Shaheed Jathedar Kanwaljit Singh Sultanwind
Written by Sunny Singh, edited by Kharak Singh Jalwehra
Bhai Kanwaljit Singh belonged to the Sultanwind village of the district Amritsar. Bhai Sahib was chosen as the Mukh Jathedaar (commander-in-chief) of the Khalistan Commando Force, after the martyrdom of the previous commander-in-chief, Shaheed General Labh Singh "Sukha Sipahi" in an encounter in 1988 in the Tanda area of Hoshiarpur.
Bhai Sahib was a very athletic young man, who during his school days was a champion hockey player and a keen sportsman. After becoming the leader of the KCF, Bhai Sahib's cadres took part in many daring operations in the Majha district against the Goverment forces. Hee was a dedicated Singh, who also killed many corrupt Kharkoo Singhs from his own group KCF and also the BTFOK group, which was quite infiltrated by government touts and criminal elemants in their cadres.
Bhai Sahib was martyred when he along with his companian Shaheed Nirmal Singh Mianwind (the Panthic Commitee spokesman) was captured from a safe house in Jalandhar city on October 18th 1989, by the CRPF and Jalandhar Police. Nirmal Singh Mianwind made an attempt to escape, howhever was captured. Bhai Kanwaljit Singh Sultanwind could not escape due to an old injury caused by a bullet wound his leg, from the many shootouts/encounters with the Punjab Police and security forces. Both of them were taken near the Satluj Classic Cinema bus stand in Jalandhar by jeep. There they were martyred in a staged encounter.
If you ever visit Sultanwind, which is situated just outside the holy city of Amritsar, there is a memorial dediccated to this brave Singh and other young men from the village whom he led in the KCF.