Dal Khalsa founded (Gajinder Singh)

Who: Gajinder Singh and associated Sikh political activists. Intellectual stream: Jagjit Singh Chohan (early Khalistan theorist).

What: Foundation of the Dal Khalsa, a Sikh political organization that would straddle the spectrum between political advocacy and (initially) direct action. Dal Khalsa's early program:

• Explicit advocacy for Khalistan (independent Sikh state), distinguishing Dal Khalsa from mainstream Akali Dal (which pursued state autonomy within India).
• Mass political mobilization through Morchas and public demonstrations.
• Active political engagement with the broader Panthic political movement.

Where: Chandigarh, with Punjab-wide organization.

Why it mattered: Dal Khalsa represented the explicit Khalistan current within organized Sikh politics. Unlike the mainstream Akali Dal (which formally stayed within the Anandpur Sahib Resolution's intra-Indian-federation framework), Dal Khalsa's foundational program included independent Sikh state as a political goal.

The first years: Dal Khalsa would be involved in the September 29, 1981 Indian Airlines Flight 423 hijacking to Lahore, one of the earliest Sikh-led aerial hijackings. Gajinder Singh personally participated and subsequently remained in Pakistani sanctuary.

Subsequent trajectory: Dal Khalsa evolved toward primarily political advocacy (rather than direct action) through the subsequent decades. Contemporary Dal Khalsa continues as a political organization advocating for Sikh sovereignty discourse, led through various iterations by figures including Parmjeet Singh Gazi and others.