Sukhdev Singh Babbar

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Sukhdev Singh Babbar
August 09, 1955 - August 09, 1992
Nickname	Sukhdev Singh
Place of birth	village Dhassuwal, Patti, Amritsar, India
Place of death	Patiala, Punjab, India
Allegiance	Babbar Khalsa International
Years of service	1981 - 1992
Rank	Founder
Battles/wars	Khalistan movement (East Punjabi: ਖਾਲਿਸਤਾਨ, West Punjabi: تحریک خالستان)
Awards	Commemorated with Title "Martyr" in Canada

Sukhdev Singh Babbar and Talwinder Singh Parmar were the most prominent founding members of Babbar Khalsa International. The New York Times described Mr. Sukhdev Singh Babbar as the president of the Babbar Khalsa International, the best armed, most feared and most powerful of dozens of the militant groups in Punjab State that are fighting for an independent state for Sikhs, known as Khalistan^[1].

He died on August 9th 1992 when heavily armed policemen stormed a comfortable villa in the crowded city of Patiala in early August and captured him, i.e. India's most wanted Sikh militant. As per The New York Times, The circumstances of his death are disputed; it could be a Death, Murder or an Encounter. On his controversial death, he was described as the most prominent militant leader since 1978 who had aura of invincibility, his death severely weakened BKI.^[2]

Mr. Babbar's brother, Mr Mehal Singh "Babbar" is also an active leader of Babbar Khalsa International^[3]

Mr. Sukhdev Singh Babbar was born on August 9, 1955 in the house of Mr. Jind Singh and Mrs. Harnam Kaur in the village of Dassuwal, Patti, Amritsar, Punjab, India. He could study up to the middle level only. As per The Tribune, the day of the Nirankari-Sikh clash (April 13, 1978) was also the day when his marriage was fixed. On this day, he took the pledge to take revenge on the Nirankaris^[4].

When Mr. Babbar was alive, Indian Security forces were such desperate to get information about him and his brother that they forced even their innocent family members to go through a trauma because of their ties with BKI leaders. As per Amnesty International, Indian Security Forces illegally detained-without-charge, beaten, harassed his family members on various occasions to extract some information about Babbar Khalsa Leaders. His sister-in-law was once beaten so violently that the ligaments of her left arm and shoulder got torn, then her hands were tied behind and she was made to lie on the floor on her stomach. She was lashed with a whip and then interrogated. Policemen then placed roller planks on her legs and three men got up and rolled the planks up and down until she fainted with pain.^[5].

Punjab Police did not spare his family even after his death. Immediately after his death in 1992, an Inspector General ranked officer of Punjab Police illegally occupied Mr. Babbar’s house in the city of Patiala-(House Number 20, Phase I, Urban Estate, Patiala) which was not handed over to his family even on the orders of Punjab and Haryana High Court in 1997. Supreme Court of India also rejected the SLP filed against Punjab and Haryana High Court orders in August 1998 but his house was still not handed back to his family. In 1999, a “contempt of court proceedings” case against Government of Punjab and Punjab Police officials was being heard in the court of Justice V.S. Aggarwal, Punjab and Haryana High Court^[6]. Finally his family members have left their home and hearth for an ‘unknown place’, reportedly in a foreign country, a major portion of the ancestral house of the Babbar Khalsa chief now stands demolished and the remaining dilapidated two-room set is locked^[7].

The Vancouver Sun has reported that in October, 1997, Mr. Sukhdev Singh Babbar along with Talwinder Singh Parmar were commemorated as Martyrs in a memorial service held at Surrey Sikh Temple on 132 Street, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada which was attended by hundereds of worshippers. It was addressed by acquitted Air India suspect Ajaib Singh Bagri. ^[8]