Shaheed Bhai Kulwant Singh Khukrana

Khalistan Liberation Force

Bhai Kulwant Singh Khukrana was born in the house of Sardar Pala Singh and from the womb of Mata Bhagwan Kaur on 1st March 1961 in the village of Khukrana, district Moga. Bhai Sahib had 4 brothers and 3 sisters, Bhai Sahib’s older brother, Bhai Balwant Singh Khukrana also attained shaheedi in the Sikh struggle of the 80s and 90s. Bhai Sahib studied at a local school of Khukrana up until 10th class. Upon passing 10th class Bhai Sahib took admission into the Bhupindra Khalsa High School in the Moga district. Bhai Sahib remained in Moga area to pass his ITI course.

In the years of 1980 Bhai Sahib was the president of the student union at ITI in Faridkot. Also in Punjab the comrades, Narakhdharis and many more cult were talking against the believes of the Sikh faith. At a youth festival of ITI, the comrades came into the institute and tried to take over the stage to talk against the Sikh struggle but Bhai Sahib, as a president denied the comrades the stage. Upon hearing about this, Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale sent a message to Bhai Sahib to come to Sri Harimandir Sahib and meet Sant Ji. Bhai Sahib and his older brother, Bhai Balwant Singh went to see Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale and when Sant Ji saw the two brothers, whose hair were cut and beards were shaven, Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale said, “What you did at the youth festival of Faridkot was a work of a Singh, so you should now become a singh also.” After the meeting with Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale, both Bhai Sahib and Bhai Balwant Singh started keeping the kes. Bhai Sahib soon started attending the Sikh Student Federation meetings and soon Bhai Amrik Singh Khalsa made Bhai Sahib the President of Sikh Student Federation in the Faridkot area. Two three months before the attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib, Bhai Sahib was engaged to Bibi Charanjit Kaur, daughter of Sardar Bood Singh of village Thathi Bhai also in the Moga district.

31st May 1984, Bhai Sahib got the news of Sri Darbar Sahib about to be attacked, Bhai Sahib tried to go to Sri Harmandir Sahib but the police at the checkpoints turned Bhai Sahib back to the village of Khukrana.  After the attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib by the government of India which left thousands of Sikhs dead and Sri Akaal Takht Sahib in pieces. The police were arresting Sikh youth in Punjab and locking them up in jails and in some cases killing them with brutal torture. A Pandit from the Khukrana village, who spoke against Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale and gave out sweets when Sri Darbar Sahib was attacked, this Pandit was punished by Bhai Sahib and Bhai Balwant Singh Khukrana. Bhai Sahib was arrested from his village and after being charged with murder and many fake cases, he was sent to Ferozpur jail in which Bhai Sahib spent 18 months. In Ferozpur jail Bhai Sahib met Giani Ram Singh and Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala and had many discussions on the subject of the Sikh struggle. Bhai Sahib came back to his house in Khukrana after being released due to the Pandits pulling out with their case, but the police wanted Bhai Sahib to present himself at the police station daily but Bhai Sahib did not agree to this as he had done nothing wrong.

After being released the police continuously harassed the family. Then Bhai Sahib was married to Bibi Charanjit Kaur on 7th May 1986, but the police came to the wedding as well to harass the family. Two three weeks after the wedding of Bhai Sahib, one day when the police were coming to Bhai Sahib’s house, Bhai Sahib and Bhai Balwant Singh Khukrana made the decision of going underground to avoid the continues harassment of the police of Jeto, but as the police didn’t not find Bhai Sahib at home they arrested Bhai Sahib’s father, Sardar Pala Singh, but the local Panchayat managed to free Sardar Pala Singh.

Soon Bhai Sahib met Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala in Patiala and after this meeting Bhai Sahib joined Khalistan Liberation Force. Now Bhai Sahib’s family were facing the most difficult times. Bhai Sahib’s family went into hiding and started staying in a small village in the Moga district, Bajekhane. Even in Bajekhane, an informant had reported to the police about Bhai Sahib’s family’s new home and the police started coming here to harass the family, but the family had left that house also to avoid the police harassment. Now the family started staying at accommodation near Sri Dukh Nivaran Sahib in Patiala with Bhai Sahib. As Bhai Sahib was underground, Bhai Sahib would manage to come into the village and meet his family without anyone noticing. Bhai Sahib kept on doing speeches for Sikh Student Federation. Bhai Sahib was also made the president of Sikh Student Federation in the Malwa area.

On 10th November 1986, Bhai Sahib attended the Sri Akhand Paath Sahib held in memory of Shaheed Bhai Waryam Singh Khappianwali, who also did sewa with Jathedar Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala’s Khalistan Liberation Force. Here Bhai Sahib attended as the president of Sikh Student Federation Faridkot and delivered a speech to the sangat and said, “These fake encounters and false arrests by the Indian security forces is not finishing the movement, instead it is fuelling the movement for freedom. When the racist group, Shiv Sena break the law and attack innocents in Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur the government does nothing, but when a Sikh talks about justice he or she are labelled as terrorists. If the government wants peace in Punjab then they should fulfil the basic needs of the Sikhs.”

First Action

Under the orders of Jathedar Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala, Bhai Sahib along with his family moved to an accommodation at Ludhiana University where Bhai Sahib established links with one of the professors. It was in June 1987, when Bhai Sahib did his first action under the Khalistan Liberation Force. A SHO of Moga was well known for raping Sikh women at police stations and killing innocent Sikhs in fake encounters. Jathedar Budhsinghwala told Bhai Sahib that he wanted the singhs to put a bullet in his forehead. But when Bhai Sahib saw the SHO, he was travelling on a motorcycle and it made impossible for Bhai Sahib to put a bullet in the forehead. After some minutes of high speed chase, Bhai Sahib shot the SHO in the waist as he travelled on high speed. After shooting the SHO the singhs escaped from the area, the SHO was taken to the hospital where he named Bhai Sahib and the following day the SHO died.

Other Actions

February 1988, a parked named Nehru Park which has had its name changed to Shaheedi Park as many RSS followers were killed here. RSS would hold training camps and preach hatred against the Sikhs at this park. When Bhai Sahib found out about this, he discussed with Jathedar Budhsinghwala that something has to be done about these RSS camps. Soon Bhai Sahib, Jathedar Budhsinghwala, Bhai Sarabjit Singh Jeeta of Khalistan Commando Force, Bhai Manohar Singh Dhira and Bhai Santokh Singh Fauji went to this park and threw a bombs into the crowd of the racist RSS and at the same time opened fire with their assault rifles. 12 RSS men were killed and Bhai Sahib limited himself to coming Moga after this action.

April 1988, SGPC held a conference at Ludhiana University and singhs of Khalistan Liberation Force including Bhai Sahib attended this conference to punish Professor Darshan Raagi and Gurcharan Tohra. The command of this action was given to Bhai Sahib by Jathedar Budhsinghwala. Bhai Sahib, Bhai Darshan Singh Billa and Bhai Balwant Singh Khukrana were given fake ID cards by a close friend of Bhai Sahib who worked at Ludhiana University as a Professor, these IDs helped singhs get into the university. As there was a heavy presence of the Indian security forces, a battle broke out in which 5 policemen were killed along with 8 members of Gurcharan Tohra’s party. Singh managed to escape but Bhai Darshan Singh Billa was wounded and the singhs had him treated at a hospital in Jalandhar.

In May 1988, Bhai Sahib’s son took birth in Rode village. Bhai Sahib had come to Rode to his son and named him Bhai Avtar Singh. After spending two days at Rode village with family, Bhai Sahib once again left his family behind and started planning the next action. Bhai Sahib regularly met Bhai Nirmal Singh Nimma Mianwind within the movement, it was here Bhai Nimma requested Bhai Sahib to kill an evil SSP of Jalandhar who had killed many singhs and had also brutally tortured Bhai Nimma also. Bhai Nimma could not do this action as he was known to the SSP, for this reason Bhai Sahib accepted the request and agreed to do this action. In August the father of the SSP had died and Bhai Sahib, Bhai Balwant Singh Khukrana, Bhai Darshan Singh Billa and Bhai Ajmer Singh Lodhiwal attended the cremation ceremony in disguise. When the singhs got the chance they killed the SSP but in the process the singhs also killed a Hawaldar and another policeman who were there to protect the SSP. All the singhs split up after the action and escaped unharmed.

October 1988, Bhai Sahib went to Ferozpur to get a motorcycle from Bhai Santokh Singh Fauji. Bhai Santokh Singh Fauji told Bhai Sahib about a man called Nirmal Badmaash who had been spitting venom on the newspapers against the Sikh Freedom Movement, Bhai Sahib felt that Nirmal Badmaash should be punished. Bhai Sahib disguised himself as a journalist and went to meet Nirmal in a shop to interview him. Soon as Nirmal came out of the shop to give his interview, Bhai Sahib shot him 3 times and sent Nirmal Badmaash on a one way ticket to hell. After this Bhai Sahib made his escape and upon picking up Bhai Santokh Singh both singhs made their way to Ludhiana.

March 1989, Bhai Surinder Singh Shinda Wadhaghar of Khalistan Commando Force Malwa and a singh from village Bhai Ki Drolhi looted the Corporative Bank to help fund the Sikh Freedom Movement. The bank manager recongnised Bhai Surinder Singh Shinda and had since stressed the Indian security forces to arrest Bhai Sahib. Bhai Shinda had sent many messages to the manager to quit causing problems as the money looted from the bank belonged to the government not the manager, these warnings did not stop the bank manager from his pursuit for the singhs through the Indian security forces. As the bank manager was from Bhai Sahib’s area, Bhai Shinda asked Bhai Sahib to take care of the bank manager. Soon after, Bhai Sahib and Bhai Balwant Singh Khukrana eliminated the bank manager at his house. Roughly 15 days after this action Bhai Sahib located the Commrade leader of Karnal who would spit abuse at Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale. Bhai Sahib and fellow singh soon eliminated this leader also.

May 1989, in Sirsa a cult leader by the name of Charan Das would talk against Guru Granth Sahib Ji and Khalistan. Bhai Sahib and a fellow singh went to his Dera with an AK47. When the singhs tried to fire at Charan Das, the AK47’s trigger got stuck, the singh grabbed the swords that were hanging on the wall instead. The singhs cut Charan Das into pieces and shouting “Khalistan Zindabad” escaped the area.

December 1989, Dr Prem Kumar of Patiala would inform the police if any singhs came to him to medicine of bullet wounds etc. Bhai Sahib had been to him twice for medicine and on the third time Bhai Sahib asked, “My friend has skin problems, can you please check him?” Dr Prem Kumar said ok and told Bhai Sahib to bring the friend to the clinic the following day. Next day Bhai Sahib came to the clinic with Bhai Darshan Singh Billa. Dr Kumar took Bhai Darshan Singh Billa and Bhai Sahib to the examine room. Soon as they entered the room, Bhai Sahib grabbed the pillow and put it on the face of the doctor, while Bhai Darshan Singh Billa shot him dead. The singhs vacated the room and escaped, the staff only found Dr Kumar’s dead body 10 minutes after when the puddle of blood came out of the room and into the corridor.

In 1990, in the village of Gureh, district Jagraon lived a retired officer Gurdial and his son Mukhtiar who would have singhs arrested, singhs such as Bhai Darshan Singh Dhala and Bhai Bhupinder Singh Kooner. Bhai Kuldeep Singh Sheikhapura lived nearby these informants and discussed with Bhai Sahib on how to punish them. Bhai Sahib, Bhai Kuldeep Singh Sheikhapura, Bhai Ajmer Singh Lodhiwal and Bhai Amarjit Singh Khullar planned the action and went to the house of the informants to check everything. The singhs saw the very tall walls of Gurdial‘s house and returned at night with a ladder. Bhai Ajmer Singh Lodhiwal climbed the wall and then opened the door to let in rest of the singhs. Gurdial and Mukhtiar came out as soon as they heard the noise of their gates. At this time Bhai Sahib had just entered the house and raised his Stengun to kill both father and son, the women of the house were spared and the singhs grabbed the ladder and escaped. The police were left thinking on how the singhs had got into a house with tall walls.

Then in February 1991, Bhai Sahib’s wife gave birth to his daughter in Calcutta. Soon after the day came which every Jhujaru Singh or Singhni awaits. On 31st March 1991 at roughly 3:30pm, Jathedar Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala, Bhai Sahib and Bhai Manohar Singh Dhira went to Moga to meet someone. On the way back the police was informed of the singhs location. Soon the Moga police was on the tail of the singhs chasing as the singhs went past the bus station. Moga police contacted the Mehna police for assistance via the wireless. Bhai Manohar Singh Dhira was riding the motorcycle, Jathedar Budhsinghwala was in the middle loading the revolver for Bhai Sahib, who was sitting at the back facing the chasing police and firing at them. The Mehna police blocked the singhs ahead, but the singhs took a wrong turning into dead end street. Here the singhs crashed into a tree and Bhai Manohar Singh broke a bone in the arm and Bhai Sahib was seriously injured. Bhai Sahib continued to fire at the police at told Jathedar Budhsinghwala and Bhai Manohar Singh Dhira to escape while he kept the police away. Jathedar Budhsinghwala shouted loud at the police, “If anything happens to our brother Bhai Kulwant Singh, I will burn you and your police station.” Bhai Sahib tried to swallow a Sy-Nyde capsule but the police forced it out of Bhai Sahib, Jathedar Budhsinghwala saw this from far as the escaped.

On 1st April 1991, the newspapers read that Bhai Kulwant Singh Khukrana has been killed in an intense encounter. Jathedar Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala had his closest singh made shaheed by the Indian security forces. The body of Bhai Sahib was not given to the family. Exactly 10 days after Bhai Sahib’s shaheedi, Jathedar Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala punished SHO Gurbachan who had the command of the encounter in which Shaheed Bhai Kulwant Singh Khukrana was made shaheed.

Information gathered from family of Shaheed Bhai Kulwant Singh Khukrana