The Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) is a militant group and is part of the
Khalistan movement
The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khālistān (' Land of the Khalsa'), in the Punjab region. The proposed state would consist of land that cur ...
to create a separate country
Sikh
Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...
homeland
A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethni ...
called
Khalistan
The Khalistan movement is a Sikhs, Sikh Separatism, separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khālistān ('-stan, Land of the Khalsa'), in the Punjab, Punjab region. The proposed sta ...
by carving
Punjab
Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...
and some parts of neighbouring states of
Haryana
Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land ar ...
,
Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...
and
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several peaks ...
out of Indian union.
Organisation and activities
The Khalistan Zindabad Force is headed by Ranjit Singh Neeta, a native of
Jammu and Kashmir.
He was listed among India's 20 most wanted persons in 2008.
The strength and striking capabilities of the Khalistan Zindabad Force are currently unknown, but it is reported that attempts have been made for the Khalistan Zindabad Force and other militant groups from
Kashmir
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
to co-ordinate their efforts.
Funding of the organisation comes from
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
and
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
.
Attacks
Claims
and denials
of responsibility have been reported in the name of the Khalistan Zindabad Force for a May 2009
attack at the Gurdwara Ravidass in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
,
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, that left
Rama Nand
Rama Nand is an Indian politician and leader of Communist Party of India (CPI). He represented Alwar
Alwar (Pronunciation: lʋəɾ is a city located in India's National Capital Region and the administrative headquarters of Alwar D ...
, a leader of the
Dera Sach Khand
Dera Sach Khand Ballan () is a socio-religious social organization (dera) based in the village of Ballan near Jalandhar, Punjab, India. It was founded by devotees of Guru Ravidas.
Dera Sach Khand Ballan is devoted to the cause of leading com ...
dead, 17 injured,
and sparked riots across northern India.
Status
In December 2005 the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
classified the Khalistan Zindabad Force as a terrorist organisation, freezing its monetary assets throughout its 25 member countries.
The KZF remains
banned in India and the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
. The Khalistan Zindabad Force was reported to still be active in 2008.
On February 12, 2020, The special court of
National Investigation Agency
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is the primary counter-terrorist task force of India. The agency is empowered to deal with the investigation of terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states under written ...
(NIA) India in Mohali, Punjab issued non-bailable warrants against Pakistan-based KZF chairperson Ranjeet Singh Neeta and Germany-based Gurmeet Singh Bagga.
The court issued warrants against Neeta and Bagga during an investigation related to the delivery of arms, ammunition, explosives, communication devices, and fake currency notes from the other side of the border with the help of a drone.
This is the second time in the past five months that legal action was taken against Bagga. Earlier in October, Bagga was amongst the eight Khalistani operatives against whom
Interpol
The International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO; french: link=no, Organisation internationale de police criminelle), commonly known as Interpol ( , ), is an international organization that facilitates worldwide police cooperation and cri ...
issued a
Red Corner Notice
An Interpol notice is an international alert circulated by Interpol to communicate information about crimes, criminals, and threats by police in a member state (or an authorised international entity) to their counterparts around the world. The in ...
. Speaking about the verdict, NIA spokesperson said that their investigation revealed that both Neeta and Bagga were involved in the illegal transfer of arms, ammunition, explosives, and other products from across the border. He said, "Investigation has revealed that they have been able to recruit certain individuals from Punjab for carrying out terrorist activities."
On March 17, 2020,
National Investigation Agency
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is the primary counter-terrorist task force of India. The agency is empowered to deal with the investigation of terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states under written ...
(NIA) files charge sheet against nine
Khalistani
The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khālistān (' Land of the Khalsa'), in the Punjab region. The proposed state would consist of land that cur ...
terrorists for their alleged involvement in Punjab drone arms drop case.
All the accused have been charged with
IPC relevant provisions,
Arms Act and Explosives Substances Act and
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is an Indian law aimed at prevention of unlawful activities associations in India. Its main objective was to make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty o ...
.
February 2021, it is reported through official sources and internal elements of kzf that Ranjeet Singh is no more alive. His death cause reported was heart attack during first week of February 2021. Officially neither KZF nor Indian government has spoken about it but there are foreign / independent media news that his death news is confirmed.
References
{{Terror outfits
Designated terrorist organizations associated with Sikhism
Paramilitary organisations based in India
Pro-Khalistan militant outfits
National liberation movements
Organisations designated as terrorist by the European Union
Organisations designated as terrorist by India
Organizations based in Asia designated as terrorist
Sikh terrorism
Sikh terrorism in Austria
Sikh terrorism in India
1988 establishments in Punjab, India