Tragedy on wheels: Remembering the gruesome killing of 110 train passengers, mostly Hindus, in Punjab by Khalistani terrorists on its 34th anniversary

34 years ago, hundreds of families were destroyed in Punjab by Khalistani terrorists as they attacked two trains. It was 9:35 PM on 15th June 1991.

A Ludhiana-bound train originating from Ferozpur slowed down near Baddowal in Ludhiana district when Khalistani terrorists, armed with automatic weapons, opened fire, killing 62 passengers, mostly Hindus, and injuring 40 others. The terrorists hot-wired the signal box to stop the train.

In another incident, 48 passengers were killed and 30 were injured in the Dhuri-Hisar passenger train near Qila Rajan in Ludhiana district. In this attack, they specifically seperated Hindus from Sikhs on the train and forced them to deboard. The victims were then lined up across the railway track and killed. The terrorists were reportedly belonged to Khalistan Commando Force.

Indian Express had reported that the terrorists kidnapped the guard and driver of the train and escaped. It was the largest mass killing in two incidents on a single day. Punjab, just a day before the attacks, was declared a disturbed area and the Army was deployed to maintain law and order.

Assassination of Jatinder Singh

The massacre on trains was not the only attack by Khalistani terrorists on that day. 11 people, including an Assembly candidate of the All-India Sikh Students Federation, Jatinder Singh, were killed by Khalistani terrorists.

Jatinder Singh was contesting from Chamkaur Sahib Assembly constituency in Ropar district. Two terrorists killed him at a gurdwara in Ratlangarhi village. His private gunman was also injured in the incident.

Reportedly, Singh went to meet the people without informing his security guards, leading to the attack. He was the second AISSF candidate to be killed, and the 21st in total candidates killed by Khalistani terrorists.

Furthermore, two police personnel were killed in a separate attack. In village Dhotian of Tarn Taran district, five members of a family and a woman were also killed.

Five terrorists were neutralised on that day, including the area commander of the Khalistan Commando Force, Sukhdev Singh alias Lali, in an encounter near village Kotla Majha Singh.

The attacks happened within 5 hours after polling closed for the Lok Sabha elections. Voting did not take place in Punjab due to the law-and-order situation and was scheduled for 22nd June under Army protection. At that time, Punjab was under Central Government rule since 1987. Notably, elections for the State Assembly in Punjab were announced in April. By 15th June, over 700 people were reportedly killed in separate attacks.

Assassination attempt on Home Minister

That was the time when travel during the night was normally restricted due to the possibility of terrorist attacks. Because of the repeated attacks, there were demands for the cancellation of Punjab polls by several political parties, including the Congress Party. The situation was so critical that the Home Minister of India at that time, Subodh Kant Sahay, had escaped an assassination attempt near Ludhiana. An explosion had gone off in a pile of gravel as his car passed. He escaped unhurt.

The elections were eventually cancelled a day before the voting was scheduled.

Khalistani terrorists killed 49 Hindus in train attack in December 1991

On 26th December 1991, Khalistani terrorists hijacked a passenger train and systematically shot Hindu passengers. 49 were killed and 20 were injured in the attack. The attack on Hindu passengers happened just two months before the state elections.

Reportedly, in November 1991, the Central Government deployed 1,40,000 army personnel in Punjab to maintain law and order in view of the elections. At that time, it was becoming increasingly common for Khalistani terrorists to attack trains and kill Hindu passengers, particularly before elections.

Reportedly, the terrorists were on board the train when it left from Ludhiana. They pulled the emergency cord at around 7:30 PM near village Sohain. As the train stopped, four terrorists pulled out their AK-47s and began searching the train. They shot anyone who appeared to be a Hindu. Six other terrorists climbed the train at the Sohain crossing and joined the massacre. After killing 49 and injuring 20, the terrorists left the train and disappeared into the night.

Since June 1991, several bomb attacks on civilians in Punjab and northern Uttar Pradesh were reported. In northern UP, there were pockets where pro-Khalistani Sikhs lived and gave shelter to Khalistani terrorists. Such pockets still exist in some areas. Most recently, Khalistani terrorists were killed in an encounter in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. They were linked to the Khalistan Zindabad Force and were trained by ISI Pakistan.

The 1991 train massacres by Khalistani terrorists remain among the darkest chapters of independent India’s history. The deliberate targeting of Hindu passengers, political candidates, and civilians was not just an act of terror, but a calculated attempt to destabilise Punjab and derail democratic processes.

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