of Defining Authority in Sikhism." http://www.uni-marburg.de/religionswissenschaft/journal/diskus/kalsi_2.html [Accessed 19 Nov. 2002]

Frontline [New Delhi]. 19 January - 1 February 2002. Volume 19, Issue 2. Praveen Swami. "India's Most Wanted." http://www.glonnet.com/fl1902/19020180.htm [Accessed 5 Nov. 2002]

India. 28 March 2002. The Prevention of Terrorism Act, 2002. No. 15 of 2002. http://mha.nic.in/poto.htm [Accessed 5 Nov. 2002]

Jane's World Insurgency and Terrorism. 19 March 2001. "Dal Khalsa, Dashmesh Regiment, Babbar Khalsa, All India Sikh Students Federation and Khalistan Liberation Front." (CD-ROM)

Sikhpoint.com. April-June 1998. Gurcharan Singh. "Sikh History of Jammu & Kashmir: A Review." http://www.sikhpoint.com/religion/ind_JKTwarikh.asp [Accessed 19 Nov. 2002]

The Times of India [New Delhi]. 23 February 2002. Ajay Bharadwaj. "'Dal Khalsa Chief Not a Militant.'" http://ttimesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms/dll/html/comp/articleshow?artid=1895173&sType=1 [Accessed 15 Nov. 2002]

_____. 18 January 2002. Yudhvir Rana. "Some of Most Wanted May Give Up." http://ttimesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms/dll/html/comp/articleshow?artid=697778800&sType=1 [Accessed 15 Nov. 2002]

_____. 2 January 2002. Yudhvir Rana. "Punjab Terrorists Residing in Pak Feeling Jittery." http://ttimesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms/dll/html/comp/articleshow?artid=1629598177&sType=1 [Accessed 15 Nov. 2002]

_____. 23 October 2001. "'Act Against Dera Culture.'" http://ttimesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms/dll/html/comp/articleshow?artid=1156877265&sType=1 [Accessed 15 Nov. 2002]

_____. 3 October 2002. "Book Bhaniare For Murder: Dal Khalsa." http://ttimesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms/dll/html/comp/articleshow?artid=1695554412&sType=1 [Accessed 15 Nov. 2002]

The Tribune [Chandigarh]. 1 August 2002. Chander Parkash. "18 Hurt in Malout Firing, Lathi Charge." http://www.trinuneindia.com/2002/20020801/main9.htm [Accessed 15 Nov. 2002]

_____. 19 March 2002. "Dal Khalsa For Ban on VHP." http://www.trinbuneindia.com/2002/20020319/punjab1.htm#9 [Accessed 15 Nov. 2002]

_____. 12 October 2000. "Cops Indicted in Dal Khalsa Case." http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20001012/punjab.htm [Accessed 15 Nov. 2002]

IRB databases

NEXIS

Jane's Geopolitical Library (CD-ROM)

Internet sites, including:

BBC

Dawn

The European Country of Origin Information Network

The Hindu

The Indian Express

The Punjab Globe

Punjabi Network

Punjab News

Rediff

South Asia Terrorism Portal

South Asia Terrorism Portal, "Punjab Assessment, 2002"

The Times of India

The Tribune

World News Connection

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