2022: Why India must worry about the revival of Khalistan terrorism
New Delhi, Jan 01: The blast at a court complex in Ludhiana was a clear indicator that the threat of Khalistan terrorism is lurking around. The warning was on the wall and the Intelligence Bureau has alerted the police time and again since the past 10 years that the ISI which has been sheltering the Khalistan terrorists would look to revive terrorism in Punjab again.
The ISI has used multiple ways to revive Khalistan terrorism in Punjab. There have been incidents of sacrilege, targeted killings and propaganda carried out in countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada and United States.
An Intelligence Bureau official tells OneIndia that this is a clear attempt by the ISI to rake up tensions in Pakistan. The ISI has for long being making attempts to revive Khalistan terrorism in the state. They had even made attempts to infiltrate the farmer protests and ensure that the situation turns violent.
The officer cited above says that the ISI would look to destabilise Punjab and use it to their advantage.
These recent incidents are a pointer to that fact. The ISI would incite violence by undertaking such acts knowing fully that some radical elements would react in a violent manner, the officer also said.
The IB official further added that this would be a major headache for the security agencies in 2022 and the Punjab police and the Central Agencies would have to keep a close watch on how the situation evolves. Moreover Punjab is going to polls in 2022 and this would mean that the Khalistan forces would do everything possible to make it a violent affair.
While the Khalistan movement has not been re-kindled the way the ISI would have wanted, the fact remains that the activities of these groups have only been on the rise off late.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister, Zulfikar Bhutto had once said that Pakistan will also have a Bangladesh carved out of India, but it would be on the Pakistan border. This was a reference that he made to Khalistan.
The NIA too had recently in its chargesheet said that the killing of Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu, a Shaurya Chakra awardee was part of an international conspiracy. Investigation revealed that the three terrorists against whom the chargesheet was filed were involved in conducting reconnaissance of the target and organising logistics and shelter for the shooters.
Shaurya Chakra awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu was shot dead by two unidentified men in the early hours of October 10 2020 at the residence-cum-school run by him in Bhikiwind, District TarnTaran, Punjab. The assailants then escaped on a bike, following which a case was registered by the Punjab police.
Investigation has revealed that the execution was undertaken with an intention of striking terror in the minds of the people and especially those opposed to Khalistan ideology. The transnational conspiracy in the instant case was hatched by Pakistan based self styled chief of the KLF, Lakbhir Singh Rode.