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Shaheed Jathedar General Labh Singh
Bhai Sukdev Singh alias General Labh Singh is ranked in the forefront of warriors for the liberation of Khalistan. He was born in the village of Panjwar in the district of Amritsar and at a very young age had a yearning to learn and practice Sikhi. After finishing his education he left and joined the Police force. He served in the Punjab Police until the day of Vaisakhi in 1978 when 13 innocent Sikhs were killed by the 'Nakli' Nirankari cult who were being sponsored by the Indian Government to divide the Sikhs. General Labh Singh's spirit further revolted when he witnessed the desecration of Sikh shrines and the brutalities committed on the Sikh youth by the Indian Security forces. He realised that serving in a corrupt and inhuman police force was not an honourable profession. The spirit of the saint-soldier awoke in him and he went to see Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale who had gathered a large following amongst the Sikh youth. Sant Bhindranwale, a socio-spiritual leader was gearing his activities to counter-act the anti-Sikh activities of the Indian regime whose aim was to destroy the religious base of the Sikhs and other minorities through state violence and repression. Sant Bhindranwale campaigned for Sikhs to take up arms to defend their faith. Having witnessed the oppression unleashed on the Sikhs, Labh Singh listened to his conscience, discarded his police career and became actively involved in the struggle for freedom.
He joined the flowing ranks of the Saint-soldiers of the Damdami Taksal under the leadership of Sant Bhindranwale and started to bring all those people guilty of human rights abuses to book in true Sikh tradition. It was Sant Bhindranwale who named him Labh Singh because whatever mission he was sent on the Sikh nation profited from. During the storming of Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) General Labh Singh was given the duty to protect the side entrance to Sri Akal Takhat Sahib and it was this bunker which inflicted the most damage to the invading forces as 'General' Brar of the Indian army has quoted. During the attack General Labh Singh was arrested and tortured in various jails across India, he was also one of the Jodpur detainees. On 26 January 1986 a Sarbat Khalsa was held under the guidance of the Damdami Taksal at Sri Akal Takhat Sahib and a number of resolutions where passed. The main resolution broke all ties with India and it was announced that it was the goal of the Sikh nation to establish a sovereign Sikh homeland as envisaged by Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. The Panthic Committee was formed to overlook the Sikh struggle and the Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) was instigated to lead the armed struggle for the liberation of the Sikhs from Indian rule. The KCF's first Chief General was Bhai Manbir Singh Chaheru alias General Hari Singh, who was a member of the Damdami Taksal and had been a bodyguard of Sant Bhindranwale. It was General Manbir Singh who planned an audacious rescue to free his colleagues including Labh Singh from the clutches of the Indian Armed forces.
On 6 April 1986 General Labh Singh was being escorted by the Indian Police on his way to a court appearance in Jallandhar when General Manbir Singh and two other commando's from his unit attacked the police convoy, killing six security men. This was a real encounter with the Khalsa forces, not the fictional accounts Indian government dreams up to camouflage its brutal regime in which only the Singh's are killed and the police don't even receive a scratch. Thus Labh Singh was rescued from the clutches of the Indian authorities and became even more determined to fight to free his nation from the chains of slavery. When he rejoined the struggle, not only was he one of the most charismatic of the Sikh fighters, serving as an inspiration to the disenfranchised Sikh youth. After the arrest and disappearance of Bhai Manbir Singh on 9 August 1986, General Labh Singh took command of the KCF. In retaliation for the arrest, General Labh Singh sent out (now Shaheed) Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda, Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sukha, Bhai Mathura Singh to 'bring to law', General A K Vaidya who had masterminded the desecration of the Sri Harmandir Sahib but presided over the mass killing of innocent pilgrims, destruction of 37 other historical Sikh shrines, the looting of the Sikh central Museum and Library thus depriving Sikh's of their rich heritage. One day after the arrest of Manbir Singh, the KCF took revenge by , killing the Chief of the Indian army General Vaidya. Under the command of General Labh Singh the KCF became a very popular fighting force and the number of organised groups fighting for Khalistan mushroomed. He was an exceptional organiser who centralised the KCF by appointing six Lieutenant-Generals as territory commanders. Under the Lieutenant-Generals there were area commanders in charge of different districts. In the event of a Lieutenant-General being killed or captured, the area-commanders took over. Each of the KCF cells contained 10 to 15 personnel, this would include weapons carriers, contact personnel and hit men. Each group was responsible to the high command and orders and directives were given to all personnel via the Lt. Generals. During this time the Sikh Students Federation (S.S.F) supplied the activists and political manoeuvre and proved beneficial in the propagation of Khalistan ideology. The KCF was now in shape to expand its operations throughout the country, the finance was managed through collections and safe houses contributed with food, shelter and man power. General Labh Singh now concentrated on bringing to justice the perpetrators of the Delhi massacres in November 1984 when thousands of innocent Sikh men, women and children had been killed. The priority targets were the Congress I members who had incited Hindus to kill Sikhs. Two MP's Latin Makan & Arjan Das played a decisive role in planning, instigating and executing the heinous crime of murder, loot, rape and arson. The KCF targeted these two and other Congress MP's involved in the riots. In the summer of 1987 the KCF struck terror in the hearts of these butchers, when it despatched its active service Units to seek justice from these killers. Where the courts and commissions failed the Khalsa did not. Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda and Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sukha, both now Shaheed, took this honourable mission. During this time the support of the Panjabi people was clearly with the Sikh freedom. struggle and this was evident with the help and support the public provided. In this time there was also a resurgence in Sikhi thousands of people were being baptised into the Sikh fold. Saffron turbans and flowing beards was a clear indication that the Sikh people wanted to demonstrate their distinct identity; even though the flowing beards and saffron turbans were targeted by the Indian security forces. In 1987 the so-called Akali Government brought in the next butcher of Punjab, J. F Ribeiro as Director General of Panjab Police he proved to be a tyrant. Ribeiro was infamous for the bloodshed he had caused in Bombay and other cities. He was given a free hand in Panjab to pursue a policy of repression and this he did. He announced a policy of 'bullet for bullet' and this literally meant to kill any Sikh whom he considered to be a terrorist without giving them a right to a trial; Not that a trial could not be stage-managed by the state given the corruption of the Indian judiciary). This warped man had not learnt from history that the Khalsa armies have fought greater armies than his and that he would finally meet his match. Realising that the Sikh freedom fighters did not shy away from martyrdom, Ribeiro introduced the infamous Black Cats (State sponsored death squads).
After a number of fake encounters in which thousands of innocent Sikhs had been killed General Labh Singh decided to give Ribeiro a surprise call. On 2 August 1987 General Labh Singh led a Unit of the KCF to attack Ribeiro in his own Head Quarters in Jallandhar, Ribeiro was walking with his wife in the gardens when the Singh's took aim and attacked him, however the coward fell to the floor and played dead. The KCF freedom fighters thinking they had finished the butcher of Panjab made their escape leaving Ribeiro a nervous wreck. Shortly after this attack Ribeiro retired and left Panjab for a more safer place. In 1992 he was posted in Romania as High Commissioner, here too Sikh units were despatched to bring him to justice and this resulted in two Singh's: Bhai Jagroop Singh and Jaswinder Singh gaining martyrdom. Ribeiro, however, was forced to go into hiding and resorted to an imprisonment under ever tight security. On 12 July 1988, the time had come for General Labh Singh to complete his mission and become one again with the Almighty. He was betrayed by Thekedar Gurditt Singh who was popularly known as Thekedar Gura and was a close associate of General Labh Singh. They were involves in the biggest bank robbery at Talwara. The money was near five crores. When General Labh Singh came Khudda to collect the money, he was given the sleeping pills by Thekedar Gura's wife, Surjit Kaur. When General Labh Singh became conscious, he was taken by a police snatch squad. They tried in vain to break his resolve in order to get information on the hideouts of his fellow activists. With the grace of Waheguru he didn't utter anything. He was taken to Tanda's Petrol Pump and a fake encounter, he become a martyr, another victim of police torture and murder.
During the last few years under enormous pressure, hardships, continuous betrayal by certain corrupt. 'Sikh' leaders, and due to the lack of proper guidance which General Labh Singh, Bhai Sukhdev Singh Babbar, General Avtar Singh Brahma, Doctor Gurnam Singh Buttar and others alike gave the Khalistan movement, errors have been committed and attributed indiscriminately to our brothers in arms. Incipient elements of terrorism, traceable to autocratic tendencies have thus taken form. The culprits of such activity are rarely the Sikh armed groups. It is clear the majority of the killings have been by state sponsored in an attempt to halt and discredit the Sikh freedom movement. Over the past few years there has been an upsurge in the killing, of innocent Sikhs and people belonging to other minority groups in India. The murder of innocent civilians is never acceptable and the injustices committed by the Indian regime should not be forgotten. General Labh Singh has become a hero of the Sikh people and a part of village folklore. What is needed today is for the Sikh people to recognise the martyrdom of the thousands of Sikh martyrs whose only dream was the establishment of an independent Sikh state of Khalistan. It is now up to us the present generation of Sikhs to break the chains of slavery and, keep the torch of freedom burning no matter how much injustices are committed by the Indians against us. These notices announced the martyrdom of General Labh Singh on 18, 19, 20 and 21 July, 1988. In the struggle started by Sant Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale to cut the chains of slavery from the neck of the Sikh nation, to this end and for this cause a precious diamond of the Sikh nation General Bhai Labh Singh sacrificed his life on 12 July 1988. Bhog ceremony for his spiritual peace, the peace of his soul, will take place on 18 July 1988 at 1pm in Thanda and on 21 July 1988 in village Panjwar at 1pm. Bhai Labh Singh's sacrifice will give inspiration to the Sikh struggle. The federation appeals to the Sikh Sangat to reach in large numbers on 18 and 21 July. Convenor of the AISSF Daljit S. Bitoo Keep your feet on the religious path and don't shirk sacrifice. Labh Singh sacrificed his life while struggling with government forces. The bhog ceremony and Akhand path for the peace of his soul will be held on 21 July 1988 in village Panjwar, district Amritsar. Hari Singh Baba, Nakodar In the struggle begun by Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale to liberate the Sikh nation, General Bhai Labh Singh sacrificed his life. The bhog ceremony and Akhand Path will take place in his native village Panjwar, near Jhabal, on the 21st. We appeal to all san gats to attend the bhog ceremony in large numbers. Wassan Singh Zaffarwal, Gurbachan Singh Manochahal 'One who dies in the battlefield is great. One who runs away takes birth again and again.' General Bhai Labh Singh acted on the words 'In the end one has to sacrifice one's life in the battle field when all other means have failed'. The bhog ceremony and Akhand path will take place today in his native village of Panjwar 21 July 1988. We appeal to the Sarbat Khalsa to attend the last Ardas of this brave soldier. Avtar Singh Brahma, Sukhdev Singh Babbar |
