Shaheed Bhai Amarjeet Singh Shahzada

Babar Khalsa

Shaheed Bhai Amarjeet Singh ‘Shahzada’ was born in the house of Sardar Inder Singh of village Dhirowal, district Jalandhar in April 1966. Bhai Sahib was called Kalu out of affection by his family. Bhai Sahib had one brother who was elder to him and two sisters.

As a child Bhai Sahib had always been family orientated and never really associated with anyone. He would either be studying or working in the fields. Bhai Sahib was never fond of taking photos or even watching TV, he done a lot of paath. Bhai Sahib was of a hot temperament. Once Bhai Sahib had gone to the shops to buy a pair of shoes, they selected a pair which he really liked and bought them. The next day he had a change or heart and decided that he didn’t want them so went back to the shop to return them. When the shop keeper refused Bhai Sahib got angry and hit the shoes of the shop keepers head and left them there.

Bhai Sahib studied at Dhirowal until his 5th class and then studied at the local school in the village of Doolikeh until his 10th class. After 10th class he started his medical studies.
Once in the village there was a flood, Bhai Sahib distributed medical supplies throughout the village for free.

Bhai Sahib took Amrit at the age of around 18, at Harian Vela in Hoshiarpur by Baba Nihal Singh but as a child had always been kesadhari. He was about 18-19 he played and he asked his mother for a Chola and when she asked why he said he needed for his Gatka but in reality it was because he was part of the movement. He was a Kabbadi player and won many prizes and certificates.

Under the leadership of Jathedar Sukhdev Singh Babbar and Bhai Wadhawa Singh, Bhai Amarjeet Singh gave his priceless contribution to the Sikh Freedom Movement.

Bhai Sukhdev Singh Babbar, impressed by Bhai Amarjeet Singh’s physical stature, manner of speaking and personality nicknamed him Shahzada or ‘Prince’. He was 22 or 23 years old and he was quite tall with a strong body and glowing face. He was always smiling and ready to laugh. Whoever sat with him even for a short time began to feel as though they had known him for ages.

He did not care about the comforts of home. The attachment to his family did not ever drag him back. Bhai Sahib always spoke in such a way that it seemed like as if he knew that one day he would give his Shaheedi for the Kaum. His mother said lets extend the house and you will get half the house, Bhai Sahib replied that don’t ever sat again, I don’t want anything from you.

The events of June 1984 moved him so profoundly that one day he left home saying he was going to the medical store where he worked, he parked his bicycle outside and then disappeared and never return home.

After many attempts, he was able to come into contact with Singh’s of Babbar Khalsa. He presented himself for the service of the Panth and he was assigned to Bhai Wadhawa Singh. Until his final days he served under his leadership.

For two and a half years, he had no contact with his family. His family tried to track him down but was unsuccessful. Finally, they began to believe that he had died and had an Akhand Paath in his memory and had his final Ardas performed. After this, Bhai Shahzada accidentally ran into his brother at some place and finding out about the Ardas said, “It is good you have done an Akhand Paath for me. These days, if a Singh falls into the police’s hands, not even his body can be traced. It’s possible that when they kill me, you will not even receive news of it.”

When the Babbar Khalsa and Khalistan Liberation Force became closer, General Bhai Avtar Singh Brahma began to visit Bhai Shahzada’s hideout. General Brahma was also very taken by Bhai Amarjeet Singh. He used to say, “No matter how tired I am, after just listening to Bhai Shahzada talk all my fatigue is lifted.”

No one has any doubts about the discipline of the Singh’s that served in Babbar Khalsa. No one could refuse the Jathedar’s orders. Bhai Amarjeet Singh too always remained in total discipline.
Bhai Amarjeet Singh was very firm in Khalsa Rehit. He had memorized countless banis. He would begin his nitnem at 3 AM at Amrit vela and continue until 8 in the morning.

Bhai Amarjeet Singh used to say to Bhai Wadhawa Singh, “Bhai Sahib, I don’t want anything else but whenever I go out on a mission, I need a good-looking kurta pyjama because when I leave my body and people come to see my corpse lying in the fields, the youth should see the glow on my face and my smart clothes. Then they too will feel inspired and their hearts will themselves be pulled to join the Singh’s.

Bhai Sahib would come in his mother’s dreams and inform her that she could him in model town – Jalandhar at a Gupt location, and the next day she would go there and he would be there.
Bhai Sahib’s role was that he would buy and look after ammunition, he crossed over to the Pakistan border many times without getting caught.

Shahzada was looking after the money of the Khadku’s he around 15-20 Lakhs on him which he kept at his youngest mami’s house. A big deal was meant to take place where he would meet a guy at Jalandhar bus station where the money would be exchanged for the location of where the ammunition would be kept and collected from. Bhai Sahib had went to meet his cousin Paramjit Singh Pehlwan who wasn’t home at the time, his bhabi informed Bhai Sahib that he will be coming tomorrow but you can stay over, but Bhai Sahib refused out of respect and decided to stay over at his youngest mami’s house which was literally next door. Now there was roughly about a 5lakh reward on Bhai Sahib’s head. Bhai Sahib informed his aunt and cousins to look after his bag for the night and that he would need it for the next morning as he was going to strike his deal for the ammunition. When Bhai Sahib fell asleep his aunt and cousins looked into the bag and seen the money, they then conspired to keep Bhai Sahib’s money and hand him over to the police and also claim the money for the reward that was on his head.

The next morning Bhai Sahib was all set to go, he was dressed in casual clothes. Bhai Sahib kick started his scooter but it wouldn’t start, Bhai Sahib didn’t realise that his cousin that tampered with it, which caused it not to start. While Bhai Sahib was struggling to start his scooter, one of his cousin brothers had sneaked to the police station and informed them of their plan in order to catch Bhai Sahib. He also said to the police that we want the reward of the 5 Lakhs and once you arrest him make sure no one finds out that we have a hand in Shahzada’s arrest, as the Babbar’s won’t spare us and will kill us. Meanwhile Bhai Sahib’s other cousin suggested that he travel in a rickshaw until he tries to fix the scooter. He got him a rickshaw at the end of Nikodar Road in model town Jalandhar, he gave specific instructions to the driver to avoid going past model town market because there was a police station there and that to go via Massand Chownk near Singh Sabha Gurdwara. But the police were already aware of what route Bhai Sahib was going to travel through and made their preparations. At Massand Chownk the CRP and about 8-10 officers had disguised themselves as local men (gol gupay wale & rickshaw drivers).

So when Bhai Sahib was passing by, he was grabbed and pounced upon by the CRP officers, because Bhai Sahib obvious to the game that was plotted against him by his own family, Bhai Sahib didn’t get a chance to react. Bhai Sahib always kept a cyanide capsule under his collar which he tried to eat but unfortunately couldn’t.

After arrest he was taken to C.I staff HQ in Patel Chownk for interrogation. There was an officer there who was of the name Kashmir Singh who was a family friend who was Hawaldar who informed the Bhai Sahib’s family. The two officers who arrested and tortured Bhai Sahib were Mohammed Izhar Alam who was the SSP and Swaran Singh Ghotna who was the DSP.

Bhai Sahib’s knees were drilled into and while being tortured Bhai Sahib recited Chandi Di Vaar da paath. They broke his waist to his spine that his whole body turned around. Even though going through immense torture Bhai Sahib never uttered a word about the movement. Bhai Sahib was asked what group he belonged to and where all the ammunition was kept, Bhai Sahib replied, “I know you’re going to kill me, my name is Shahzada and this is the name of my mother and father”.

When Bhai got caught he appeared in his mothers dream and told her that he has been caught, but don’t worry no one will say anything to you but if they do then remember god. Bhai Sahib’s mother also confirmed that with the grace of god the police never harassed the family.

After Bhai Sahib was Shaheed the police informed the family that Bhai was still alive and asked for money from the family. The family gave the money and requested the police not to kill him but instead just register a case against him and keep him behind bars. After receiving the money the police said that Bhai Sahib was killed in an encounter in Khemkaran and cremated the body.
Bhai Sahib’s first barsi was celebrated in December 1989 as the family wasn’t aware of the date that Bhai Sahib was Shaheed, Singh’s from Mehta Chownk – Damdami Taksal came to pay their tribute to Bhai Sahib. But it was actually on the 28th of January in 1989 when Bhai Sahib’s desire to attain Shaheedi was fulfilled by Waheguru Ji. Bhai Sahib has become an inspiration to countless others…

Bhai Amarjeet Singh was very firm in Khalsa Rehit. He had memorized countless banis. He would begin his nitnem at 3 AM at Amrit vela and continue until 8 in the morning.

Bhai Amarjeet Singh used to say to Bhai Wadhawa Singh, “Bhai Sahib, I don’t want anything else but whenever I go out on a mission, I need a good-looking kurta pajama because when I leave my body and people come to see my corpse lying in the fields, the youth should see the glow on my face and my smart clothes. Then they too will feel inspired and their hearts will themselves be pulled to join the Singhs.

Satguru Sachay Patshah fulfilled Bhai Shahzada’s desire to leave his body in a glorious manner on January 28, 1989 and made him an inspiration to countless others

Information taken from family of Shaheed Bhai Amarjit Singh Shahzada