Operation Mand

Operation Mand was a military operation launched by India to capture or kill Avtar Singh Brahma and Tat Khalsa members on 21–22 July 1986.[1]

Operation Mand
Part of Insurgency in Punjab, India
Date21–22 July 1986
Location
Mand region, Punjab
Result Tat Khalsa victory
Belligerents
Tat Khalsa

 India

Commanders and leaders
Avtar Singh Brahma K. P. S. Gill
Surjit Singh Barnala
Julio Riberio
Rajiv Gandhi
Buta Singh
Strength
125-150 30 Paramilitary Companies
Unknown amount of Police
2 Helicopters
Unknown amount of mechanised boats
Unknown amount of bulldozers
Casualties and losses
Unknown Heavy
1 helicopter destroyed

Background

Avtar Singh Brahma was a Sikh kharku who had founded the group Tat Khalsa.[2] He quickly grew to prominence by launching constant attacks on CRPF, BSF, Police, and Army patrols.[3] He would defeat security forces in the Battle of Manakpur. Following this, Brahma centered his group and operation in the Mand region which is the riverbank land along the Beas.[4][5] Brahma would be dubbed the "King of Mand"[6] and became the de facto ruler of the region,[7] which covers an area of 240 square kilometres (93 sq mi).[4][8]

Operation

On 21 July 1986, Operation Mand would be launched. The Operation was led and planned by KPS Gill and was approved by Julio Riberio.[9] About 30 companies of security forces assisted by helicopters, bulldozers and mechanized boats, were deployed for the Operation.[4][8] Brahma operated 5 groups of 25–30 operatives.[8]

The Operation did not go as expected for the Indian forces. Thousands of Police and Paramilitary forces surrounded the Mand region and closed in on the Tat Khalsa men. According to Avtar Singh, he and fellow Tat Khalsa members clashed with and repulsed an attacking force of officers and paramilitary, with the attacking force suffering high casualties. Avtar Singh also shot down a Paramilitary helicopter. The other helicopters retreated after this.[10][11] The battle continued for some time, but eventually, the security forces fell back. Avtar Singh Brahma and fellow Tat Khalsa members managed to escape at night.[4][11] The operation lasted for 40 hours.[4]

Aftermath

The operation faced heavy criticism for being "overkill".[4] It was initially described as the destruction of the Khalistan capital, but police had only captured a few weapons.[4] The operation also saw criticism from Revenue Minister Major Singh Uboke, a dissident in the ruling party.[4][12] He called Operation Mand "Operation Fraud". He charged, at a cabinet meeting, of security forces of harassing and torturing "innocent Sikh youths and even women".[4]

Pop culture

The Operation would be depicted in the 2017 movie Toofan Singh.[13]

References
  1. Ribeiro, Julio (1998). Bullet for Bullet: My Life as a Police Officer. Viking. p. 283. ISBN 978-0-670-87871-0.
  2. Chima, Jugdep S. (2010-03-11). The Sikh Separatist Insurgency in India: Political Leadership and Ethnonationalist Movements. SAGE Publishing India. ISBN 978-93-5150-953-0.
  3. Link: Indian Newsmagazine. 1987. p. 24.
  4. "Sikh terrorists gun down bus-load of passengers in Punjab, Delhi mobs react against Sikhs". India Today. Retrieved 2023-04-26.
  5. Gupta, Dipankar; Banerjee, Sumanta; Mohan, Dinesh; Navlakha, Gautam (1988). "Punjab: Communalised beyond Politics". Economic and Political Weekly. 23 (33): 1677–1684. ISSN 0012-9976. JSTOR 4378888.
  6. Ribeiro, Julio (1998). Bullet for Bullet: My Life as a Police Officer. Viking. p. 283. ISBN 978-0-670-87871-0.
  7. Dhillon, Kirpal (2006-12-22). Identity and Survival: Sikh Militancy in India 1978-1993. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-93-85890-38-3.
  8. Vas, Lt Gen EA; Kathpalia, Lt Gen PN; Bakshi, G. D.; Kanwal, Gurmeet; Rockall, George; Kaushik, Brig OP; Saksena, Col KP; Tiwathia, Maj Vijay; Joshi, Dr Manoj (1987-07-01). Indian Defence Review July-Dec 1987 (Vol 2.2). Lancer Publishers. pp. 124–5. ISBN 978-81-7062-029-7.
  9. Ribeiro, Julio (1998). Bullet for Bullet: My Life as a Police Officer. Viking. p. 283. ISBN 978-0-670-87871-0.
  10. India Today. Living Media India Pvt. Limited. 1986. p. 35.
  11. India Today Volume 11, Issues 13-24. Living Media India Pvt. Limited. 1986. p. 23.
  12. "Punjab in crisis as Barnala Ministry reduced to a minority following split in Akali Dal". India Today. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  13. "Censor board refuses to clear movie on Khalistani militant". hindustantimes.com. 13 July 2017.
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