WDarshan Singh Canadian was a Sikh trade union activist and Communist organizer in Canada and India.
WAmar Singh Chamkila was a popular Punjabi singer, songwriter, musician, and composer.
WDeepak Dhawan was the State Committee member of Communist Party of India (Marxist) Punjab (India) and Joint Secretary of Khet Mazdoor Union, a mass organisation of CPI(M), which fights for the rights of landless agricultural labourers. He was a member of All India Students Federation (AISF) in D.A.V College, Amritsar & an elected President of Student Council of Guru Nanak Dev University. On 19 May 1987, he was killed by the Khalistan movement extremists at village Sangha, Tarn Taran district.
WIndira Priyadarshini Gandhi was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was the first and, to date, only female Prime Minister of India. Indira Gandhi was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India. She served as prime minister from January 1966 to March 1977 and again from January 1980 until her assassination in October 1984, making her the second longest-serving Indian prime minister after her father.
WHarchand Singh Longowal was the President of the Akali Dal during the Punjab insurgency of the 1980s. He is known affectionately as "Sant". He had signed the Punjab accord, also known as the Rajiv-Longowal Accord along with Rajiv Gandhi on 24 July 1985. The government got its way and accepted only few demands of Akali Dal who in turn agreed to withdraw their agitation. Less than a month after signing the Punjab accord, Longowal was assassinated by the Sikh groups who felt let down by the accord and opposed it.
WLala Jagat Narain was an Indian editor, member of Punjab Legislative Assembly, Member of Parliament and founder of the Hind Samachar media group.
WThe Insurgency in Punjab that started in the early 1980s, was an armed campaign against the government of India by a Sikh nationalist movement called the Khalistan movement. In the 1980s, the movement had developed into a secessionist movement. The Green Revolution brought several social and economic changes which, along with factionalism of the politics, in the Punjab state increased tension between rural Sikhs in Punjab with the union Government of India. Pakistani strategists then began supporting the militant dimension of the Khalistan movement.
WJulio Francis Ribeiro is a retired Indian police officer and civil servant. He held increasingly responsible positions during his career, and led the Punjab Police during part of the Punjab insurgency periods. In 1987, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award for his services.
WBeant Singh was an Indian politician and the Chief Minister of Punjab from 1992 to 1995. He was a member of Indian National Congress. He was killed in a car bombing.
WGeneral Arunkumar Shridhar Vaidya PVSM, MVC & Bar, AVSM, ADC was a General Officer in the Indian Army. He served as the 13th Chief of the Army Staff from 1983 to 1986. Following his retirement, he was assassinated by Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha, Sikh militants of the Khalistan Commando Force in August 1986. This was done in vengeance of Operation Blue Star. Viadya commanded this operation.
WYelavarthy Nayudamma was a chemical engineer and a scientist killed on Air India Flight 182.