The following timeline documents the insurgency in Punjab, India:

+ Punjab insurgency chronology outline Date Event SourceMarch 1972Akali Dal loses the 1972 Punjab elections to the Indian National Congress.16–17 October 1973Akalis demand Sikh rights in the Anandpur Sahib Resolution.13 April 1978The 1978 Sikh–Nirankari clash was a violent confrontation in Amritsar where traditional Sikhs protested against a Sant Nirankari convention, resulting in 16 deaths and escalating tensions that contributed to unrest. 25 April 1980Gurbachan Singh of Sant Nirankari sect shot dead. 2 June 1980Akalis lose the 1980 Punjab elections. Mrs. Gandhi's Party Wins Easily In 8 of 9 States Holding Elections, The New York Times, 3 June 1980 16 Aug 1981Sikhs in Golden Temple meet foreign correspondentsIN INDIA, SIKHS RAISE A CRY FOR INDEPENDENT NATION, MICHAEL T. KAUFMAN, THE NEW YORK TIMES, 16 August 19819 Sep 1981Lala Jagat Narain, Editor of Hind Samachar is murdered.GUNMEN SHOOT OFFICIAL IN A TROUBLED INDIAN STATE, THE NEW YORK TIMES, 18 October 198129 Sep 1981Dal Khalsa militants hijack Indian Airlines Flight 423 flying from Delhi-Palam Airport to Amritsar-Raja Sansi Airport and divert it to Lahore Airport in Pakistan. They demand the release of separatist leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and a sum of $500,000 in cash. The hijacking ends with Pakistani SSG forces rescuing all the passengers.Sikh Separatists murdered on Indian Jetliner to Pakistan, MICHAEL T. KAUFMAN, The New York Times 30 September 1981 19 November 1981 Police Inspector Pritam Singh Bajwa and Constable Surat Singh of Jalandhar were gunned down in Daheru village in Ludhiana district. The terrorists, who were hiding in the house of Amarjit Singh Nihang, all managed to escape. This act gained Babbar Khalsa and its chief Talwinder Singh Parmar notoriety. Named in the first information report were Wadhawa Singh (current Babbar Khalsa chief), Talwinder Singh Parmar, Amarjit Singh Nihang, Amarjit Singh (Head Constable), Sewa Singh (Head Constable) and Gurnam Singh (Head Constable). 11 Feb 1982Jagjit Singh Chauhan, founder of the Council of Khalistan, is granted entry in to the United States. Two Visa Disputes Annoy and Intrigue India, MICHAEL T. KAUFMAN, The New York Times, 11 February 198211 Apr 1982US based Sikh activist Ganga Singh Dhillon barred From IndiaSikh Separatist Is Barred From Visiting India, The New York Times, 11 April 1982 July 1982 Protesting Sikhs storm the Parliament in New Delhi due to inaction of authorities regarding the deaths of 34 Sikhs in police custody. 4 Aug 1982Akalis demand autonomy and additional regions for Punjab The Sikh Diaspora: The Search for Statehood By Darshan Singh Tatla 11 Oct 1982Sikhs stage protests at the Indian Parliament, members of the Pro-Autonomy Faction, belonging to the Shiromani Akali Dal attack with swords the building, killing four people, five wounded, and at least 60 policemen were said to be injured. The attack is in response of the deaths of 34 Sikhs in police custody in Punjab last month. Nov 1982Harchand Singh Longowal, President of the Akali Dal, threatens to disrupt the Asian GamesSikhs Raise the Ante at A Perilous Cost to India, WILLIAM K. STEVENS, The New York Times, 7 November 1982 27 Feb 1983Sikhs permitted to carry daggers in domestic flightsConcessions Granted to Sikhs By Mrs. Gandhi's Government, The New York Times, 28 February 1983 23 April 1983Punjab Police Deputy Inspector General A. S. Atwal was shot dead as he left the Golden Temple compound by a lone unknown gunman||3 May 1983Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, talks of violence being perpetuated against Sikhs and for India to understandSIKH HOLY LEADER TALKS OF VIOLENCE, WILLIAM K. STEVENSS, The New York Times, 3 May 198318 June 1983A detective Inspector from Punjab police killed by Sikh militants14 July 1983Four policemen killed by Sikh militants in physical confrontation21 September 1983Senior superintendent of Police wounded and his guard killed by Sikh militants29 September 19835 Police constables killed by Sikh militants 5 Oct 19836 Hindu passengers killed in 1983 Dhilwan bus massacre. INDIAN GOVERNMENT TAKES OVER A STATE SWEPT BY RELIGIOUS STRIFE, WILLIAM K. STEVENS, 7 October 19836 Oct 1983President's rule imposed in Punjab14 Oct 1983 2 people killed in a bombing at a Hindu festival in ChandigarhWILLIAM K. STEVENS, The New York Times, Oct 1983 Hindu pulled off a train and bus and killed11 PEOPLE KILLED IN PUNJAB UNREST, WILLIAM K. STEVENS, The New York Times, 23 February 1984 mid-Oct 1983 Two people injured in a bomb blast on the outskirts of Chandigarh. Two people were killed and more than 30 injured when grenades exploded in two theaters in Delhi. 2 people were injured when a grenade went off in the New Delhi railway station.21 Oct 1983A passenger train was derailed and 2 agricultural labourers travelling were killed by Sikh militants18 Nov 1983A bus was hijacked and 4 passengers were killed by Sikh militants 9 Feb 1984A wedding procession bombedGeneral Strike Disrupts Punjab By SANJOY HAZARIKA, The New York Times, 9 February 1984; 14 Feb 1984Six policemen abducted from a post near Golden Temple and one of them killed. 14 Feb 1984More than 12 Sikhs killed in riots in Haryana 19 Feb 1984Sikh-Hindu clashes spread in North IndiaSikh-Hindu Clashes Spread in North India, The New York Times, 19 February 1984 23 Feb 19843 Hindus killed and 24 injured by Sikh militants 25 Feb 19841 Hindu killed in by Sikh militants, total 69 Hindus slayed over last 11 days 28 Feb 1984President of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) H.S Manchada shot dead at ITO, Delhi 29 Feb 1984By this time, the Sikh political centre had become the centre of the 19-month-old uprising by the Sikhs Sikh Temple: Words of Worship, Talk of Warfare, The New York Times, 29 February 1984 3 April 1984A prominent member of BJP, Harbans Lal Khanna, killed in Amritsar 4 April 1984Professor V. N. Tiwari, a Rajya Sabha MP and father of Congress leader Manish Tewari was shot dead in Chandigarh while on a morning walk 9 April 1984Bomb attack on Hindu temple in Bhatinda by Sikh Militant leaves 3 wounded 14 April 1984Surinder Singh Sodhi, follower of Bhindranwale, shot dead at a tea-stall outside the Golden Temple by a man and a woman15 April 1984Jasjit Singh, owner of the tea stall is shot and killed by two assailants. Co-conspirators Bachan Singh and Malik Singh Bhatia are killed inside the temple 16 April 1984Discovery of the mutilated bodies of Surinder Singh Shinda alias Chhinda, and Baljit Kaur, the assassins of Surinder Singh Sodhi. 3 Sikh Activists Killed In Factional Fighting, The New York Times, 17 April 1984 12 May 1984Romesh Chander, son of Lala Jagat Narain, former Editor, Hind Samachar group murdered. 27 May 1984Hindu politician killed in Firozpur1 June 1984Army controls Punjab's security INDIAN ARMY TAKES OVER SECURITY IN PUNJAB AS NEW VIOLENCE FLARES, The New York Times, 3 June 19841 June 1984 Total media and the press black out in Punjab, the rail, road and air services in Punjab suspended. Foreigners' and NRIs' entry was also banned and water and electricity supply cut off. 5 June 1984Operation Blue Star to remove militants from Harmandir Sahib commences, Punjab shut-down from outside world.HEAVY FIGHTING REPORTED AT SHRINE IN PUNJAB, The New York Times, 5 June 19846 June 1984 Daylong battle in temple Indians Report Daylong Battle at Sikh Temple, The New York Times, 6 June 1984 7 June 1984Harmandir Sahib Overtaken by Indian Army308 People Killed as Indian Troops Take Sikh Temple, The New York Times, 7 June 1984 7 June 1984Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was killed and golden temple was relieved by the Indian Army.8 June 198427 Sikhs killed in protests in Srinagar, Ludhiana, Amritsar after Government forces fired on protestersSIKHS PROTESTING RAID ON SHRINE; 27 DIE IN RIOTS, The New York Times, 8 June 19849 June 1984Weapons seized, troops fired onSIKHS IN TEMPLE HOLD OUT: MORE VIOLENCE IS REPORTED; 27 DIE IN RIOTS, The New York Times, 9 June 1984 10 June 1984Reports of anti-Sikh riots and killings in DelhiINDIAN GOVERNMENT TAKES ON SIKHS IN A BLOODY ENCOUNTER, The New York Times, 10 June 198411 June 1984Negotiators close to a settlement on waters 24 August 19847 Sikh terrorists abduct 100 passengers in the Indian Airlines Airbus A300 hijacking31 October 1984Indira Gandhi assassinated1 November 19841984 anti-Sikh riots begin in Delhi3 November 1984 Anti Sikh Violence a total of 2,733 Sikhs were killed23 June 1985 Air India Flight 182 was bombed by Sikh terrorists killing 329 people (including 22 crew members); almost all of them Hindus20 August 1985Harchand Singh Longowal assassinatedReligion and Nationalism in India: The Case of the Punjab, By Harnik Deol, Routledge, 200029 September 198560% vote, Akali Dal won 73 of 115 seats, Barnala CMTEMPLE Gandhi Hails A Loss in Punjab, The New York Times, 29 September 198526 January 1986Sikhs have a global meeting and the rebuilding of Akal Takht declared as well as the five member Panthic Committee selected and have draft of the Constitution of Khalistan written29 April 1986 Resolution of Khalistan passed by Sarbat Khalsa and Khalistan Commando Force also formed at Akal Takht with more than 80,000 Sikhs present. 25 July 1986 14 Hindus and one Sikh passenger killed in the 1986 Muktsar Bus massacre by unidentified separatists30 November 1986 24 Hindu passengers killed in the 1986 Hoshiarpur Bus massacre by terrorists 19 May 1987 Deepak Dhawan, a member of the Punjab State Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), is murdered in the village of Sangha, Tarn Taran district 14 June 1987 Unidentified militants kill 25 in two attacks 7 July 1987 Unidentified terrorists attacked two buses, singled out and killed 70 Hindu bus passengers in the 1987 Haryana killings 19 February 1988 In Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Patiala, bombs were exploded in courts by Babbar Khalsa. 12 to 13 persons killed and nearly 50 injured. 2 April 1988 Unidentified gunmen stormed into huts and houses across Punjab state and killed 37 people, Including seven children. 12 May 1988Operation Black Thunder II to remove militants from Harmandir Sahib 20 May 1988 A series of bombs allegedly planted by extremists exploded in Himachal Pradesh state buses. At least 10 people were killed. 10 January 1990Senior Superintendent of Batala Police Gobind Ram killed in bomb blast in retaliation of police gang raping Sikh woman of Gora Choor village 16 June 199180 people killed on two trains by extremistsExtremists in India Kill 80 on 2 Trains As Voting Nears End, The New York Times, 16 June 1991 17 October 19911991 Rudrapur bombings 25 February 1992Congress sweeps 1992 Punjab electionsThe Punjab Elections 1992: Breakthrough or Breakdown? Gurharpal Singh, Asian Survey, Vol. 32, No. 11 (Nov. 1992), pp. 988–999 3 August 1992 29 hindus, first kidnapped and then killed by unidentified extremists in Uttar Pradesh 7 January 199311 separatists killed in the village of Chhichhrewal Tehsil, BatalaGurharpal Singh, Asian Survey, Vol. 32, No. 11 (Nov. 1992), pp. 988–999 1 March 1993 Gurbachan Singh Manochahal killed by the police. 31 August 1995Chief Minister Beant Singh killed in a bomb blast.

See also Kharku Human rights abuses in Punjab, India List of terrorist incidents in Punjab, India

References