Sikhs rising extremism over the past two years has brought violence in the state to alarming levels. Indian government recently responded by sending the army to siege the Golden Temple in Amritsar that Sikh leader Sant Jarnail Singh BHINDRANWALE occupied with other Sikh extremists.
BHINDRANWALE, who demanded the state's independence, was one of the 800 Sikh militants who died in the battle along with 200 soldiers.