Jagjit Singh Chohan (1929 – 4 April 2007) was an Indian political activist who was a leader of the Sikh Khalistan movement[1] that sought to create a sovereign Sikh state in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent.[2] Chohan established the Council of Khalistan at Anandpur Sahib on 12 April 1980 and became its first self‐styled president.
Jagjit Singh Chohan | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1st President of Council of Khalistan | |
| In office 12 April 1980 – 7 October 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Gurmit Singh Aulakh |
| Member of the Punjab Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 8 March 1967 – 22 August 1968 | |
| Constituency | Tanda |
| Deputy speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 27 March 1967 – 27 November 1967 | |
| Preceded by | Shanno Devi |
| Succeeded by | Baldev Singh |
| Minister of Finance, Punjab | |
| In office 25 November 1967 – 22 August 1968 | |
| President of Khalsa Raj Party | |
| In office 2 August 2002 – 4 April 2007 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1929 Urmar Tanda, Punjab, British India |
| Died | 4 April 2007 (aged 77–78) Urmar Tanda, Punjab, India |
| Occupation | |
Politics
editJagjit Singh grew up in Tanda in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, about 180 km from Chandigarh into a Sikh Rajput family. He was a dentist. Chohan was first elected to the Punjab Assembly from the Tanda as a candidate of the Republican Party of India in 1967. He became Deputy Speaker when the Akali Dal-led coalition Government took office in Punjab. When Lachhman Singh Gill became Chief Minister, Chohan was made Finance Minister. In 1969, he lost the Assembly election.
Activity overseas
editTwo years after losing the Punjab Assembly elections in 1969, Chohan moved to the United Kingdom to start his campaign for creation of Khalistan. In 1971, he went to Nankana Sahib in Pakistan to attempt to set up a Sikh government.[3] Chohan was invited by Pakistani army dictator Yahya Khan and was proclaimed as a Sikh leader. Certain Sikh relics that were in Pakistan were handed down to him and taken to UK. The relics had helped Chohan to gather Sikh supporters and followers. He then visited the United States at the invitation of his supporters among the Sikh diaspora.[4]
On 13 October 1971, he paid for an ad in the New York Times claiming an Independent Sikh state. Advertisement of Khalistan enabled him to collect millions of dollars from the Sikh diaspora.[3]
In later part of 1970s, Chohan was in touch with the Pakistani diplomatic mission in Pakistan with objective of encouraging Sikh youths to travel to Pakistan for pilgrimage and indoctrination for separatist propaganda.[5]
On 12 April 1980, he declared the formation of a "National Council of Khalistan", at Anandpur Sahib.[6] He declared himself the President of the Council and Balbir Singh Sandhu as its Secretary General.
In 1977, he returned to India. Chohan travelled to Britain in 1979, and established the Khalistan National Council.[7][8]
In May 1980, Jagjit Singh Chohan travelled to London and announced the formation of Khalistan. A similar announcement was made by Balbir Singh Sandhu, in Amritsar, who released stamps and currency of Khalistan. Operating from a building termed "Khalistan House", he remained in contact with the Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who was campaigning for a Sikh theocratic homeland. Chohan also maintained contacts among various groups in Canada, the US, and Germany. He visited Pakistan as a guest of leaders like Chaudhuri Zahoor Elahi. Chohan declared himself president of the "Republic of Khalistan", named a Cabinet, and issued symbolic Khalistan "passports", "postage stamps", and "Khalistan dollars".[3]
It is reported that with the assistance of a wealthy Californian supporter, a peach magnate, he opened an Ecuadorian bank account to support his operation.
Operation Blue Star and later
editIn June 1983, Bhindranwale was asked: "If Jagjit Singh Chohan attacks India with assistance from England, America, and Canada, whom will you help?" Bhindranwale hedged and did not indicate his support.
On 12 June 1984, in London Chohan was interviewed by BBC. The interviewer asked: "Do you actually want to see the downfall of Indira Gandhi's Government?" Chohan answered: "..within a few days you will have the news that Mrs Gandhi and her family have been beheaded. That is what Sikhs will do..". After this interview, the Thatcher government curtailed Chohan's activities.
On 13 June 1984, Chohan announced a government in exile. On 31 October 1984, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards in revenge for Operation Blue Star.
Chohan visited Punjab in 1989 and hoisted the flag of Khalistan at a gurdwara in Anandpur Sahib. Chohan's Indian passport was cancelled on 24 April 1989. India protested when he was allowed to enter USA using the canceled passport.[3] Vancouver fundamentalists Talwinder Singh Parmar and Surjan Singh Gill were at one time aligned with Chohan.
Softening and return
editChohan gradually softened his stance. He supported India's attempts to defuse the tension by accepting surrenders by the militants. Other organizations, mainly in UK and North America, continue to work for a Khalistan. The Indian government first permitted his wife to return and after he was pardoned by the Atal Bihari government, he was allowed to return to India in June 2001, after having been exiled for 21 years. The government decided to overlook his past activities.[9]
After his return, in an interview Chohan said he would keep the Khalistan movement alive democratically and pointed out that he has always been against violence.
Khalsa Raj Party
editAfter Chohan returned to India, he started a political party in 2002 named the Khalsa Raj Party and became its president.[10] The stated aim of the political party was to continue his campaign for Khalistan.[11][12] Chohan could not attract the support from the new generation of Sikhs.[3] The Pioneer (newspaper) stated that his party was a 'Letterhead organization'.[10]
Death
editChohan withdrew himself from the public life in his later years. He died on 4 April 2007, aged 78 due to heart attack at his native village Tanda in Hoshiarpur District of Punjab.[3][13][14][3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Overviews, Nations: CT; Papers, Research. "CT Overview: India | Counterterrorism Ethics". Retrieved 2 July 2023.
- ^ Mogul, Rhea (22 March 2023). "Khalistan: The outlawed Sikh separatist movement that has Indian authorities on edge". CNN. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g Haresh Pandya (11 April 2007). "Jagjit Singh Chauhan, Sikh Militant Leader in India, Dies at 80". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 August 2008.
- ^ "CIA, ISI encouraged Sikh terrorism: Ex-R&AW official". Rediff News. 26 July 2007. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ^ "Pakistan involvement in Sikh terrorism in Punjab based on solid evidence: India". India Today. 15 May 1986. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
- ^ Nayar, Kuldip; Kushwant Singh (1985). Tragedy of Punjab. Vision Books. p. 51. ISBN 1-85127-069-8.
- ^ The New York Times, USA, "LONDON SIKH ASSUMES ROLE OF EXILE CHIEF" 14 June 1984
- ^ The Tribune, India, "Punjab caught on sticky wicket Govt in dilemma over Chohan" 28 June 2001
- ^ "SAD shifts focus from real issues to Khalistan, BJP and Congress fumes". punjabnewsexpress.com.
- ^ a b Gupta, Kanchan (1 May 2016). "THREE DECADES AFTER THE KHALISTANI INSURGENCY". The Pioneer. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
- ^ "Chohan wants edict on Tohra's retirement". The Tribune, India. 2 August 2002.
- ^ "Khalsa raj party to contest SGPC polls". The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. 10 September 2003. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
- ^ PunjabNewsline.com - Jagit Singh Chohan, Khalistan ideologue dies in Punjab Archived 28 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ [1] Close the chapter: Khushwant Singh
- http://www.ceri-sciencespo.com/archive/mai02/artlg.pdf The globalization of identity politics : the Sikh experience, International Journal of Punjab Studies, 7 (2), July–December 2000 (page 29).
- THE KHALISTAN MOVEMENT IN PUNJAB, Meredith Weiss, Yale, 25 June 2002.