Founder of Dal Khalsa Dies in Exile in Pakistan

Bhai Gajinder Singh, the exiled Sikh leader and founding president of the pro-Sikh freedom body Dal Khalsa which advocated for the creation of Khalistan, has passed away in Pakistan. 74-year-old Singh is known for his role in the 29 Sep 1981 hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane in a protest against the arrest of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. Along with three other Dal Khalsa members, Singh redirected the flight to Lahore, Pakistan. They were arrested upon landing and charged with hijacking. Following his conviction, Singh served a prison sentence in Pakistan. After his release in 1994, he lived underground, supposedly at a farmhouse near Nankana Sahib, Panjab, Pakistan while still on India’s most-wanted list. The treatment Singh received all his life at the hands of India stands in direct contrast to two other hijackers who benefited immensely through their actions. Bhola Pandey and his friend Devandar Nath Pandey hijacked IA flight no IC 410 on 20 Dec 1978. They were released soon after and Pandey was awarded with INC tickets first for assembly elections and then for the Parliament. Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwarpal Singh said, ‘The only difference was that Pandey did it for the sake of INC leader Indira Gandhi whereas Gajinder Singh did for a Sikh leader. This difference turned out to be a big difference. Pandey was perceived and projected as ‘hero’ and Gajinder was declared most wanted ‘terrorist’ by successive Indian governments.’ At Singh’s funeral in Pakistan, some Sikh leaders wanted by India, including those considered dead, showed up. Among those were Babbar Khalsa International activist Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, Ravinder Singh Pinka, and Satti Singh.