Khalistan Commando Force
The Khalistan Commando Force was one of the pre-eminent Sikh freedom fighting organisations whose goal was the eventual formation of the Sikh state of Khalistan, encompassing areas within Indian territory, most notably the Punjab as well as some districts of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. The Khalistan Commando Force (KCF), alongwith the Babbar Khalsa, the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and the Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan (BTFK), constituted the mainstay of Sikh freedom fighters throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
The Khalistan Commando Force was formed by a former police officer, Sukhdev Singh alias Sukha Sipahi, who later changed his name to Labh Singh. The Khalistan Commando Force had a fluid hierarchy, enabling it to accomodate any potential setbacks: the undisputed head of the Khalistan Commando Force, until his death, was Shaheedi General Labh Singh. He appointed half a dozen Lieutenant Generals, each independent of each other, with each of them having Area Commanders. As such, the death of a Lieutenant General for example would result in the promotion of an Area Commander.
The Khalistan Commando Force believed in the consolidation of the Sikh majority in Punjab. This in turn would further their aim of a Sikh republic. This policy manifested itself in the killing of migrant workers, resulting in a Hindu exodus from Punjab. In the eyes of many, this was justified as a means to an end and seen as a way of protecting Sikhism within the confines of Punjab, if not Khalistan.
The death of Shaheedi General Labh Singh on July 12 1988 in an encounter with police dealt a knockout blow to the organisation, causing its eventual splintering. Whereas before Shaheedi General Labh Singh had been a charismatic chief whose leadership was unquestioned, many of his Lieutenant Generals emerged after his death, vying with each other for control. The eventual result was the breakup of the Khalistan Commando Force into several factions, most notably those led by Wassan Singh Zaffarwal (KCF-Zaffarwal), Paramjit Singh Panjwar (KCF-Panjwar) and Gurjant Singh Rajasthani (KCF-Rajasthani). To make matters worse, each of these chose to be under different Panthic Committees (umbrella groups that directed aims and actions), thereby diversifying and weakening the focus of the Sikh freedom fighters.
Another setback to the Sikh struggle was the cessation in co-operation between the Khalistan Commando Force and the Babbar Khalsa. The rapproachment that had been fostering between Shaheedi General Labh Singh and Shaheedi Sukhdev Singh Babbar was put on ice and eventually disintegrated altogether, leading to the overall weakening of the Sikh struggle.
The eventual capture and killing of several of the Khalistan Commando Force's Lieutenant Generals and Area Commanders eventually took its toll and many of the factions were eliminated by virtue of the brutal tactics enforced by Punjab Police and the Indian security forces. These tactics included torture of suspected fighters, the gangrape and killing of families of suspected fighters and the use of the state machinery against families of suspected individuals.
Nowadays, the Khalistan Commando Force is a shadow of its former self. Once feared by the Indian security forces and Punjab police alike, its leaders have either given themselves up (for example, Wassan Singh Zafferwal, whose shameful and meek surrender to Punjab Police angered many still active freedom fighters) or been killed (Shaheedi General Labh Singh). The only faction that is still active to a significant extent is the Khalistan Commando Force (Panjwar), which operates out of Pakistan. The lethality and effectiveness of this freedom fighting organisation is still feared by Indian security circles, hence the demand for the extradiction of Paramjit Singh Panjwar from Pakistan.
The Khalistan Commando Force, like many other freedom fighting organisations, enjoys solid support outside of Punjab and has the potential to resurrect its fortunes in the future. Its structure has been decimated by the evil tactics shown by the Indian Government. Nevertheless, the emergence of a charismatic leader akin to Shaheedi General Labh Singh, coupled with the organisation's legacy and history could see its ultimate resurgence.
