Khalistan Commando Force
Encyclopedia
The Khalistan Commando Force or KCF is a private paramilitary
organization operating in the India
n state of Punjab. According to the US State Department, and the Assistant Inspector General of the Punjab Police Intelligence Division, the KCF was responsible for the deaths of thousands in India, including the 1995 assassination of Chief Minister Beant Singh
.
Department of State
to be a terrorist
organisation.
Some see fallen members of the Khalistan movement as shaheed (martyrs).
Others identify those using violence in the Khalistan movement to be freedom fighters.
in 1986.
On 8 August 1986, Punjab Police arrested Manbir Singh Chaheru
("Hari Singh"), and he was eventually killed or disappeared while in police custody.
After Chaheru was arrested, former police officer
Sukhdev Singh, also known as Sukha Sipahi, took command of the KCF.
Sukhdev Singh changed his name to Labh Singh
and assumed the title of "General".
After his death the KCF was headed by Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind
On 18 October 1989, Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind, and another KCF member were arrested by police near Jalandhar
.
Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind, then 23 years old, killed himself with poison.
on 12 July 1988.
His loss damaged the organisation.
After his death, the Khalistan Commando Force split into factions including those led by
Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, Paramjit Singh Panjwar and Gurjant Singh Rajasthani.
Another result of Labh Singh's death was the failure of the Khalistan Commando Force - Babbar Khalsa
alliance, as the relationship established by Labh Singh and Sukhdev Singh Babbar
was lost.
Police and other Indian security forces caught or killed Lieutenant Generals and Area Commanders, and eventually crushed many of the factions.
, the government's 1984 military operation in the Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar
.
It assassinated General Arun Vaidya, who led the Indian forces in Operation Blue Star
It also attacked sellers of alcohol, cigarettes, and other items prohibited by conservative Sikhism.
It was also suspected of involvement in the 1987 Punjab killings
.
A June 1991 attack on a passenger train in northwestern Punjab killed about fifty, mostly Hindu, passengers.
A September 1993 bombing in New Delhi
targeting Indian Youth Congress
president Maninderjeet Singh Bitta
that killed eight people.
On 9 October 1992, Harjinder Singh Jinda
and Sukhdev Singh Sukha
, alleged assassins of General Arun Vaidya, were hanged until death in Pune jail.
Gurdev Singh Debu
was reportedly boiled alive by Indian security forces.
Police also killed thousands of suspects in staged shootouts and burned thousands of dead bodies to cover up the murders.
The KCF was listed in 1995 one of the 4 "major militant groups" in the Khalistan movement.
.
He was deported to India for belonging to a terrorist organisation and for entering the United States with a false passport.
He was wanted in India for thirty-two cases, but was arrested for three murders in the early 1990s.
After his arrest, he stated that he would renew the Khalistan movement through peaceful means.
In 2006, a Brooklyn
, New York
, jury convicted Khalid Quyyum Awan http://khalidawancanadian.today.com/ of providing money and financial services to the Khalistan Commando Force, a terrorist organization responsible for thousands of deaths in India since its founding in 1986.
The investigation began in 2003, when Khalid Awan,jailed at the time for credit card fraud, bragged of his relationship with Paramjeet Singh Panjwar, leader of the KCF.
In 2008, Punjab Police
announced they had foiled a KCF effort to kill Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh
, head of Dera Sacha Sauda
.
Police announced they had seized arms, drugs and counterfeit currency smuggled from Pakistan to a village in Punjab, India.
The University of Maryland
beta version of the "Global Terrorism Database" recorded 2 attacks on military targets, 5 on police, and 10 against civilians as of June 2009.
The KCF remains banned in India.
A 2011 NPR
report claimed a person associated with this group were imprisoned in a highly restrictive Communication Management Unit
in the US.
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
organization operating in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Punjab. According to the US State Department, and the Assistant Inspector General of the Punjab Police Intelligence Division, the KCF was responsible for the deaths of thousands in India, including the 1995 assassination of Chief Minister Beant Singh
Beant Singh (chief minister)
Beant Singh was an Indian Chief Minister of Punjab from 1992 to 1995. Singh was a Sikh, and a member of the Congress Party....
.
Perception
The KCF is considered by the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
to be a terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
organisation.
Some see fallen members of the Khalistan movement as shaheed (martyrs).
Others identify those using violence in the Khalistan movement to be freedom fighters.
Formation and leadership
The Khalistan Commando Force was founded by Manbir Singh ChaheruManbir Singh Chaheru
Manbir Singh Chaheru was a founder and first leader of the Khalistan Commando Force.-Early life:...
in 1986.
On 8 August 1986, Punjab Police arrested Manbir Singh Chaheru
Manbir Singh Chaheru
Manbir Singh Chaheru was a founder and first leader of the Khalistan Commando Force.-Early life:...
("Hari Singh"), and he was eventually killed or disappeared while in police custody.
After Chaheru was arrested, former police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
Sukhdev Singh, also known as Sukha Sipahi, took command of the KCF.
Sukhdev Singh changed his name to Labh Singh
Labh Singh
Sukhdev Singh , best known as Labh Singh and also known as Sukha Sipahi and General Labh Singh, was a former Punjab police officer who took command of the Khalistan Commando Force after its first leader, Manbir Singh Chaheru, was arrested in 1986.He was an associate of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale...
and assumed the title of "General".
After his death the KCF was headed by Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind
On 18 October 1989, Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind, and another KCF member were arrested by police near Jalandhar
Jalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
.
Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind, then 23 years old, killed himself with poison.
Decline
Police killed Labh SinghLabh Singh
Sukhdev Singh , best known as Labh Singh and also known as Sukha Sipahi and General Labh Singh, was a former Punjab police officer who took command of the Khalistan Commando Force after its first leader, Manbir Singh Chaheru, was arrested in 1986.He was an associate of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale...
on 12 July 1988.
His loss damaged the organisation.
After his death, the Khalistan Commando Force split into factions including those led by
Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, Paramjit Singh Panjwar and Gurjant Singh Rajasthani.
Another result of Labh Singh's death was the failure of the Khalistan Commando Force - Babbar Khalsa
Babbar Khalsa
Babbar Khalsa , also known as Babbar Khalsa International , is a Sikh armed organisation based in India. Many consider the Babbar Khalsa a Resistance movement, and it played a prominent role in the Punjab insurgency. Babbar Khalsa International was created in 1978, after a number of Sikhs were...
alliance, as the relationship established by Labh Singh and Sukhdev Singh Babbar
Sukhdev Singh Babbar
Sukhdev Singh Babbar was the leader of Babbar Khalsa International the most heavily armed, most feared and most powerful of dozens of the militant groups in Punjab State that are fighting for an independent state for Sikhs, known as Khalistan...
was lost.
Police and other Indian security forces caught or killed Lieutenant Generals and Area Commanders, and eventually crushed many of the factions.
1980s
The organisation battled Indian military forces, especially in revenge for Operation Blue StarOperation Blue Star
Operation Blue Star ) 3– 6 June 1984 was an Indian military operation, ordered by Indira Gandhi, then Prime Minister of India, to remove Sikh separatists from the Golden Temple in Amritsar...
, the government's 1984 military operation in the Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
.
It assassinated General Arun Vaidya, who led the Indian forces in Operation Blue Star
It also attacked sellers of alcohol, cigarettes, and other items prohibited by conservative Sikhism.
It was also suspected of involvement in the 1987 Punjab killings
1987 Punjab killings
1987 Punjab killings are killings of 34 Hindu bus passengers in Haryana state in India in July 1987 by the suspected Khalistan Commando Force militants....
.
1990s
After the major defeats of the KCF in the late 1980s, the group continued its struggle into the 1990s, sometimes working together with other terrorist group.A June 1991 attack on a passenger train in northwestern Punjab killed about fifty, mostly Hindu, passengers.
A September 1993 bombing in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
targeting Indian Youth Congress
Indian Youth Congress
The Indian Youth Congress is the youth wing of the Indian National Congress party. As of 2006, the Indian Youth Congress has over 245,00,000 members across India, the largest democratic youth organisation in the world....
president Maninderjeet Singh Bitta
Maninderjeet Singh Bitta
Maninderjeet Singh Bitta is the chairman of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front , and former chief of the Indian Youth Congress.Bitta was made the president of Indian Youth Congress by P. V...
that killed eight people.
On 9 October 1992, Harjinder Singh Jinda
Harjinder Singh Jinda
Harjinder Singh Jinda was a member of a Sikh organization Khalistan Commando Force and one of the two assassins of Arun Vaidya . He was responsible for three high-profile killings; Arjan Dass, Lalit Maken and Gen. Vaidya...
and Sukhdev Singh Sukha
Sukhdev Singh Sukha
Sukhdev Singh Sukha was a member of the militant organization Khalistan Commando Force and one of the assassins of Arun Vaidya, the Chief of Indian army at the time of Operation Bluestar and also the architect of Operation Bluestar. He was responsible for three high-profile killings; Arjan Dass,...
, alleged assassins of General Arun Vaidya, were hanged until death in Pune jail.
Gurdev Singh Debu
Gurdev Singh Debu
Gurdev Singh Debu was a former president of area of Kartarpur of AISSF who joined the terrorist organization Khalistan Commando Force as an area commander under the leadership of Manbir Singh Chaheru after Operation Blue Star.- Early life :Gurdev Singh Debu was born on July 15, 1961 in village...
was reportedly boiled alive by Indian security forces.
Police also killed thousands of suspects in staged shootouts and burned thousands of dead bodies to cover up the murders.
The KCF was listed in 1995 one of the 4 "major militant groups" in the Khalistan movement.
2000s
In June 2006 a member of the Panjwar faction of the KCF, Kulbir Singh Barapind was extradited from USA to IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
He was deported to India for belonging to a terrorist organisation and for entering the United States with a false passport.
He was wanted in India for thirty-two cases, but was arrested for three murders in the early 1990s.
After his arrest, he stated that he would renew the Khalistan movement through peaceful means.
In 2006, a Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, jury convicted Khalid Quyyum Awan http://khalidawancanadian.today.com/ of providing money and financial services to the Khalistan Commando Force, a terrorist organization responsible for thousands of deaths in India since its founding in 1986.
The investigation began in 2003, when Khalid Awan,jailed at the time for credit card fraud, bragged of his relationship with Paramjeet Singh Panjwar, leader of the KCF.
In 2008, Punjab Police
Punjab Police
Punjab Police may refer to:* Punjab Police , which operates in the Indian state of Punjab* Punjab Police , which operates in the Pakistani province of Punjab...
announced they had foiled a KCF effort to kill Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh
Ram Rahim Singh
Hazoor Maharaj Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan is the head of the non-profit spiritual organisation Dera Sacha Sauda since 1990....
, head of Dera Sacha Sauda
Dera Sacha Sauda
Dera Sacha Sauda colloquially DSS) is a non-profit spiritual organization based in Sirsa, Haryana, India. The Dera Sacha Sauda was established by Shah Mastana Ji from Baluchistan in 1948, as a center for spiritual learning....
.
Police announced they had seized arms, drugs and counterfeit currency smuggled from Pakistan to a village in Punjab, India.
Status
Paramjeet Singh Panjwar, remained the head of the remaining faction of the KCF as of 2008, and was listed at that time as one of the top 10 most wanted criminals in India.The University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
beta version of the "Global Terrorism Database" recorded 2 attacks on military targets, 5 on police, and 10 against civilians as of June 2009.
The KCF remains banned in India.
A 2011 NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
report claimed a person associated with this group were imprisoned in a highly restrictive Communication Management Unit
Communication Management Unit
Communication Management Unit is a recent designation for a self-contained group within a facility in the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons that severely restricts, manages and monitors all outside communication of inmates in the unit.-Origins:As part of the Bush Administration's War on...
in the US.
See also
- Labh SinghLabh SinghSukhdev Singh , best known as Labh Singh and also known as Sukha Sipahi and General Labh Singh, was a former Punjab police officer who took command of the Khalistan Commando Force after its first leader, Manbir Singh Chaheru, was arrested in 1986.He was an associate of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale...
- Gurdev Singh DebuGurdev Singh DebuGurdev Singh Debu was a former president of area of Kartarpur of AISSF who joined the terrorist organization Khalistan Commando Force as an area commander under the leadership of Manbir Singh Chaheru after Operation Blue Star.- Early life :Gurdev Singh Debu was born on July 15, 1961 in village...
- Arun Shridhar VaidyaArun Shridhar VaidyaGeneral Arun Shridhar Vaidya, MVC, AVSM was the 13th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.-Lieutenant Colonel:In 1965, the then Lieutenant Colonel Vaidya was in command of the Deccan Horse...
- Harjinder Singh JindaHarjinder Singh JindaHarjinder Singh Jinda was a member of a Sikh organization Khalistan Commando Force and one of the two assassins of Arun Vaidya . He was responsible for three high-profile killings; Arjan Dass, Lalit Maken and Gen. Vaidya...
- Manbir Singh ChaheruManbir Singh ChaheruManbir Singh Chaheru was a founder and first leader of the Khalistan Commando Force.-Early life:...
- Sikh extremismSikh extremismSikh extremism refers to threats or acts of violence against civilians, or material support for the acts of violence.Some extremists have been separatists pursuing the formation of a Sikh state, often referred to as Khalistan....
- Sukhdev Singh SukhaSukhdev Singh SukhaSukhdev Singh Sukha was a member of the militant organization Khalistan Commando Force and one of the assassins of Arun Vaidya, the Chief of Indian army at the time of Operation Bluestar and also the architect of Operation Bluestar. He was responsible for three high-profile killings; Arjan Dass,...