Gurbachan Singh Manochahal
| Jathedar Gurbachan Singh Manochahal | |
|---|---|
|
ਜਥੇਦਾਰ ਗੁਰਬਚਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਾਨੋਚਾਹਲ | |
| Jathedar of Akal Takht | |
|
In office 27 April 1986 – 26 January 1987. | |
| Preceded by | Gurdev Singh Kaunke |
| Succeeded by | Darshan Singh |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gurbachan Singh 6 June 1954 Manochahal, Tarn Taran, Panjab |
| Died |
27 February 1993 (aged 38) Rataul, Tarn Taran, Panjab |
| Spouse(s) | Dalbir Kaur |
| Mother | Gurmej Kaur |
| Father | Atma Singh |
| Militant group | Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan |
| Post | Chief |
Gurbachan Singh Manochahal (Punjabi: ਗੁਰਬਚਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਮਾਨੋਚਾਹਲ, Shahmukhī: گربچن سنگھ مانوچاہل), was a Punjabi Sikh militant leader[1] who founded the Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan in 1984[2] and served as the acting Jathedar of Akal Takht from April 1986 to January 1987.
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Early life
Gurbachan Singh Manochahal was born on 6 June 1954 at village Manochahal in Tarn Taran district in Punjab to Atma Singh and Gurmej Kaur. He served in the Indian Army during his youth.[3] He was later court martialed from the army.
Manochahal was shot in the arm during the 1978 Sikh–Nirankari clashes. Manochahal maintained a relationship with Damdami Taksal and became acquainted with other members of the organization, such as Amrik Singh and Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.
Insurgency
Shortly after Operation Blue Star, Manochahal conspired with other individuals linked to Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale to form armed groups which resulted in the formation of the BTFK headed by Manochahal himself and the Khalistan Commando Force headed by Manbir Singh Chaheru.
In 1986, When the terrorism was at its peak, the militants called the Sarbat Khalsa. The SGPC had the authority to appoint the jathedar, so the militants dissolved SGPC and appointed their own Jathedar. When that person refused do their bidding, Gurbachan Singh Manochahal appointed himself by force as jathedar (head) of the Akal Takht, which is the supreme religio-temporal seat of the Sikhs.[4][3] Manochahal led a resolution at the 1986 Sarbat Khalsa to declare the resolve of a separate Sikh homeland called Khalistan and also formed a Panthic committee which would lead Sikhs per this resolution.
In 1992, a separate Panthic committee headed by Dr. Sohan Singh was formed. It was supported by Babbar Khalsa. It called for the boycott of the Punjab Legislative Assembly election, 1992. Elections resulted in a Congress Government under Beant Singh of the Congress Party. The formation of this committee undermined the influence of Manochahal who was criticized for his support for political participation and led to a divide between the armed groups within Punjab.
Per Maloy Krishna Dhar, a former Joint Director, Intelligence Bureau, India, he was given the task to negotiate with Gurbachan Singh Manochahal. He contacted Manochahal through a journalist source, was blindfolded and taken a few hundred kilometres from Amritsar to meet with him where he secretly held negotiations for three hours before he was blindfolded again and transported back.[5]
Per India Today, Prime Minister of India, Mr Rajiv Gandhi perceived a serious threat from Gurbachan Singh Manochahal. Mr Gandhi even insisted on being personally briefed on Manochahal's interrogation on a daily basis when he was caught by security forces.[6]
Death
On 27 February 1993, Manochahal was killed in a gun fight with the police.[7]
On Saturday, 26 Feb a police search team led by an inspector visited the farmhouse of Piara Singh at Bagrian village near Tarn Taran. Intelligence sources had indicated that the terrorists frequently visited the site. After finding some unusual activity, the police team tried to detain his son Resham Singh for questioning. But his mother resisted his arrest and said,"Why are you taking him when Manochahal is hiding below in a bunker?". Manochahal then managed to escape by throwing a dynamite stick and firing indiscriminately at the Police.[3]
Police then led 40 raiding parties to raid at 57 of his suspected hideouts. At about 3.45 p.m. 27 February, a police party headed by DSP Dilbagh Singh reached the farmhouse of Sukhdev Singh located on the outskirts of Rataul village. The police party was fired upon. Backup was requested and firefight ensued. At 4.20 p.m Manochahal found himself cornered and tried to escape the house but was shot dead while fleeing.[3]
References
- ↑ Dang, Satyapal; Bakaya, Ravi M. (1 January 2000). Terrorism in Punjab. Gyan Books. p. 412 pages. ISBN 9788121206594.
- ↑ Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley (1996). Fighting for Faith and Nation. Series in Contemporary Ethnography. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 159ff. ISBN 9780812215922.
- 1 2 3 4 "After months of preparation, Punjab Police finally kills terrorist Gurbachan Singh Manochahal". India Today. 31 March 1993. Archived from the original on 31 July 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
- ↑ Van Dyke 2009, p. 990.
- ↑ "Old men and their Official secrets - Times of India". Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
- ↑ "The Rajiv Gandhi years". India Today. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
- ↑ "Indian police kill top Sikh guerilla". The Daily Gazette. 1 March 1993.
Bibliography
- Van Dyke, Virginia (2009), "The Khalistan Movement in Punjab, India, and the Post-Militancy Era: Structural Change and New Political Compulsions", Asian Survey, 49 (6): 975–997, doi:10.1525/as.2009.49.6.975, (Subscription required (help))