Formation 1987-present | Legal status Active | |
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Purpose The creation of a Sikh independent state of Khalistan in Punjab, as well as some districts of neighboring states of India. Leader Aroor Singh (1986), Avtar Singh Brahma (1987-1988), Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala † (1988-1992), Navroop Singh † (1992), Navneet Singh Khadian (1992-1994), Pritam Singh Sekhon | ||
Khalistan Liberation Force or KLF is an insurgent group, and is part of the Khalistan movement to create a Sikh homeland called Khalistan via armed struggle. The KLF appears to have been a loose association of scattered Khalistani groups.
Contents
The KLF Jathebandi (organization) was founded by Aroor Singh and Sukhvinder Singh Babbar in 1986. Other KLF leaders who headed KLF after Aroor Singh were Avtar Singh Brahma (killed by Punjab police 22 July 1988), Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala (Killed by Indian security forces on July 29, 1992), Navroop Singh (killed by Punjab police on August 4, 1992), Kuldip Singh Keepa Shekhupura, and Navneet Singh Khadian (killed 25 Feb 1994). After Navneet Singh Kadian KLF singhs hand over command to Dr. Pritam Singh Sekhon.
KLF
The KLF was pure khalsa group during the 1980s and 1990s.
KLF was among the Sikh groups that claimed responsibility for the 1991 kidnapping of the Romanian chargé d'affaires in New Delhi, Liviu Radu. This appeared to be retaliation for Romanian arrests of KLF members suspected of the attempted assassination of Julio Francis Ribeiro, 62, the Indian ambassador to Romania, in Bucharest. Radu was released unharmed after Sikh politicians criticized the action.
In the year 1991, Khalistan Liberation Force along with Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan and Dr. Sohan Singh (Head of Panthic Committee) etc. participated in the secret peace negotiations with India in the city of Ludhiana. These meetings were initiated by Union Minister of State for Home Subodh Kant Sahay on the orders of the (then) Prime Minister of India Chandra Shekhar. It is said that this peace effort was sabotaged by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence. Former Indian Intelligence Bureau Joint Director, Maloy Krishna Dhar stated in a press report published by The Hindu that “Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and her ISI advisers were determined not to let peace succeed. Pakistan’s covert war in Jammu and Kashmir had exploded in 1990, and its establishment understood that the Punjab conflict tied down our troops, and threatened our logistical lines into Jammu and Kashmir.”
The KLF was listed in 1995 one of the 4 "major militant groups" in the Khalistan movement.
India, in the 1995 era, alleged that provided Sikh militants with shelter and support. The separatist movement was largely crushed in the mid-1990s.
In 1999 it was reported that former KLF operative Manjinder Singh Issi, who took part in the Radu kidnapping, became disillusioned with KLF when he realized that its Pakistani supporters were more interested in disruptive violence in Punjab than Sikh autonomy.
Arrests still occur as of 2005.
KLA
The Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA) is reputed to have been a wing of, or possibly associated with, or possibly a breakaway group from, the KLF.
Activities
On December 12, 1987, KLF attacked and killed 9 police personnel in Punjab.
Per court case, Khalistan Liberation Force members blew up a portion of Indian police station at Sector 26 Chandigarh, India on July 1990. Per persecution case, Gurcharanjit Singh, Doulat Singh, Gurvinder Singh along with Satwinder Singh and Balwant Singh of the Chandigarh Police executed this action.
As per Police, Khalistan Liberation force militants killed a minister in Punjab Government Mr. Balwant Singh in Chandigarh in the year of 1990.
Khalistan Liberation Force attacked and killed 8 RPF (Railway Protection Force) men at Butari railway station in India. As per police, Surjit Singh alias Satta Kaleke, Gursewak Singh alias Fauji and other KLF members also took away 16 rifles of the securitymen.
In October 1991, KLF kidnapped a Romanian diplomat, Liviu Radu to barter the release of two top militants, Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhjinder Singh Sukha.
On July 29, 1992, Punjab Police killed chief of Khalistan Liberation Force Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala in Ludhiana, Punjab. On August 4, 1992, Indian police claimed to have killed Khalistan Liberation Force's new chief Navroop Singh Dhotian and four other Sikhs in a 20-hour gun battle but later on August 29, 1992 declared that Mr Navrup Singh Dhotian is still alive.
As per Indian Government's request, Daya Singh Lahoria of the Khalistan Liberation Front was extradited from the U.S to India to face court cases. Lahoria's trial took approximately five years but at the end he was acquitted of the charges because his complicity could not be proved.
Bail applications of two Khalistan Liberation force members were rejected by an Indian court.
On October 28, 1998, Indian Police arrested two Khalistan Liberation Force members.
Punjab Police claimed that two Khalistan Liberation Force militants Manjinder Singh Issi alias Bhushan alias Pappu alias Variety and Sukhjinder Singh alias Lali on March 2 had surrendered to the police in India.
Punjab Police claimed to have arrested 3 KLF militants on August 20, 1999 and also claimed to have captured a large quantity of ammunition from Jagtar Singh alias Raju of Deluana village in Mansa district; Ram Singh of Karandi in the Tohana police station area of Fatehabad district in Haryana; and Jasbir Singh alias Jassa of Manki village near Malerkotla town in Sangrur district in Punjab.
Devender Pal Singh, a Sikh militant belonging to Khalistan Liberation Force was sentenced to death by an Indian court.
Indian police claimed to have arrested a KLF member from a village in Punjab.
India got a KLF militant Jasbir Singh alias Seera extradited from Canada under India-Canada Extradition Treaty and charged him with new sedition cases after he raised pro-Khalistan slogans in Indian courts.
In 2008, a member of the KLF launched an attack on the head of Dera Sacha Sauda.
In 2009 KLF assassinated RSS Punjab President Rulda Singh.
In 2009 KLF assassinated Dera Sacha Sauda, Srisa Manager Lilly Kumar in Ludhiana.
In 2009 KLF assassinated 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots main accused Dr. Budh Parkash Kashyap.