Action of Bhai Mandeep Singh Sahnewal

 

Towards the end of August 2012, the whole Sikh nation was preparing to celebrate the first Parkash Purab of Dhan Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj on 1stSeptember. Due to this, every Gurdwara was holding Sri Akhand Paath Sahibs. Somewhere out there, cowards like Chandu and Gangu who were jealous and only carried hate towards the Sikh Guru were planning on how to destroy the Sikh nation, and soon their evil deeds came forward.

Sahnewal village is situated on the main road that goes to Sirhand/Patiala from Ludhiana. The main Gurughar of Sahnewal, Gurdwara Sri Guru Arjun Dev Sahib is on this road. The locals say that there were so many car accidents on the main stretch of road before the Gurdwara was built and after doing the Ardas and building the Gurdwara there has been no car accidents.

In relation to the first Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj, this Gurdwara also started a Sri Akhand Paath Sahib on 31stAugust 2012. The Gurbani was recited throughout the day and at night as the locals started to go sleep, the devil became active. Bhai Zora Singh was doing the duty of Paath from 10pm to 12:30am. The lights of the main Divan Hall were on and as it was night time the side-door on the right hand side was the only door that was open. Head Granthi, Bhai Jagwant Singh was sleeping next to the open door.

It was roughly 11:45pm, when all of a sudden 6 Bihari workers who were known to work under the command of BJP Leader, Pawan Kumar jumped over the wall and entered the Gurdwara. This seemed like a planned attack, as the attackers knew every door to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj. Within seconds one of the Bihari workers was at the door behind the Palki Sahib where Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj was Parkash. The door was made of glass and was locked by a door bolt and the attacker straight away broke the glass. Soon as the glass broke, Bhai Jagwant Singh woke up and before he or Bhai Zora Singh could do something the attacker with shoes entered the Divan Hall. The attacker grabbed Bhai Zora Singh and pushed him to the right.

Bhai Zora Singh was not at all ready for this attack and as he was pushed of the Tabaya Sahib, he hit his chest on the corner of the steps that were built to sit on Tabaya Sahib. The attacker then did the most evil thing by reaching for Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj and ripping a part of the Guru and he then started to run towards the open door on the right hand side. Head Granthi, Bhai Jagwant Singh who was now fully awake did not let the attacker run away.

At first the attacker of had a part of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj in his hand tripped over the cloth on the floor as he ran, then straight away Bhai Jagwant Singh grabbed him and then started hitting him with a plastic pipe. Meanwhile the other attackers were trying to get in to the Divan Hall from the main door but that was locked. After they watched their fellow attacker get beaten by the Granthi Singhs through a window, they could not gather the courage to enter the Divan Hall.

After getting in control of the attacker, the Granthi Singhs alerted the Gurdwara Committee and woke up the Sangat that was at the nearby. Then the president of the Gurdwara, Sardar Kastura Singh called the local police station. The attacker was not opening his hand in which he held the part of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj, but the Sangat beat him until he opened his hand. After sometime the officers from Sahnewal police station arrived and the caught attacker was taken to the police station. The local Sikhs also demanded the rest of the attackers to get arrested also. The police then arrested another 4 attackers and a woman with the information given by the first attacker. The local Sikhs were so angry that no one went to sleep at night. More arrests were made through the night but it was clear that these attackers were only targeting Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj and that the attack was pre-planned, and a bigger hand was behind this attack. On numerous occasions the name that kept on popping up was Pavan Kumar alias Tinku, a MLA of BJP. It was Pavan Kumar who rang the Sahnewal police station when the first attacker was arrested and said, “You have arrested one of my guys, Dalip Kumar (The name of the first attacker). Release him and I will deal with rest.” In Punjab the BJP MLA’s feel as though they run the state government. It was due to Pavan Kumar the police did not register a case against Dalip Kumar till 2:30pm the following day. On the other side, the news of this Beadbi was spreading amongst the Sikh circle via phone and social media. Soon a call was made to Bhai Mandeep Singh, who lived in the village of Kube near Sarmala, district Ludhiana, he was given the news of the Sahnewal Beadbi. Like many Sikhs, Bhai Mandeep Singh was also hurt by hearing this news. Bhai Mandeep Singh said to the caller, “I am near Sahnewal, I am coming.” And he turned his car towards the Sahnewal Gurdwara.

Bhai Mandeep Singh was born on 15thSeptember 1985, in the house of Sardar Govinder Singh and from the womb of Mata Kulwinder Kaur. He was born and bred in the village of Kube, district Ludhiana. In 1992, the whole family went to Italy and settled there in the city of Aroma. Bhai Mandeep Singh and his sister, Bibi Jatinder Kaur was only young when they moved to Italy. In Italy he cut his hair but soon Bhai Mandeep Singh would take a revolutionary path. Once Bhai Mandeep Singh was out with 4 of his Muslim friends in Italy and Punjab’s (India) current situation came up in the conversation. One of the Muslim friend said, “In that side of Punjab, there was a true saint soldier of 20thcentury, Sant Jarnail Singh JI Khalsa Bhindranwale. No mother gave to birth to a son like him since!” And rest of the Muslims also agreed with this remark. Then all the Muslim friends continued to talk about the great Sewa and bravery of Sant Ji, meanwhile Bhai Mandeep Singh kept quiet and was embarrassed that his Muslim friends knew more about a Sikh icon and he being a Sikh didn’t know as much. After this, Bhai Mandeep Singh collected literature on Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale and started reading about him. It was this experience that ignited the fire within Bhai Mandeep Singh, and soon he took Amrit from the Panj Pyare and became a Gursikh. Bhai Mandeep Singh now started reading on Sikh history and learning Gurbani Santhaya.

In April 2008, Bhai Mandeep Singh went back to his village in Punjab and decided to make an honest living here. Few months after on 11thAugust 2008 had his Anand Karaj with Bibi Kuljinder Kaur (Daughter of Sardar Santokh Singh and Mata Rattan Kaur from village of Hanbowal, district Gurdaspur). Bhai Sahib has 2 children, daughter Jagjit Kaur and a son Jagsher Singh. Bhai Mandeep Singh had great love for weapons and had applied for firearm licence, soon as he got the licence he went to Kanpur to buy a pistol. Bhai Mandeep Singh only one demand, “Have a pistol in which a bullet will not get stuck.” He bought a good pistol.

On 31stAugust 2012, Bhai Mandeep Singh went to Ludhiana to do the RC for his car. It was on his way back home, a friend rang Bhai Mandeep Singh and told him about what had happened in Sahnewal Gurughar. At this moment Bhai Mandeep Singh told the caller, “I am near Sahnewal, I am coming.” He got to the Gurughar and after paying his respects to Dhan Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Bhai Mandeep Singh asked the Granthi Singh and the committee the full story of what had happened. Then Bhai Mandeep Singh did Ardas and went to the Sahnewal police station to see what the police had charged the attackers with. At the police station Bhai Mandeep Singh spoke to the police officers and realised that the attackers will not be dealt with seriously, and that there is a bigger hand behind this attack. Then Bhai Sahib walked around and stood in front of the cell in which there were 6 to 7 Biharis. Bhai Mandeep Singh asked who committed the Beadbi, everybody said Dalip Kumar and pointed at him. Bhai Mandeep Singh carefully looked at Dalip Kumar head to toe, he did not see any fear or regret on Dalip Kumar’s face. Maybe it was due to the call made to the police station by the BJP leader. Bhai Mandeep Singh controlled his anger and asked, “Oi, what have you done?” Then Dalip Kumar fearlessly said, “I’ve done what I had to do.” Upon hearing this, Bhai Mandeep Singh realised one that the attacker had no regrets, and two that this was a planned attack on the Guru of Sikhs.

Bhai Mandeep Singh was really angry and he started moving his hand towards the pistol, but the hand stooped, he realised that the pistol has only 2 bullets and they are not enough to finish the attacker. Keeping his coolness, Bhai Mandeep Singh walked out of the police station. Bhai Mandeep Singh got into his car and filled his pistol with bullets and walked back into the police station. This move could easily make the police suspicious, but that was not the case here due to the blessings of the Guru, Bhai Mandeep Singh once again found his way to the cell in which Dalip Kumar was locked up. Bhai Mandeep Singh again called for Dalip Kumar, soon as the attacker made I contact with him, he pulled his pistol out like lightening and, “BANG….. BANG….. BANG….. BANG….” fired 4 bullets into the chest of Dalip Kumar and as he was to put the fifth bullet into the attackers head the pistol jammed. By now the police had heard the gunshots and grabbed Bhai Mandeep Singh. In few seconds the police station had been turned upside down. In the cell the attacker of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji was laying on the floor in the pool of blood. Bhai Mandeep Singh remained calm and gave up his pistol to the officer in-charge and said, “I did what I had to do, now you can do what you have to.”

The police were more worried that they had not yet charged Dalip Kumar. Straight after the shooting the police started to run up and down in the police station. The police took the wounded Dalip Kumar to the Naamdhari hospital and admitted him into emergency. Senior police officials had come to Sahnewal and many police checkpoints were put up in the area. By 5pm the police had charged all of the attackers under the act of 307 along with many other charges. Locals also said that BJP leader, Pavan Kumar also went into hiding and police guards were given to protect his house. The news of Bhai Mandeep Singh spread throughout the world like lightening. This news was like an ointment on the wounds of the Sikhs, which were made by the Beadbi of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. After the assassination of Suraj Muni, this was a second successful action, which uplifted the Sikh spirit.

Bhai Mandeep Singh was arrested and a case was registered against him under FIR 131/12 at police station of Sahnewal under Section 307 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). According to information the court of Shivinder Mann, Additional Sessions Judge, on 17thApril 2014 sentenced Bhai Mandeep Singh to 5 years imprisonment under section 3017 (attempt to murder) and 3 years imprisonment under Arms Act.

Wangar – October 2012