Manbir Singh Chaheru
Encyclopedia
Manbir Singh Chaheru was a founder and first leader of the Khalistan Commando Force
.
, Punjab
.
His father, Mohinder Singh, was a farmer
.
Manbir Singh completed his primary education
from his village school.
He then moved to the home of his maternal aunt Niranjan Kaur, in the village of Kala Bakra, for his secondary education
.
After passing his matriculation exams
, he assisted his father in agriculture
for six years.
He later married Ranjit Kaur.
, Punjab
.
He came in contact with Bhai Mohkam Singh, Bhai Gurbant Singh, Bhai Prem Singh and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
while attending religious classes of Damdami Taksal
at the Gurdwara Gurdarshan Parkash, Mehta Chownk, district Amritsar
, Punjab.
, Gur Iqbal Singh Bhular, when Bhular questioned Chaheru about his actions.
Chaheru's uncle, Karnail Singh, got him released on bail with a personal surety that Manbir Singh would appear at Police station the next day.
After this incident, Manbir Singh approached Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
and moved to the Golden Temple
(Harmandir Sahib) complex where he served food in the Sikh free kitchen (Guru ka Langar).
Chaheru became Bhindranwale’s personal bodyguard.
Police arrested his uncle Karnail Singh for Manbir Singh's failure to appear at the police station per his assurance.
In the Golden Temple complex, Manbir Singh stayed in room number 53 of Guru Nanak Niwas along with Giani Joginder Singh, Malagar Singh Babbar, Singh and Gurtej Singh.
He came in contact with Major Singh Nagoke, who later assassinated Deputy Inspector General Avtar Singh Atwal in 1983 and fought against Indian forces during Operation Blue Star
), Sukhdev Singh Sukha of village Fatu Dinga, Balwinder Singh Khojkipur, Joginder Singh Rode and Kabal Singh.
Giani Joginder Singh, a relative of Manbir Singh Chaheru, died while leading a band of Sikhs in fighting Indian army at the main entrance of Golden Temple during Operation Bluestar.
Giani Joginder Singh's daughter later married Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale's son Inderjit Singh.
(The Golden Temple) during Operation Bluestar in 1984.
After the attack, he fled to Pakistan, but returned to avenge the attack and to achieve independence for Khalistan
.
He and others, including Harjinder Singh Jinda
, Sukhdev Singh Sukha
, Gurdev Singh Debu
, Mathra Singh and Tarsem Singh Kuhaar, established the Khalistan Commando Force
and Manbir Singh Chaheru was declared its leader.
Manbir Singh set up the KCF
military hierarchy, but adhoc groups conducted most operations at the local level.
He participated in several encounters against Indian security forces.
In 1986 Manbir Singh and Balbir Singh Raipur planned to release Sukhdev Singh Sukha
and Sawarnjit Singh from Police custody as they were to appear in court on charges of slaying Ramesh Chander, a Hindu
newspaper editor.
Balbir Singh arranged a car and Jarnail Singh arranged a jeep as a get away vehicle.
They planned to free both Sukhdev Singh and Sawarnjit Singh from the district courts in Jalandhar
, Punjab
, India
when the prisoners arrived for their monthly hearings.
Manbir Singh, Ajitpal Singh, Balbir Singh Raipur, Rashpal Singh, Jarnail Singh met outside the courts.
Manbir Singh was carrying a sten gun and all other Singh's had revolvers.
When Sukhdev Singh and Sawarnjit Singh arrived under heavy police protection, Manbir Singh signalled them to go to the washrooms.
Once they went, Manbir Singh and his partners opened fire on the policemen, the attackers killed four police officers inside the court complex and two at the courtyard gate.
They were able to free Sukhdev Singh Sukha, Sawarnjit Singh and Gurinder Singh Bhola.
, in state of Punjab. Punjab police stated that there were two dozen murder cases registered against Chaheru by that time.
It is unclear as to what led to his arrest. It is possible that government infilterators whose aim was to plot the Gurjit Singh faction against Kahlon faction did this. Subsequently the committee members of Kahlon faction were killed by the Gurjit Singh faction.
Manbir Singh Chaheru was kept in various jails in state of Punjab, and later he was moved to another jail in the state of Bihar
.
In December 1987, police announced that Manbir Singh had escaped from the police custody while officials were returning Chaheru from Bihar to Punjab.
There were claims that police had killed him while he was in police custody and disposed his body in the Beas River
.
In the city of Chandigarh
, the Punjab Police Chief Julio Francis Ribeiro
told news reporters afterward that "...they do not need to worry as Manbir Singh will not come back."
Khalistan Commando Force
The Khalistan Commando Force or KCF is a private paramilitary organization operating in the Indian 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,...
.
Early life
Manbir Singh was born in 1959 in the village of Chaheru, KapurthalaKapurthala
Kapurthala is a city in Punjab state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Kapurthala District. It was the capital of the Kapurthala State, a princely state in British India. The secular and aesthetic mix of the city with its prominent buildings based on French and Indo-Saracenic...
, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
.
His father, Mohinder Singh, was a farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
.
Manbir Singh completed his primary education
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
from his village school.
He then moved to the home of his maternal aunt Niranjan Kaur, in the village of Kala Bakra, for his secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
.
After passing his matriculation exams
Matriculation in India
In India, "matriculation" is a term commonly used to refer to the final year of high school, which ends at tenth standard and the qualification received on finishing the tenth standard of high school and passing the or the state board exams, commonly called "matriculation exams"...
, he assisted his father in agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
for six years.
He later married Ranjit Kaur.
Baptism and religious inclination
The Nirankari-Sikh events of 1978 affected Manbir Singh. A retired army officer Giani Joginder Singh who was also son-in-law of Manbir Singh's aunt Niranjan Kaur, encouraged him to get baptised (a Sikh initiation ceremony). In 1979, Manbir Singh along with his wife and his father's younger brother, Karnail Singh, took the baptism from Sant Nihal Singh Harian Wela Wale at the Sodal Gurdwara in district of JalandharJalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
.
He came in contact with Bhai Mohkam Singh, Bhai Gurbant Singh, Bhai Prem Singh and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was the leader of the Damdami Taksal, a Sikh religious group based in India, who supported implementation of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution. In 1981, Bhindranwale was arrested for his suspected involvement in the murder of Jagat Narain, the proprietor of the Hind...
while attending religious classes of Damdami Taksal
Damdami Taksal
The Damdami Taksal is a 300 years old educational organization said to have been founded by the tenth Sikh Master, Guru Gobind Singh. According to the Damdami Taksal, it was entrusted with the responsibility of teaching the reading , analysis and recitation of the Sikh scriptures by Guru Gobind...
at the Gurdwara Gurdarshan Parkash, Mehta Chownk, district 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...
, Punjab.
Association with Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
In 1981, Chaheru was arrested temporarily because of his heated arguments with a Senior Superintendent of Police of JalandharJalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
, Gur Iqbal Singh Bhular, when Bhular questioned Chaheru about his actions.
Chaheru's uncle, Karnail Singh, got him released on bail with a personal surety that Manbir Singh would appear at Police station the next day.
After this incident, Manbir Singh approached Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was the leader of the Damdami Taksal, a Sikh religious group based in India, who supported implementation of the Anandpur Sahib Resolution. In 1981, Bhindranwale was arrested for his suspected involvement in the murder of Jagat Narain, the proprietor of the Hind...
and moved to the Golden Temple
Harmandir Sahib
The Harmandir Sahib also Darbar Sahib , also referred to as the Golden Temple, is a prominent Sikh gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab . Construction of the gurdwara was begun by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, and completed by his successor, Guru Arjan Dev...
(Harmandir Sahib) complex where he served food in the Sikh free kitchen (Guru ka Langar).
Chaheru became Bhindranwale’s personal bodyguard.
Police arrested his uncle Karnail Singh for Manbir Singh's failure to appear at the police station per his assurance.
In the Golden Temple complex, Manbir Singh stayed in room number 53 of Guru Nanak Niwas along with Giani Joginder Singh, Malagar Singh Babbar, Singh and Gurtej Singh.
He came in contact with Major Singh Nagoke, who later assassinated Deputy Inspector General Avtar Singh Atwal in 1983 and fought against Indian forces during Operation Blue Star
Operation 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...
), Sukhdev Singh Sukha of village Fatu Dinga, Balwinder Singh Khojkipur, Joginder Singh Rode and Kabal Singh.
Giani Joginder Singh, a relative of Manbir Singh Chaheru, died while leading a band of Sikhs in fighting Indian army at the main entrance of Golden Temple during Operation Bluestar.
Giani Joginder Singh's daughter later married Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale's son Inderjit Singh.
Khalistan Commando Force
Manbir Singh Chaheru was not inside Sri Harmandir SahibHarmandir Sahib
The Harmandir Sahib also Darbar Sahib , also referred to as the Golden Temple, is a prominent Sikh gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab . Construction of the gurdwara was begun by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, and completed by his successor, Guru Arjan Dev...
(The Golden Temple) during Operation Bluestar in 1984.
After the attack, he fled to Pakistan, but returned to avenge the attack and to achieve independence for Khalistan
Khalistan
Khalistan refers to a global political secessionist movement to create a separate Sikh state, called Khālistān , carved out of parts mostly consisting of the Punjab region of India, depending on definition....
.
He and others, including 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...
, 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,...
, 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...
, Mathra Singh and Tarsem Singh Kuhaar, established the Khalistan Commando Force
Khalistan Commando Force
The Khalistan Commando Force or KCF is a private paramilitary organization operating in the Indian 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,...
and Manbir Singh Chaheru was declared its leader.
Manbir Singh set up the KCF
Khalistan Commando Force
The Khalistan Commando Force or KCF is a private paramilitary organization operating in the Indian 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,...
military hierarchy, but adhoc groups conducted most operations at the local level.
He participated in several encounters against Indian security forces.
In 1986 Manbir Singh and Balbir Singh Raipur planned to release Sukhdev Singh Sukha
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 Sawarnjit Singh from Police custody as they were to appear in court on charges of slaying Ramesh Chander, a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
newspaper editor.
Balbir Singh arranged a car and Jarnail Singh arranged a jeep as a get away vehicle.
They planned to free both Sukhdev Singh and Sawarnjit Singh from the district courts in 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...
, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to 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...
when the prisoners arrived for their monthly hearings.
Manbir Singh, Ajitpal Singh, Balbir Singh Raipur, Rashpal Singh, Jarnail Singh met outside the courts.
Manbir Singh was carrying a sten gun and all other Singh's had revolvers.
When Sukhdev Singh and Sawarnjit Singh arrived under heavy police protection, Manbir Singh signalled them to go to the washrooms.
Once they went, Manbir Singh and his partners opened fire on the policemen, the attackers killed four police officers inside the court complex and two at the courtyard gate.
They were able to free Sukhdev Singh Sukha, Sawarnjit Singh and Gurinder Singh Bhola.
Arrest and death
On August 8, 1986, Manbir Singh Chaheru was arrested along with Major Baldev Singh Ghuman, Charanjit Singh and two other Sikhs when approximately 200 paramilitary troops raided Major Baldev Singh’s farm House on the outskirts of city of JalandharJalandhar
Jalandhar is a city in Jalandhar District in the state of Punjab, India. It is located 144 km northwest of the state capital, Chandigarh...
, in state of Punjab. Punjab police stated that there were two dozen murder cases registered against Chaheru by that time.
It is unclear as to what led to his arrest. It is possible that government infilterators whose aim was to plot the Gurjit Singh faction against Kahlon faction did this. Subsequently the committee members of Kahlon faction were killed by the Gurjit Singh faction.
Manbir Singh Chaheru was kept in various jails in state of Punjab, and later he was moved to another jail in the state of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
.
In December 1987, police announced that Manbir Singh had escaped from the police custody while officials were returning Chaheru from Bihar to Punjab.
There were claims that police had killed him while he was in police custody and disposed his body in the Beas River
Beas River
The Beas River is a river in the northern part of India. The river rises in the Himalayas in central Himachal Pradesh, India, and flows for some 470 km to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab....
.
In the city of Chandigarh
Chandigarh
Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...
, the Punjab Police Chief Julio Francis Ribeiro
Julio Francis Ribeiro
Julio 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....
told news reporters afterward that "...they do not need to worry as Manbir Singh will not come back."
External links
- http://damdamitaksaal.org/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=30Damdami TaksaalDamdami TaksalThe Damdami Taksal is a 300 years old educational organization said to have been founded by the tenth Sikh Master, Guru Gobind Singh. According to the Damdami Taksal, it was entrusted with the responsibility of teaching the reading , analysis and recitation of the Sikh scriptures by Guru Gobind...
- Bio of Manvir Singh Chaheru]