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| Khalistan Commando Force | |
|---|---|
_during_the_tenure_of_Labh_Singh.jpg){kind=logo} Letterhead logo of the KCF during the leadership of Labh Singh | |
| Founder | Manbir Singh Chaheru † |
| Leader | Manbir Singh Chaheru † (1986) Labh Singh † (1986–1988) Kanwaljit Singh Sultanwind † (1988–1989) Gurjant Singh Rajasthani † (1988–1991)(Faction) Paramjit Singh Panjwar (1989–2023) † |
| Dates of operation | 1986-Present |
| Motives | Creation of a Sikh independent state of Khalistan |
| Designated as a terrorist group by |  India |
The Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) is a Sikh Khalistani militant organisation operating in the state of Punjab, India with prominent members based in Canada, United Kingdom and Pakistan. Its objective is the creation of a Sikh independent state of Khalistan through armed struggle. KCF is also responsible for many assassinations in India, including the 1995 assassination of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. It is also designated as Terrorist Organisation by the Government of India.
Objective
The creation of a Sikh independent state of Khalistan through armed struggle is their primary goal. KCF primarily targeted Indian security forces including CRPF, BSF and other police forces. It targeted Hindus who were against the Khalistan movement. The primary source of funding of KCF is looting, bank robbery and extortion. It is also involved in large scale smuggling of weapons from Pakistan to India across the International border.
History
Khalistan Commando Force was founded by the Sarbat Khalsa and Panthic Committee. It was the official army of Khalistan. Manbir Singh Chaheru was made the leader in February 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 two KCF members were arrested by police near Jalandhar. While one member managed to escape, Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind, then 23 years old, swallowed a cyanide capsule to avoid giving information about the group.
Decline
Operation Black Thunder against the Sikh militants in Golden Temple greatly degraded the capability of KCF to conduct operations. Police killed Labh Singh 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.
The group broke into multiple factions.
This organization was eventually rendered of its ability to operate after all of its chiefs, local commanders, militants were killed or captured by Indian security forces by late 1990s.
Activities
Main article: List of actions attributed to KCFPresent 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. As per the released statement of Khalid Awan – a Canadian citizen – who served 14-year sentence in the U.S. prisons for transferring money to KCF, Panjwar was a VIP in Pakistan and has the support of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency. On the other hand, the U.S prosecutors have claimed that Awan admitted of transferring money to Panjwar despite knowing the fact that the money will be used to carry out attacks against India.
The University of Maryland beta version of the "Global Terrorism Database" has recorded 2 attacks on military targets, 9 attacks on police or other government targets, and 9 attacks against civilian, religious, transportation or educational entities, in both India and Pakistan, as of June 2009.
The KCF remains banned in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and designated as terrorist organisation by the Government of India.
A 2011 NPR report claimed a person associated with this group was imprisoned in a highly restrictive Communication Management Unit in the US.
On 6 May 2023, Paramjeet Singh Panjwar was shot dead and his bodyguard injured while out on a walk early morning in Lahore’s Johar Town, by two unidentified bike-borne men. It is widely believed he was killed by R&AW operatives.
See also
- Sikh extremism
- Kharku
- Babbar Khalsa
- International Sikh Youth Federation
- Khalistan Liberation Force
- Khalistan Zindabad Force
References
- ^ "List of Banned Organisations". Ministry of Home Affairs, GoI. Government of India. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
- Martin, Gus (17 February 2006). "Khalistan+Commando+Force"+%2B+"Terrorist"&pg=PA201 "Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues". SAGE. ISBN 9781412927222. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
Included among the many Sikh terrorist groups are Dal Khalsa, Bhindranwale Tiger Force, Saheed Khalsa Force, the Khalistan Liberation Front, and the Khalistan Commando Force.
- Martha Crenshaw (2010). Terrorism in Context. Penn State Press. p. 394. ISBN 978-0-271-04442-2.
in the early 1992, Khalistan Commando force had 63 subgroups... for a total of 167 terrorist groups
- Thussu, Daya Kishan (2012). South Asia and the Frontline of the 'War on Terror'. SAGE Publications Ltd. pp. 167–183. doi:10.4135/9781446288429.n10. ISBN 9781446201589. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
...was led by such terrorist organizations as the Khalistan Commando Force.
- "Law Enforcement Cases: International Narcotics Control Strategy Report: Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs". US Department of State. March 2008. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
- "U.S. Court Convicts Khalid Awan for Supporting Khalistan Commando Force". Embassy of the United States in New Delhi, India. 20 December 2006. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
- ^ C. Christine Fair; Sumit Ganguly (2008). Treading on Hallowed Ground: Counterinsurgency Operations in Sacred Spaces. Oxford University Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-19-971189-5.
- Pettigrew, Joyce J. M. (1995). The Sikhs of the Punjab : unheard voices of State and guerrilla violence. Internet Archive. London ; Atlantic Highlands, N.J. : Zed Books. p. 82. ISBN 978-1-85649-355-0.
- Stephen E. Atkins (2004). Encyclopedia of Modern Worldwide Extremists and Extremist Groups. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 242. ISBN 978-0-313-32485-7.
- Cynthia Keppley Mahmood (November 1996). Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 152-153. ISBN 0-8122-1592-3.
- Birinder Pal Singh (2002). Violence as Political Discourse. Indian Institute of Advanced Study. ISBN 9788179860069.
- The Journal of Commonwealth & comparative politics by Taylor & Francis. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2009.
- "The Killings In Sangrur Jail". Ihro. June 2009. Archived from the original on 8 October 2007.
- Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley (1997). Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants (illustrated ed.). University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 314. ISBN 978-0-8122-1592-2.
- "800 years of Sultanwind". Punjab Heritage. 28 July 2006. Archived from the original on 2 August 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2009.
- Mark Juergensmeyer (September 2003). Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence. University of California Press. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-520-24011-7.
- ^ Mark Juergensmeyer (September 2003). Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence (3rd ed.). University of California Press. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-520-24011-7.
- Crenshaw, Martha (November 2010). Terrorism in context – Page 399. ISBN 9780271044422.
- Juan Sanchez (2007). Terrorism & It's [sic] Effects. Global Media. p. 161. ISBN 978-81-89940-93-5.
- Satyapal Dang (1988). Genesis of terrorism: an analytical study of Punjab terrorists. Patriot. ISBN 9788170500674.
...(KCF) which is headed by General Labh Singh alias Sukhdev Singh alias Sukha Sipahi. Perhaps he continued to maintain his links with the Babbar Khalsa also
- Fair, C. Christine; Ganguly, Šumit (September 2008). Treading on hallowed ground: counterinsurgency operations in sacred spaces. Oxford University Press US. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-19-534204-8.
- Martha Crenshaw (2010). Terrorism in Context. Penn State Press. p. 394. ISBN 978-0-271-04442-2.
- "8) Paramjit Singh Panjwar". rediff.com. 24 June 2008. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
- "Canadians are coming home after being imprisoned abroad for terrorism-related crimes". Global News. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
- "Khalistan Commando Force search at Beta UM terrorism database". University of Maryland. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
- "Terrorism Act 2000". Ministry of Home Affairs (India). Archived from the original on 28 September 2010. Retrieved 20 May 2012.
- DATA & GRAPHICS: Population Of The Communications Management Units, page 8/15. Margot Williams and Alyson Hurt, NPR, 3 March 2011, retrieved 4 March 2011 from npr.org
- "Wanted terrorist & Khalistan Commando Force chief Paramjit Panjwar shot dead in Pakistan's Lahore". The Print. 6 May 2023.
