In 2007, the Press Trust of India (PTI) released an intriguing report regarding US involvement in the Sikh issue. It later became known that major Sikh organisations such as All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF), Babbar Khalisa, World Sikh Organistaion (WSO), International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) were all getting support from Sikh Diaspora in United Kingdom, Canada, United States and other countries. When the Khalistan movement became active in India and abroad, the Indian government claimed that вЂњPakistan armed, trained and to a certain extent financed Sikh militants.вЂќДespite PakistanвЂ™s assurances that it did not support the Sikhs in their movement, the Indian government tried to drag Pakistan in the Khalistan issue. Khalistan leader Dr Chohan had declared in 1970s that he would even declare a parallel government in Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, now in Pakistan. Thereafter, the movement adopted the politics of grievance, which began in 1994 and continues till today. From 1978 to 1993, вЂterrorismвЂ™ was added to its struggle after its demand changed to a separate Khalistan state. The first was Home Rule movement that began in 1960s and lasted till 1978. When the Khalistan movement became active in India and abroad, the Indian government claimed that вЂњPakistan armed, trained and to a certain extent financed Sikh militants.вЂќ In a research paper written by Dr Shinder Purewal of Kwantlen University, Canada, titled вЂњThe Evolution of Sikh Secessionist Movement in Western DemocraciesвЂќ (September 2012), the author argues that the Sikh movement had three phases. This was termed by the Indian government as an anti-India act. During his stay, he would routinely avail their hospitality. These gestures were not liked by the Indian government.Дhillon, who had been banned from entering India after Operation Blue Star in June 1984 and had sought American citizenship, used to visit Pakistan and became friends with some political figures too. It was also reported that the General had been meeting them in the President House and had been bidding farewell to them with some souvenirs. India accused Pakistan of supporting the burgeoning Sikh uprising, but eventually, it was Pakistani support that helped crush the movementДЄfter the 1977 martial law, India began alleging that General Ziaul Haq had been extending вЂњunusual hospitalityвЂќ to visiting Sikh pilgrims. Original protagonists of the Khalistan movement, including Dhillon, Gajendar Singh and Jagjit Singh, had been visiting Pakistan and meeting Pakistani politicians too. Since Pakistan has many Sikh religious places and shrines, it had been hosting visiting Sikh pilgrims on various occasions round the year.

Since the day the Sikhs began their struggle for Khalistan, India had been accusing Pakistan of backing the Sikh separatists in their struggle. The Indian government appreciated the Pakistani act.Д«ut the issue had a thorny history. The militants were identified as Tejinder, Satnam, Gajendar Singh, Karan Singh Kini and Jasmir Singh Jima they were prosecuted under the relevant laws and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In a lightning quik operation, all five knife-wielding Sikh hijackers were arrested and the passengers freed. A smart squad of Special Services Group (SSG) commandos, pretended to be aircraft cleaners, sneaked inside the plane. The Pakistani government immediately sprung into action. They released all but 45 passengers and wanted to swap them with Sikh prisoners jailed in India on charges of creating unrest in the country. The Sikh hijackers wanted the Indian government to release their associates jailed in India. This was an act of Sikh militants struggling for a separate homeland, Khalistan. Within minutes, an Indian passenger plane landed at the Lahore airport - it was said that the plane had been hijacked by five Sikh men while it was on a normal Jammu to New Delhi flight, and the hijackers had forced the pilot to divert the aircraft towards Lahore with 111 passengers on board. On the morning of Sept 30, 1981, an alert was raised at Lahore airport: an aircraft was heading towards Pakistani territory without permission.

Rise of the separatists release date