A Profile of Wadhawa Singh Babbar: The Pakistan-Based Leader of the Pro-Sikh Babbar Khalsa International

A Profile of Wadhawa Singh Babbar: The Pakistan-Based Leader of the Pro-Sikh Babbar Khalsa International

Wadhawa Singh Babbar is the leader of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), or “Tigers of the True Faith,” which is a proscribed terrorist and separatist organization operating in India’s state of Punjab. BKI is struggling to establish a state for Sikhs known as “Khalistan,” by means that include violence (Ministry of Home Affairs, India, July 1, 2020). The group formed after the 1978 Baisakhi (a Sikh community festival celebrated to mark the beginning of the Sikh New Year). At that time, clashes took place between two sects of the Sikh community: Akhand Kirtani Jatha (a sect of Sikhism dedicated to the Sikh lifestyle) and Nirankaris (a sect of Sikhism that accepts the authority of a living guru or spiritual guide). At present, BKI is an international organization, which is active in Canada, the US, UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Norway, and Pakistan (Times of India, October 15, 2011).

In March, Indian authorities in Punjab claimed that the Babbar-led BKI is among nine groups actively involved in terrorist activities in Punjab (Economic Times, March 22). This was after the Indian government designated Babbar a terrorist in 2020 for his involvement in attacks from across India’s border with Pakistan; these actions had been performed with the aim of reviving militancy in Punjab (Government of India, July 1, 2020). Indian authorities believe that Babbar is currently leading the BKI from Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore (Times of India, October 15, 2011). Indeed, BKI has proven to be more resilient than other militant groups operating in Punjab, likely because it receives support from actors outside India, to include Babbar himself.

Early Life and career 

Babbar was born in Punjab on July 17, 1954. His father, Amar Singh, was a resident of the village of Sadhu Chattha (near Kapurthala) in Punjab state (Ministry of Home Affairs, India, July 1, 2020). Babbar’s political career began when he joined a local Naxalite group—India’s restive Maoist movement—in the 1970s. The Naxalites launched a rebellion, with peasants rising up to redistribute land away from landlords; this failed, frustrating Babbar. As a result, he conversely joined the far-right section of the Sikh movement, Akhand Kirtani Jatha, in 1978. Impressed by Tarsem Singh Kalasanghian, the top figure in the Khalistan movement, Babbar switched allegiances again, becoming a founding member of BKI. In 1981, he was accused of murder, having four cases set up against him by local authorities in Punjab; few details are available regarding said charges (Indian Express, December 4, 2008).

Involvement in Terrorism

Authorities allege that Babbar recruited people from Punjab to carry out attacks against the Indian state. In addition, Babbar set up BKI’s “preaching wings,” which organized events on a regular basis. These events were held to garner public support for BKI’s goal of establishing a separate state for the Sikhs, as well as recruit fighters to conduct terrorist attacks against the Indian people and their government (Ministry of Home Affairs, India, July 1, 2020). These attacks included:

• The 1985 bombing of an Air India Kanishka plane, which killed 329 passengers;
• The 1995 assassination of Shri Beant Singh, who was the ex-Chief Minister of Punjab, in a suicide bombing at Chandigarh;
• The 2004 Burail Jail break in Chandigarh;
• The 2005 bomb blasts at Liberty and Satyam Cinema Halls in New Delhi, which injured more than 40 people;
• The 2007 bomb explosions at Shingar Cinema in Ludhiana, Punjab, which killed six people;
• The 2009 assassination of Rulda Singh, who was the Chief of Rashtriya Sikh Sagat, in Patiala (Ministry of Home Affairs, India, July 1, 2020); and
• The 2021 attack at Ludhiana court building in Punjab, which injured five people, including two women (Babbar allegedly executed the attack with the help of local gangsters in Punjab) (India Blooms, December 24, 2021).

Babbar was also allegedly involved in last year’s rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) strike on the Punjab police’s intelligence headquarters at Mohali; no damage was reported (Indian Express, May 16, 2022). The most significant charge levelled against Babbar, however, is the allegation that he ordered the assassination of the former Punjab Chief Minister, Beant Singh. Beant Singh was murdered in 1995 in Punjab’s first-ever suicide-bombing (The Print, September 2022). Under Indian law, a suspect’s trial cannot proceed without their presence. As a result of Babbar’s hiding abroad, he has not had to stand trial (Indian Express, December 4, 2008).

Conclusion

Wadhawa Singh Babbar is allegedly operating from Pakistan and has emerged as a symbol of terror for the Indian authorities in the state of Punjab. BKI’s ability to conduct high-profile attacks using local members reflects the group’s well-organized network in Punjab. This raises questions about the capacity and efficiency of India’s intelligence and security agencies, which have failed to unravel the BKI network in Punjab over the past three decades. The India-Pakistan blame game over the use of proxies against one another has not benefited either country, as people on both sides of the border are the victims of attacks by extremist and separatist groups. Only bilateral cooperation and a joint counter-terrorism strategy can benefit the two nations; otherwise, militants like Babbar will take refuge on whichever side of the border they can, exploiting the two neighbour’s rivalry.