Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan
| Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan | |
|---|---|
| Leader(s) |
Gurbachan Singh Manochahal (1984-1993) Balwinder Singh (1993) |
| Dates of operation | 1987-1997 |
| Motives | The creation of a Sikh independent state of Khalistan in Punjab, as well as some districts of neighboring states of India. |
| Active region(s) | India |
| Ideology | Sikh nationalism |
| Status | Inactive |
The Bhindranwale Tigers Force of Khalistan (BTFK), also known variously as Bhindranwale Tiger Force (BTF), was a group of insurgents, and was part of the Khalistan movement to create a Sikh homeland called Khalistan by taking to arms. This organization appears to have been formed in 1984 by Gurbachan Singh Manochahal. After the founder's death, the BTF (or BTFK) seems to have disbanded or integrated into other organizations. The BTF was listed in 1995 as one of the 4 "major militant groups" in the Khalistan movement.
Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan had two main factions, one led by Gurbachan Singh Manochahal and the other faction led by Sukhwinder Singh Sangha.
The BTF was a Sikh militant group fighting for an independent Sikh homeland. Based in the state of Punjab, India, the BTF was described as one of the major Sikh militant groups and reportedly the strongest militant group in the Amritsar-Tarn Taran area.
According to a professor in Anthropology at University of Maine in Orono with expertise on Sikh militant groups in Punjab, the BTF was founded in 1984 by Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, who was also head of the original Panthic Committee (30 December 1994). Manochal broke away from the original Panthic Committee to continue his independent command of the BTF after his leadership of the Panthic was challenged in 1988 (ibid.). Manochal also maintained his own Panthic Committee for a while but was killed in 1991 or 1992 (ibid.). The professor also indicated that membership of the BTF numbered in the hundreds at one point, and the BTF was considered among the most dangerous of the guerilla forces (30 December 1994). The professor further indicated that "relations" of suspected members were targeted by police and paramilitary personnel and much of the original force had been decimated (ibid.). According to the professor, there were probably members of the BTF scattered all over, but no one knows how many are left or whether there is a clear leader at this point (ibid.). The professor was unable to comment on the treatment of members of the BTF by the authorities upon their return to India, but noted that since the BTF has been a major target of counter-terrorism efforts, she would expect the reception of any known member to be "drastic" (ibid.).
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