Avtar Singh Brahma

Avtar Singh Brahma (1951 – 22 July 1988) was a Sikh militant and one of the main founding figures and the second leader of Khalistan Liberation Force, founded in 1986, during the insurgency in Punjab, India. Avtar Singh became known for his encounters with the police, Operation Mand being particularly notable. Avtar Singh at a young age was sent by his parents to Bidhi Chand Dal. He was brought up in the dera at Sur Singh near Amritsar. He soon took amrit and became a Khalsa.

Tat Khalsa

Following Operation Blue Star an Insurgency began in the Punjab, India. Avtar Singh created a small militant group known as the "Tat Khalsa".

Avtar Singh would take revenge in his home village for the beating of women and children.

In Baler Avtar Singh Brahma and fellow militants surrounded a CRPF jeep. CRPF men tried to flee and fight, but were killed. In retaliation for this security personnel shot and killed 2 Sikhs who they claimed were militants. Avtar Singh Brahma refuted these claims saying they were innocent Sikhs of the village. In July 1986 Operation Mand was launched to capture Avtar Singh and his fellow militants. The Operation was led by KPS Gill and was approved by DGP Julio Riberio. About 30 companies of security forces along with multiple helicopters, bulldozers, and mechanised boats were deployed and used for the Operation which was conducted in a over 240 square kilometre area. The Operation did not go as expected for the Indian forces. Thousands of Police and Paramilitary forces surrounded the Mand region. According to Avtar Singh, he and fellow Tat Khalsa members clashed with and repulsed an attacking force of officers and paramilitary. Avtar Singh also alleged that he shot down a Paramilitary helicopter. The other helicopters fell back after this. After Avtar Singh and fellow Tat Khalsa members managed to escape. The operation faced heavy criticism for being "overkill". The operation lasted for 40 hours. It was initially described as the destruction of the Khalistan capital, but police had only captured a few weapons. Revenue Minister Major Singh Uboke called Operation Mand "Operation Fraud". He said at a cabinet meeting, that innocent Sikh youth and women were being harassed and tortured by the security forces.

Khalistan Liberation Force In late 1986 Aroor Singh formed the Khalistan Liberation Force which was a merger of the Tat Khalsa, Mai Bhago Regiment, Khalistan Armed Police, Dasmesh Regiment, Khalistan Security Force and others. In early 1987 Aroor Singh was arrested and brutally tortured by police. He would later be killed. Following his death Avtar Singh took over the Khalistan Liberation Force. Avtar Singh made Gurjant Singh and Pipal Singh his 2 Lieutenant-Generals Punjab DGP Julio F. Riberio would admit to an "excesses" by the CRPF and apologies for it.

Two weeks after the incident, on 12 January, Brahma, Pipal Singh Toofan, Para and multiple other KLF members were involved in multiple encounters with the CRPF. The encounters were described as long bloody, and fierce. The militants killed multiple CRPF men and blew up multiple vehicle and then escaped. One of Brahma's targets in the attack, a police Inspector who had killed Dalbir Singh Billa Vapral a militant, was killed by Brahma's group along with 7 other officers. Following this the militants led by Brahma killed multiple CRPF soldiers in other attacks throughout the day.

Avtar Singh Brahma claimed responsibility for killing Pahar Singh and his wife. Pahar was a KLF Lieutenant General. Brahma claimed that they had broken KLF’s rules and began to kill innocents as well as extorting people.

Under Avtar Singh senior KLF members launched an attack in September 1987. The target was Sub-Inspector Mith Singh. Mith Singh had been hand-picked by then chief of Punjab Police Julio F. Riberio. He was picked to deal with Avtar Singh’s Lieutenant-General Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala. Mith Singh had been accused of police brutality and targeting Budhsinghwala’s family. Mith Singh had dragged Budhsinghwala’s father by his hair in a public humiliation. Budhsinghwala began plotting to kill Mith Singh in revenge for his actions with Husan Singh. The attack was carried out by Budshinghwala and fellow Sikh militants on 15 September 1987 at around 9 in the morning. Mith Singh was shot while he was walking along with his guard a police constable. Both of their guns were taken by Budhsinghwala. In the crossfire a schoolboy was also killed and 5 others were injured. The killing is said to have greatly alarmed Punjab Chief of Police Riberio. Mith Singh was one of his best and most loyal officers.

On 1 November 1987, Avtar Singh Brahma claimed responsibility for the killing of 2 CRPF jawans in an ambush the day before near Kabirpur.

On 6 November 1987, Brahma killed Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Tara Chand. Chand was killed in the Jagraon area.

One of Brahma’s most major actions under his leadership was the killing of Senior Superintendent of Police Avinder Singh Brar and Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) KRS Gill on 14 December 1987 which was masterminded by his lieutenant Budhsinghwala.

SSP Brar and his junior, SP (HQs) KRS Gill, were both killed while jogging at Patiala's National Institute of Sports. Both of them had little security. Two men in tracksuits approached them at 7 a.m. They signaled to a third person who pulled out an AK-47 and Brar was killed. Brar and Gill were top officers. There killing was described as the biggest killing since that of AS Atwal in Punjab. It was also described as a big killer of police morale. According to Chief of Punjab Police at the time J.F Ribeiro Brar would have become the chief of police had he not been killed.

On 22 January 1988 BJP Punjab Vice-President Khushi Ram Sharma was shot dead with 4 bullets in Ludhiana by 2 Sikh on scooters. Avtar’s Lieutenant General Budhsinghwala claimed responsibility in a letter on behalf of KLF.

On the same day 6 KLF members armed with AK-47s shot dead 12 people in a park in Barnala. 5 others were injured. One of them was a Shiv Sena worker. Avtar’s Lieutenant General Budhsinghwala claimed responsibility in a letter on behalf of KLF.

In April 1988 KLF led an attack on Gurcharan Singh Tohra and Professor Darshan Singh. Tohra was president of SGPC and Darshan was the SGPC appointed Jathedar of the Akal Takht. The attack was led by Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala, one of Avtar Singh’s lieutenant-generals. A motive for attacks on Tohra could be the belief of militants that Tohra was involved in Operation Blue Star.

On 19 June 1988, under Brahma and other KLF members gunned down the head of the Punjab Shiv Sena, Ramkat Jalota. He was killed along with his gunmen and another. The Shiv Sena had used violence against Sikhs which made them targets of Sikh militants.

Avtar Singh has been reputed for never attacking civilians. Another says that before Avtar Singh's death he, "scamper[ed] through the verdant fields of Punjab's border district on horseback." His death caused outrage among rural Sikh as he was quite popular amongst them.

Avtar Singh had become known as a Robin Hood figure. He is said to have commanded respect until the end. one of Avtar Singh's lieutenant generals.