Akal Takht and SGPC provide legitimacy to 1981 hijacking that globalised Khalistan narrative Ground Zero Jagtar Singh Khalistan men hijack Boeing to Lahore- The Indian Express “Khalistan” men hijack I. A. plane – The Tribune Both these banner headlines in these two newspapers published from Chandigarh were datelined September 30, 1981. This was the hijacking by the members of the Dal Khalsa that brought under focus the demand for Khalistan that otherwise had not been raised by any of the main Sikh organisations till then, except by National Council of Khalistan headed by Dr. Jagjit Singh Chohan. This hijacking was staged mainly to demand release of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale in the case relating to the assassination of Jalandhar-based owner-editor of Hind Samachar group of newspapers Lala Jagat Narain. It was also with this action that the Dal Khalsa constituted in 1978 in reaction to the killing of 13 Sikhs in Sikh-Nirankari clash at Amritsar o...