Pandit debotosh dey at 03:11, 13 February 2026

2026-02-13T03:11:45Z

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{{Short description|Sikh community, as well as a special group of initiated Sikhs}}{{More citations needed|date=July 2023}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
[[File:GURUDWARA SRI AKAL TAKHT SAHIB.jpg|thumb|The 1986 Sarbat Khalsa gathering at the [[Akal Takht]] on [[Vaisakhi]] (13 April 1986)]]
The '''Sarbat Khalsa of 1986''' was one congregation of the [[Khalsa|Guru Khalsa Panth]], including the [[Damdami Taksal]], [[Akal Takht]], Panthic Committee (Manochahal), Panthic Committee (Zaffarwal), [[Kharku|Kharku Sikhs]], Tarna Dal (Hariabelan), Tarna Dal (Baba Bakala), Bidhi Chand Dal and the Shiromani Budha Dal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sandhu |first=Amandeep |title=Subverting A Popular Movement: How The Sarbat Khalsa Was Hijacked By Radical Sikh Bodies |url=https://caravanmagazine.in/vantage/sarbat-khalsa-hijacked-by-radical-sikh-bodies |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=The Caravan |language=en}}</ref>{{Additional citation needed|date=July 2023}}

== Events ==
[[File:Bhai_sahib.jpg|thumb|402x402px|[[Jathedar]] [[Gurdev Singh Kaunke]] standing with his sword in front of the [[Golden Temple]] during the [[Sarbat Khalsa]]. Karnail Dhanna Singh is standing beside him.]]
The Sarbat Khalsa was declared on 16 January 1986 by the Damdami Taksal and the Kharku organizations.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-11-11 |title=Sarbat Khalsa has many similarities with Sikhs' congregation held in January 1986 |work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/amritsar/sarbat-khalsa-has-many-similarities-with-sikhs-congregation-held-in-january-1986/articleshow/49742401.cms |access-date=2023-06-08 |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> On 19 January, Surjit Singh Barnala's [[Barnala Jatha]] along with the [[Punjab Police (India)|Punjab Police]] [[Operation Black Thunder|attacked the Golden Temple]], and 200 shots were fired in the complex towards them and away from them.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sarbat Khalsa: An 18th-century strategic Sikh plenary |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/news-analysis/story/sarbat-khalsa-an-18th-century-strategic-sikh-plenary-2355312-2023-04-03 |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref> Afterwards far more support had arrived for the Sarbat Khalsa, they occupied the offices of the Damdami Taksal.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} On 20 January they were expelled by the Kharkus at gunpoint.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bureau |first=Sikh Siyasat |date=2015-12-14 |title=Resolutions of the Sarbat Khalsa 1986 [Copy of the Resolutions] |url=https://sikhsiyasat.net/resolutions-of-the-sarbat-khalsa-1986-copy-of-the-resolutions/ |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=Sikh Siyasat News |language=en}}</ref> The Sarbat Khalsa's official date was 13 April 1986, on [[Vaisakhi]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

The [[Sarbat Khalsa]] was hosted by the Panj Pyare who went as the Panthic Committee. They were [[Gurdev Singh Kaunke|Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke]], [[Gurbachan Singh Manochahal|Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal]], Karnail Dhanna Singh, Jarnail Aroor Singh and Jarnail Wassan Singh Zaffarwal.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-11-12 |title=SAD core committee rejects radical Sarbat Khalsa resolutions |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/punjab/sad-core-committee-rejects-radical-sarbat-khalsa-resolutions/story-1UDOY93KUtKJujgibo9fJP.html |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> During the Sarbat Khalsa an official declaration of [[Khalistan movement|Khalistan]] was made and the [[Insurgency in Punjab, India|War for Khalistan]] against the Indian and Pakistani Governments was announced to the congregation of 600,000 Sikh.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sandhu |first=Kanwar |date=2015-11-16 |title=In Nov 10 Sarbat Khalsa, Angry Voices From the Past Echo in Punjab |url=https://www.thequint.com/news/politics/in-nov-10-sarbat-khalsa-angry-voices-from-the-past-echo-in-punjab |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=TheQuint |language=en}}</ref> Further an official army to fight for Khalistan was created. It was the [[Khalistan Commando Force]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Punjab |first=Committee for Coordination on Disappearances in |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bVTMqlezIrwC&dq=sarbat+khalsa+1986&pg=PA47 |title=Reduced to Ashes: The Insurgency and Human Rights in Punjab : Final Report |date=2003 |publisher=Sikh Students Federation |isbn=978-99933-53-57-7 |pages=47 |language=en}}</ref> The dissolution of the [[Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee|SGPC]] was also announced.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chima |first=Jugdep S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WMsqBwAAQBAJ&dq=sarbat+khalsa+1986&pg=PT84 |title=Ethnic Subnationalist Insurgencies in South Asia: Identities, Interests and Challenges to State Authority |date=2015-03-24 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-55705-0 |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Shiromani Akali Dal]] held a Sarbat Khalsa in Anandpur Sahib in protest to the Sarbat Khalsa in Amritsar and the Mahimanas (guests) included [[Bimal Kaur Khalsa|Bibi Bimal Kaur Khalsa]], Sant Thakur Singh Bhindranwale and [[Simranjit Singh Mann]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-11-13 |title=Aftermath of the Sarbat Khalsa: What the crisis in Punjab means for SAD |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/aftermath-of-the-sarbat-khalsa-what-the-crisis-in-punjab-means-for-sad/ |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref> After the Panj Pyare and the Mahimanas met and devised a plan for the betterment of the Guru Khalsa Panth and Sikh Qaum, all their Gurmattas were announced on loudspeaker to the entire congregation by Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}} Generally all [[Sikhs]] wore [[Saffron (color)|Kesri]] turbans, along with long Kirpans and other weapons.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Timeline of incidents in Punjab (Jan to Dec 1986) {{!}} KEM |url=https://www.khalistanextremismmonitor.org/timeline/year-1986 |access-date=2023-06-08 |website=Khalistan Extremism Monitor |language=en}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=July 2023}}

After the [[Gurmata]] came of the declaration of the [[Khalistan movement|Khalistan Liberation War]] and the Khalistan Confederacy the entire [[Gur Sangat]] was made to oblige to them, they gave Jaikaras and raised their swords and guns in the air in celebration.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Chima |first=Jugdep S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sxpBDwAAQBAJ&q=sarbat+khalsa+1986 |title=The Sikh Separatist Insurgency in India: Political Leadership and Ethnonationalist Movements |date=2010-03-11 |publisher=SAGE Publishing India |isbn=978-93-5150-953-0 |language=en}}</ref> Multiple new war cries also came up such as "[[Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale|Bhindranwale Sant Sipahi]], Sarkara nu janda Jhatkai" and "[[Assassination of Indira Gandhi|Beant Satwant]] Zindabad".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Malcolm |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GMUKAAAAYAAJ&q=sarbat+khalsa+1986 |title=Sketch of the Sikhs: A Singular Nation, who Inhabit the Provinces of the Penjab, Situated Between the Rivers Jumna and Indus |date=1812 |publisher=J. Murray |language=en}}</ref> They also declared the Tankhaiya of [[Akali Santa Singh|Jathedar Santa Singh Nihang]], and Jathedar Amrik Singh Nihang was made the new Jathedar of the Budha Dal.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mandair |first=Arvind-Pal Singh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XUIWDAEACAAJ |title=Sikhism |date=2017-10-27 |publisher=Springer Netherlands |isbn=978-94-024-0845-4 |language=en}}</ref> Jathedar Kirpal Singh was also boycotted from the Akal Takht.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Gurharpal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IctVEAAAQBAJ&q=sarbat+khalsa+1986 |title=Sikh Nationalism |last2=Shani |first2=Giorgio |date=2021-11-25 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-009-21344-8 |language=en}}</ref> There was also a formation of four Panthic Committees, the Panthic Committee (Manochahal), Dooja Panthic Committee, Panthic Committee (Zaffarwal) and Panthic Committee (Babbar). They also declared rebuilding of the [[Akal Takht]] and destroyed the earlier structure, due to the earlier one being done by the Indian Government and was known as the 'Sarkar Takht'. Behind the Akal Takht the Sikhs did a 22 gun salute, one more than the President's gun salute, to show their dominance over India.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mansukhani |first=Gobind Singh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_6-_NiplDcwC&q=sarbat+khalsa+1986 |title=Introduction to Sikhism |date=1993 |publisher=Hemkunt Press |isbn=978-81-7010-181-9 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Punjab |first=Committee for Coordination on Disappearances in |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bVTMqlezIrwC&dq=sarbat+khalsa+1986&pg=PA47 |title=Reduced to Ashes: The Insurgency and Human Rights in Punjab : Final Report |date=2003 |publisher=Sikh Students Federation |isbn=978-99933-53-57-7 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Kaur |first=Kuldeep |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5xH3p7kV97AC&dq=sarbat+khalsa+1986&pg=PA100 |title=Akali Dal in Punjab Politics: Splits and Mergers |date=1999 |publisher=Deep & Deep Publications |isbn=978-81-7629-128-6 |language=en}}</ref>

After the Sarbat Khalsa, [[Operation Search]] was conducted on the 30 April 1986, they found no militants and one policeman was killed. They were only able to find one .12 bore shotgun and two Mausers.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Pashaura |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IXutzgEACAAJ |title=Exploring Sikh Traditions and Heritage |date=2021-08-26 |publisher=MDPI AG |isbn=978-3-0365-1783-4 |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Khalistan movement}}
{{Sikhism}}

[[Category:Sikh politics]]
[[Category:1980s in Punjab, India]]
[[Category:1986 in India]]

Sarbat Khalsa (1986) - Revision history

Pandit debotosh dey at 03:11, 13 February 2026