During the Sikh struggle for their homeland, Khalistan, the community endured countless repressive actions by Indian security forces—many of which remain undocumented and forgotten. The systematic violation of Sikh human rights during this period has largely been ignored by international human rights watchdogs. From the elderly to the young, no Sikh was spared from the brutality. Innocent individuals were killed in staged encounters and extrajudicial executions, often without trial or evidence. One such largely unknown and harrowing episode occurred in the village of Sanghe, Tarn Taran, Punjab, where six unarmed Sikh devotees and two Kharku Singhs were killed by Indian forces.
Army killed five Sikh devotees
On the night of 25 May 1991, at approximately 11:00 PM, soldiers from the Dogra Regiment laid siege to Sanghe village. According to Lambardar Shangara Singh and Panchayat member Avtar Singh, the forces remained stationed in the village for three days, joined later by personnel from the CRPF and Punjab Police, totaling over 2,000 troops.
During the operation, seven individuals were killed—six of whom were Kar Sewa volunteers involved in the construction of a Gurdwara in memory of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, the sixth Sikh Guru. None of them were armed. No resistance or gunfire was reported from the villagers’ side.
Extrajudicial Killing of Sikh Devotees
According to eyewitness accounts, on 26 May at 5:30 AM, a TATA 407 Kar Sewa vehicle carrying Baba Kabul Singh, Balwinder Singh, and driver Kashmir Singh was intercepted near the village. The men were traveling from Aadinpur to visit the ailing 90-year-old Kar Sewa leader, Baba Basta Singh Ji.
When army jawans stopped the truck and asked Baba Kabul Singh, his driver Kashmir Singh, and Balwinder Singh to get down. They came out and disclosed their identity. The army personnel opened fire, saying that “You all are terrorists”. Baba Kabul Singh and Bhai Balwinder Singh died on the spot.
“The driver, Kashmir Singh, wounded in the shoulder, fled towards the Gurdwara, hardly half a Kilometer from the spot. He informed the other evaders (devotees) about the killing of the baba. He too was killed along with three other devotees engaged in the construction by the army near the Gurdwara. The third was thrown into a canal after he had been killed. Thus, he remained unidentified.
In addition, PTI reported that the two militants staying in the village of Sanghe, Bhai Gurbhej Singh Bheja (village Lalpur, Tarn Taran) and Bhai Hardev Singh Tittu (village Naurangabad, Tarn Taran), both of the Bhindranwale Tigers of Khalistan Force (BTKF), died after they were hunted down and consumed cyanide rather than be captured. None of them were armed, either them fire a single shot.
Contradictory Official Narrative
The Army Commanding Officer registered FIR No. 11 dated 25.5.1991 at Sedar Police Station, Tarn Taran. However, the media was fed a fabricated version of events without any input from local eyewitnesses.
At a press briefing, army and police officials falsely claimed that Kar Sewa workers were Kharku militants, allegedly linked to the BTKF, and were supporting Bhai Balwinder Singh Sangha, an independent candidate and the younger brother of Shaheed Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha. According to SP Tarn Taran, Shiam Lal, militants tried to flee in the Kar Sewa van, leading to a ten-hour-long encounter in which six militants were killed and another drowned.
This narrative was refuted by PTI, which reported that both militants had died by suicide through cyanide ingestion, not in a firefight. Furthermore, collateral damage included Desu’s horses (a local tanga owner), and a Maruti van belonging to candidate Master Sukhdev Singh, both hit by stray bullets.
Media Blackout and Continued Repression
Even after the operation ended, security forces prevented villagers from leaving or entering Sanghe, conducting further searches and abusing residents under accusations of supporting Kharku Singhs. Statements made by Master Sukhdev Singh and Bhai Balwinder Singh Sangha condemning the staged encounter were ignored by the press, highlighting the suppression of free speech and the press during that time.
List of Sikh Martyrs from Sanghe Incident
In the list of Martyr Sikhs were:-
- Baba Kabul Singh, aged 45, was a devoted follower of Kar Sewa Baba Basta Singh Ji. He belonged to a village near Ajnala and had served as the Granthi Singh at the Gurdwara in Sanghe village for many years.
- Baba Balwinder Singh was also a dedicated devotee of Baba Basta Singh Ji. He hailed from Bangalipur village, Tarn Taran.
- Kundan Singh, a resident of Sanghe village, was martyred on the very day his daughter’s wedding was to be held.
- Avtar Singh was a Mistri Singh (carpenter) involved in the Kar Sewa efforts.
- An initially unidentified Sikh youth who had drowned was later recognized as Bhai Charanjit Singh Chani, a resident of Sanghe village.
- Kharku Singh Bhai Gurbhej Singh Bheja, son of Sardar Joga Singh, belonged to Lalpur village, Tarn Taran.
- Kharku Singh Bhai Hardev Singh Tittu was from Naurangabad village, Tarn Taran. Both Kharku Singhs consumed cyanide capsules to avoid capture.
All bodies were later taken to the Government Hospital, Tarn Taran.
The Sanghe massacre remains a dark yet overlooked chapter of state-sponsored violence during the Sikh resistance movement for Khalistan. The brutal killing of unarmed Kar Sewa volunteers and the misrepresentation of facts in the media exemplify the systemic repression, silencing, and criminalization of Sikh identity during the 1980s and early 1990s. The Sikh diaspora and global human rights communities must document and raise awareness of these atrocities
-Source: Punjab Human Rights Organization (PHRO) Report 1991 & Eye Witness Accounts.
