Editing Khalistan movement (section)

=== Late 1980s ===
{{Main|Punjab insurgency}}
In 1986, when the insurgency was at its peak, the Golden Temple was again occupied by militants belonging to the [[All India Sikh Students Federation]] and [[Damdami Taksal]]. The militants called an assembly ([[Sarbat Khalsa]]) and, on 26 January, they passed a resolution (''gurmattā'') in favour of the creation of Khalistan.<ref>"Sikh Temple Sit-In Is a Challenge for Punjab." ''The New York Times.'' 2 February 1986.</ref> However, only the [[Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee]] (SGPC) had the authority to appoint the ''[[jathedar]]'', the supreme religio-temporal seat of the Sikhs. The militants thus dissolved the SGPC and appointed their own jathedar, who turned out to refuse their bidding as well. Militant leader [[Gurbachan Singh Manochahal]] thereby appointed himself by force.{{sfnp|Van Dyke, The Khalistan Movement|2009|p=990}}

On 29 April 1986, an assembly of separatist Sikhs at the [[Akal Takht]] made a declaration of an independent state of Khalistan,<ref>{{cite web|title=Sarbat Khalsa and Gurmata|url=http://www.sikhnet.com/news/sarbat-khalsa-and-gurmata|last=Singh|first=I.|website=SikhNet|date=10 July 2012|access-date=15 March 2013|archive-date=12 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612091254/http://www.sikhnet.com/news/sarbat-khalsa-and-gurmata|url-status=live}}</ref> and a number of rebel militant groups in favour of Khalistan subsequently [[Insurgency in Punjab|waged a major insurgency]] against the [[Government of India]]. A decade of violence and conflict in Punjab would follow before a return to normality in the region. This period of insurgency saw clashes of Sikh militants with the police, as well as with the [[Nirankari]]s, a mystical Sikh sect who are less conservative in their aims to reform Sikhism.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nirankari.org/|title=Sant Nirankari Mission|website=nirankari.org|access-date=13 January 2023|archive-date=13 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230113222644/https://www.nirankari.org/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Khalistani militant activities manifested in the form of [[List of terrorist incidents in Punjab (India)|several attacks]], such as the [[1987 Lalru bus massacre|1987 massacre of 32 Hindu bus passengers]] near [[Lalru]], and the [[1991 Punjab killings|1991 killing of 80 train passengers]] in [[Ludhiana]].<ref>"Gunmen Slaughter 32 on Bus in India in Bloodiest Attack of Sikh Campaign". [[The Philadelphia Inquirer]], 7 July 1987. Page A03.</ref> Such activities continued on into the 1990s as the perpetrators of the 1984 riots remained unpunished, while many Sikhs also felt that they were being discriminated against and that their religious rights were being suppressed.<ref name="nytenvoy">{{cite news|last=Gargan|first=Edward|date=10 October 1991|title=Envoy of Romania Abducted in India|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/10/world/envoy-of-romania-abducted-in-india.html|access-date=17 February 2017|archive-date=23 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023034904/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/10/10/world/envoy-of-romania-abducted-in-india.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the parliamentary elections of 1989, Sikh separatist representatives were victorious in 10 of Punjab's 13 national seats and had the most popular support.{{sfnp|Gurharpal Singh, Ethnic Conflict in India|2000|loc=Chapters 8 & 9}}{{request quotation|date=December 2018}} The Congress cancelled those elections and instead hosted a [[Khaki election]]. The separatists boycotted the poll. The voter turnout was 24%. The Congress won this election and used it to further its anti-separatist campaign. Most of the separatist leadership was wiped out and the moderates were suppressed by end of 1993.{{sfnp|Gurharpal Singh, Ethnic Conflict in India|2000|loc=Chapter 10}}{{request quotation|date=December 2018}}