Babbar Khalsa (BK)

Insurgency Overview

Babbar Khalsa (BK), or Babbar Khalsa International, is a Sikh separatist armed organisation with members in India, Europe, and North America. The group was formed in 1978 by Sukhdev Sing Babbar in India with the goal of establishing an independent Sikh state, known as Khalistan, in the Punjab region of India. It was inspired by Sikh militant groups of the early 20th century and was formed following sectarian clashes in Punjab in the 1970s. The group is alleged to have been supported by Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), the country’s foreign intelligence agency (1). BK has been responsible for many high-profile assassinations and bombing attacks, most notably the Air India Flight 182 bombing in 1985 in which 329 people were killed (2). Common targets of the group’s attacks are Indian politicians and law enforcement agents. The group is a major militant faction within the larger Sikh nationalist movement known as the Khalistan movement and has a presence in several countries with a significant Sikh diaspora, from which it receives much of its support. For this reason, BK has been designated as a terrorist organisation and sanctioned by the European Union, Canada, the United States, and others. It is still an active militant group; however, its activities have been heavily hampered by law enforcement crackdowns in India and abroad (3).

History & Foundations

In 1849, the Sikh Empire, encompassing the modern-day Punjab region, was defeated by the British and absorbed into the British Empire. The early Sikh nationalist movement, now referred to as the Khalistan movement, coincided with the Indian independence movement in the early 20th century, which resulted in India and Pakistan’s independence and partition in 1947 (3). One of these early groups was the Babbar Akali movement, which Babbar Khalsa later took inspiration from (1). Another major factor in the rising Sikh national consciousness was the Green Revolution in the 1960s. During this period, the benefits of improvements in agricultural technology across India were not seen in Punjab, which led to economic stagnation and wealth inequality (3).

As the Sikh diaspora established itself abroad, pro-Khalistan organizations popped up in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States along with India. Post-independence Sikh emigration was driven by religious persecution and pogroms. However, they failed to gain much traction and Sikh political parties, such as Akali Dal, were unsuccessful in seceding from India (3). One of these Sikh immigrants was Talwinder Singh Parmar, who moved to Canada in 1970. He would go on to become a Canadian citizen and help form Babbar Khalsa (2).

Babbar Khalsa was formed in 1978 following the eruption of tensions between Sikhs. Tensions had been growing between mainstream Sikhs and the Sant Nirankaris, a heterodox Sikh sect, since the 1950s. During this time, the Nirankaris grew in numbers and began practices deemed iconoclastic by many Sikhs, such as when the movement’s leader, Gurbachan Singh, declared himself to be the reincarnation of a guru, the central spiritual figures within Sikhism, while disparaging the religion’s central text (4). Sikhs also claimed that the Nirankaris were being supported by the Indian government in order to cause internal division and hamper the Sikh nationalist movement. At the time, the government was predominantly Hindu and anti-Sikh beliefs were prevalent. These sectarian attitudes were also held by some of the Hindu civilian population, who supported the Nirankaris as well (5).

On April 13, 1978, Gurbachan Singh held a gathering of over 50,000 of his followers in Amritsar, a major city in Punjab. 200 Sikhs led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a major Sikh political figure, protested this congregation. After their leader confronted Singh and was shot by his bodyguard, the tensions erupted into violence. While it is disputed who attacked first, both groups were armed and 16 people were killed; 13 Sikhs and three Nirankaris, some unarmed. The local police were present, but traditional Sikh critics claim they were acting on behalf of the Nirankaris. This paved the way for further sectarian violence in Punjab, especially when the Nirankaris put on trial for the 13 Sikh deaths were acquitted. The deceased were seen as martyrs and nationalist attitudes rose in popularity amongst Sikhs. Bhindranwale cemented his place within the Sikh nationalist political sphere and the clashes laid the foundations for the following insurgency in Punjab (4). In the cloud of this political upheaval, Babbar Khalsa was formed. Sukhdev Singh Dasuwal and Talwinder Singh Parmar, the founders of BK, wanted revenge for the Sikhs killed in the clashes, and in their eyes, radical means were justified to make up for the senseless killing (6).

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, BK targeted Nirankaris and their sympathizers in Punjab. Sectarian violence, not an independent Khalistan, was the group’s primary motivation in its early years (6). Several prominent Nirankari leaders were assassinated, as well as political and law enforcement officials who opposed BK. However, some of the group’s victims were ordinary Narinkaris with no official positions, such as was the case in a May 1982 incident when four were killed after BK gunmen opened fire indiscriminately at a group of Narinkaris (7).

This coincided with the beginning of the larger Punjab Insurgency, which BK participated in. Spearheaded by Bhindranwale, the Khalistan movement’s most popular figure at the time, the early years of the insurgency were characterized by mass protests by Sikhs that were often violently broken up by Indian police. In many cases, protesters were beaten, arrested, tortured, and killed. This led to increasingly hostile attitudes amongst Sikhs toward the authorities and the belief that a more militant approach was necessary (3).

In 1981, the group expanded abroad and subsequently split into two factions, with Sukhdev Singh Babbar leading BK domestically in India, and Tainder Singh Parmar in Canada, the United States, and Europe. The split occurred after Babbar, the group’s official leader, demanded no criminal activity occur outside of India. Parmar, however, resided in Canada, where he continued to recruit, procure funds and weapons, and command terrorist activity (8).

Bhindranwale took up residence in the Golden Temple complex, Sikhism’s holiest site, in 1982. He led the Khalistan movement from the temple in Amritsar and occupied it with armed militant followers. BK had also been using the temple as a refuge since the 1970s. Following increased tensions and failed negotiations between Sikh leaders and Indian government officials, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi launched Operation Blue Star on June 1, 1984. The goal of the operation was to remove Bhindranwale and clear militants from the fortified complex. BK militants fought with Bhindranwale’s forces against the Indian military and police. The operation was heavy-handed, with Indian forces facing Sikh fighters with tanks and other heavy weaponry, and lasted until June 10. While the operation achieved its goal and Bhindranwale was killed, thousands of Sikh civilians were also killed during the attack on the temple. This drastically raised the stakes of the insurgency, with militant nationalist attitudes increasing amongst Sikhs (6).

In retaliation for the civilians killed during the operation, two of her bodyguards, both Sikh, murdered Prime Minister Gandhi later that year. Anti-Sikh riots followed and thousands of Sikhs were killed during the sectarian violence, with estimates putting the death toll as high as 17,000. Politicians incited while police ignored and participated in the violence, deepening resentment between Sikhs and Hindus (6).

Meanwhile in Canada, Parmar continued his campaign. He travelled the country with Sikh preacher Ajaib Singh Bagri, radicalizing members of Canada’s Sikh diaspora and raising funds for BK. In 1985, Parmar allegedly organized a plot to bomb two Air India flights with the help of Inderjit Singh Reyat, a Sikh Canadian and British national who helped Parmar by building bombs, and several other radicalized Sikhs. On June 22, Air India Flight 182 took off from Toronto to Mumbai with stops in Montreal, London, and Delhi. The group had planted a bomb on the plane, which detonated while the plane was off the west coast of Ireland. The plane went down and all of the 329 passengers and crew died in the attack. A second bomb destined for Air India Flight 301 from Tokyo to Delhi mistakenly exploded during transit at the Tokyo airport, killing two baggage handlers. Only Reyat was convicted for the attack, serving a total of 15 years in prison over manslaughter charges for building the bombs. The Air India Flight 182 bombing was the deadliest act of aviation terrorism until the September 11, 2001 attacks (2).

By 1985, the Punjab Insurgency was in full swing. Tensions were boiling and many Sikhs faced persecution and brutality at the hands of Indian state forces, creating an increasingly large number of radicalized Sikhs (3). BK coordinated itself with other militant pro-Khalistani groups such as the Khalistan Liberation Force, the Khalistan Commando Force, and the All-India Sikh Students’ Federation. Together, they launched effective attacks against Indian political figures and law enforcement personnel throughout the latter half of the 1980s and early 1990s (9). In particular, politicians affiliated with the Indian National Congress (INC), the party Prime Minister Gandhi led, as well as high-ranking police, were targeted, such as in the killings of INC General Secretary in Punjab Joginder Pal Pandey in 1987 and Deputy Superintendent of Police Harpal Singh in 1986 (10) (11).

Babbar was killed in August 1992 after he was set up by a BK member turned police informant who organized a meeting with Babbar and other BK leaders. There, the militants were met by armed police and a firefight ensued, killing Babbar. This caused a wave of retaliatory attacks targeting police from BK (12).

Later in October 1992, Parmar was captured by the Punjab Police and held for nine days, during which he was interrogated and tortured. He was then extrajudicially killed and the police staged a shootout to cover up the killing (13).

The deaths of Babbar and Parmar, combined with a larger police crackdown against BK and other Khalistani militant groups, led to a decline in their stature. While many Sikhs still held nationalist beliefs, the insurgency dwindled and many pro-Khalistani Sikhs turned away from militarism to achieve their goals as the Indian government made concessions. During the insurgency, more than 20,000 people were killed, with civilians making up most of the dead (3).

However, BK continued its campaign on a smaller scale. In 1995, BK militants killed INC politician and Chief Minister of Punjab Beant Singh in a targeted suicide bombing. The 2000s saw two movie theatre bombings in India conducted by BK that killed 6. These attacks were partially orchestrated internationally, from Germany and Pakistan. During this period, the BK leadership resided and coordinated the group’s operations from outside of India (14).

During the 2010s, many of BK’s members were arrested while attempting to carry out foiled plots abroad. In 2012, four individuals allegedly affiliated with BK carried out an organized assasination attempt on retired Indian Lieutenant General Kuldeep Singh Brar in London, England. Brar, who commanded Operation Blue Star, survived the knife attack and all four perpetrators were arrested and sentenced (15). In 2017, BK’s leader in the United States, Balwinder Singh, pleaded guilty for his role in a planned terror attack in India that was set to take place in 2013. He helped plan an attack on an Indian government official, funding a co-conspirator, facilitating his travel to India from the United States, and providing him with materials to carry out the attack. The target would be determined once the attacker was in Asia. The co-conspirator was caught while trying to board a flight from San Francisco to Bangkok with night vision goggles provided by Singh. The plan failed and Singh was arrested (15).

In 2025, sanctions were levied by the UK government against a British-Sikh businessman, Gurpreet Singh Rehal, and a number of companies and associations he was associated with, for his affiliations with BK. The UK Treasury claimed that Singh had used his business ventures to fund, arm, and recruit for BK (16).

Objectives & Ideology

During Babbar Khalsa’s early years, the group’s motivations were primarily sectarian and the goal of an independent Khalistan was secondary. Its founders wanted revenge against the Nirankaris for the 1978 Sikh-Nirankari clashes. However as the Punjab Insurgency developed and the Sikhs’ primary antagonist became the Indian government, it became a hardline separatist organization (1). 

BK is a part of the Khalistan movement, a decentralized network of violent and non-violent political and militant organizations that seek to create an independent Sikh nation, known as Khalistan. The nation would be located in Punjab, a state in northern India bordering Pakistan with a Sikh majority. Some experts consider Sikhism an ethnic religion, as Sikhs are ethnically Punjabi and speak the Punjabi language. The movement has been active since the early 20th century and has been inspired by the persecution of Sikhs by the Indian government. Today, the Sikh diaspora is a major source of support for the movement as well as Sikhs in Punjab. There is much ideological diversity in the movement. While some individuals and groups within the movement approach their goals through nonviolent or electoral means and some Sikh activists are reformists as opposed to separatists, BK is a militant separatist organization. It believes in an independent Khalistan that is to be achieved through armed struggle with the Indian state (3).

Political & Military Capabilities

As a hardline militant group, Babbar Khalsa does not have any connections to political parties or other nonviolent groups and its actions are exclusively in service of its militant campaign. This can possibly be explained by the fact that the group’s goals began as sectarian and during its heyday in the Punjab Insurgency, nonviolent means were largely dismissed as a solution to the conflict as the Indian government was, and still is, very reluctant to engage with pro-Khalistan political parties or activists (6). While it is hard to determine the group’s size due to its clandestine nature, today it exists in small cells amongst Sikhs in Punjab and their diaspora. These small networks, albeit less significant than its stature prior to its leaders’ deaths, have made it difficult for Indian authorities and other law enforcement to stamp out the remaining members of the group (3). There is also a distinction between the factions operating in India and abroad, as they operate independently of one another (8). The group is also able to establish funding, recruitment, and training networks through the diaspora. During the Punjab Insurgency, the group enjoyed pockets of sympathy throughout the province; however, this waned as the conflict carried on (3). 

Approach to Resistance

Initially, Babbar Khalsa’s actions were sectarian in nature, but they have evolved with time. During the Punjab Insurgency, BK’s strategy shifted to targeted attacks against Indian political and law enforcement figures (9). During the occupation of the Golden Temple by BK and other allied groups, it attempted a paramilitary style operation, but the militants failed to hold the temple during Operation Blue Star (6). Subsequently, the modus operandi for its operations became bombings and assassination attempts. Many of these were well organized and BK prioritized higher-ranking officials when selecting targets (9). However, its operations still held a vindictive streak after Operation Blue Star. In particular, the Air India Flight 182 bombing was inspired by a desire to get revenge for the operation by its perpetrators, despite the fact that its victims were exclusively innocent civilians uninvolved in the operation (2). In recent years, attacks have often been planned and carried out by BK members within the Sikh diaspora outside of India (9).

Relations & Alliances

The two major Indian political parties, the INC and the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have long had a very hostile relationship with Babbar Khalsa and the larger Khalistan movement. Many INC politicians have been targeted by BK, and in more recent years, the nationalist BJP have used BK and other Sikh militant organisations to paint all Sikhs, especially those sympathetic to the Khalistan movement, in a negative light (17). During the Golden Temple occupation and the Punjab Insurgency, BK effectively allied itself with other militant Sikh factions, including Khalistan Liberation Force, the Khalistan Commando Force, the All-India Sikh Students’ Federation, the International Sikh Youth Federation, and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale’s forces, to carry out joint operations (6). Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency has been accused of backing and funding BK in an attempt to increase tensions within India due to the two countries’ territorial disputes (1).

The group has long had a presence amongst the Sikh diaspora abroad, especially since the deaths of Babbar and Parmar, after which its members primarily organized attacks outside of India (3). Besides India, Canada, the UK, the US, Japan, Malaysia, and the European Union have all designated BK as a terrorist group. The UK has sanctioned the group’s finance networks in the case of Gurpreet Singh Rehal (16).

OSINT

A 2025 Punjab police press release regarding the arrest of an alleged BK member as well as the seizure of explosives and other equipment to be used in bomb attacks:

The aftermath of a failed 2024 assasination attempt carried out by Narain Singh Chaura, an alleged BK militant, at the Golden Temple. The target was former Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal:

Pro-Khalistan activists in Calgary, Canada hoist a sign depicting Talwinder Singh Parmar. The sign promotes a non-binding referendum over the issue of Khalistan that was held in 2024. Canada has the world’s largest Sikh population outside of India:

Works Cited

(1) South Asia Terrorism Portal. Babbar Khalsa International. https://www.satp.org/terrorist-profile/india-punjab/babbar-khalsa-international-bki 

(2) Commission of Inquiry into the Investigation of the Bombing of Air India Flight 182. (2010). Air India Flight 182: A Canadian Tragedy. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2010/bcp-pco/CP32-89-4-2010-eng.pdf

(3) Jetly, R. (2008). The Khalistan Movement in India: The Interplay of Politics and State Power. International Review of Modern Sociology, 34(1), 61-75. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41421658 

(4) Bharti, V. (2018, November 18). Sikh-Nirankari conflict peaked with 1978 clash. The Tribune. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/punjab/sikh-nirankari-conflict-peaked-with-1978-clash-685446/

(5) Chima, J. S. (2010). The Sikh Separatist Insurgency in India. SAGE Publications.

(6) Fair, C. C. & Ganguly, S. (2008). Treading on Hallowed Ground: Counterinsurgency Operations in Sacred Spaces. Oxford University Press.

(7) Government of India. (1984). White Paper on the Punjab Agitation. https://elibrary.sansad.in/items/03194fb6-26ea-4df7-9c1d-b4801ed03ac1 

(8) Jerryson, M. (2020). Religious Violence Today: Faith and Conflict in the Modern World. Bloomsbury Publishing

(9) Khalistan Extremism Monitor. Babbar Khalsa International. https://www.khalistanextremismmonitor.org/Groups/Babbar-Khalsa-International-(BKI) 

(10) L.A. Times (1987, January 20). Sikhs Kill Party Leader. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-01-20-mn-5969-story.html 

(11) Sandhu, A. (2019). Panjab: Journeys Through Fault Lines. Penguin Random House. 

(12) Mahadedan, P. (2007, January). Counter Terrorism in the Indian Punjab: Assessing the ‘Cat’ System. South Asia Terrorism Portal. https://www.satp.org/satporgtp/publication/faultlines/volume18/article2.htm

(13) CBC News. (2007). Air India Flight 182. https://web.archive.org/web/20120107104739/http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/airindia/timeline_investigation.html 

(14) Suman, R. K. (2014, August). Seeking information under RTI Act, 2005. https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/RTI_ISVIdiv_280814_0028_106.PDF 

(15) U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Nevada. (2016, November 29). Reno Man Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Provide Material Support To Terrorists [Press release]. https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/reno-man-pleads-guilty-conspiracy-provide-material-support-terrorists 

(16) HM Treasury. (2025, December 4). Reno Man Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Provide Material Support To Terrorists [Press release]. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-sanctions-imposed-on-a-person-and-organisation-involved-in-terrorism-in-landmark-action 

(17) Mehra, T & Clarke, C. P. (2023, October 17). The India-Canada rift: Sikh extremism and rise of transnational repression? International Centre for Counter-Terrorism. https://icct.nl/publication/india-canada-rift-sikh-extremism-and-rise-transnational-repression