The Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan (BTFK) was a Sikh extremist militant group, and one of several major separatist organizations involved in the Khalistan movement during the Punjab insurgency. The BTFK's main aim was to establish a Sikh homeland called Khalistan. At its peak, the BTFK's membership totaled 500 members and remained the strongest pro-Khalistan group in Tarn Taran Sahib, which was the epicenter of violence during the Punjab insurgency. It was formed in 1984 by Gurbachan Singh Manochahal. After Manochahal's death, the BTFK seem to have disbanded or splintered into factions. It was listed in 1995 as one of the 4 "major militant groups " in the Khalistan movement. History Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan had two main factions, one led by Gurbachan Singh Manochahal and the other faction led by Sukhwinder Singh Sangha. The BTF was a Sikh group fighting for an independent Sikh homeland. Based in the state of Punjab, India, the BTF was described as one of the major Sikh revolutionary groups and reportedly the strongest revolutionary group in the Amritsar-Tarn Taran area. According to Cynthia Keppley Mahmood, who previously was a professor in Anthropology at University of Maine in Orono with expertise on Sikh revolutionary groups in Punjab, the BTF was founded in 1984 by Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, who was also head of the original Panthic Committee (30 December 1994). Manochal broke away from the original Panthic Committee to continue his independent command of the BTF after his leadership of the Panthic was challenged in 1988. Manochal also maintained his own Panthic Committee for a while but was killed in 1991 or 1992. Keppley Mahmood also indicated that membership of the BTF numbered in the hundreds at one point, and the BTF was considered among the most dangerous of the guerilla forces (30 December 1994). Keppley Mahmood noted that "relations" of suspected members were targeted by police and paramilitary personnel and much of the original force had been decimated. Furthermore, Keppley Mahmood suggests that members of the BTF were scattered all over, but no one knows how many are left or whether there is a clear leader at this point. Keppley Mahmood was unable to comment on the treatment of members of the BTF by the authorities upon their return to India, but noted that since the BTF has been a major target of counter-terrorism efforts, she would expect the reception of any known member