Shaheed Bhai Avtar Singh Tari Zira

Khalistan Commando Force/ Babbar Khalsa

 

Bhai Avtar Singh Tari was born in 1969, into the house of Shaheed Bapu Malkeet Singh and from the womb of Shaheed Mata Kulwant Kaur, in the village of Lehra Rohi, near Zira, district Ferozepur. Bhai Sahib was the eldest of 3 brothers and one sister, second eldest being Bhai Gurjant Singh, Bhai Vakeel Singh and the youngest sister, Bibi Balwinder Kaur. The family was from a poor background and his father, Sardar Malkeet Singh had a small amount of land and would sell vegetables. Bhai Sahib studied up to the 10th class in Zira city and then went on to study a year at ITI Moga, after that he went on to do one year studying Sikhi as a Giani. Despite all of this education, Bhai Sahib could not find a job, so he started to sell vegetables with his father. Even while he was studying, Bhai Sahib would help his father with selling vegetables to raise the funds for his education fees.

 

Bhai Avtar Singh Tari of Zira was a Sikh who was detached from Sikh principles, and his hair was cut. Bhai Sahib was young but had strong Sikh sentiment inside him. In his village, Bhai Vakeel Singh alias Bullet (village Kohar Singh Wala, Guru Sahar, Ferozepur) lived with his maternal family. Bhai Vakeel Singh alias Bullet had a lot of love for Bhai Sahib. Bhai Vakeel Singh Bullet already had strong connections with Bhai Hardeep Singh Deepa, who was serving under the command of Bhai Bakshish Singh Sona (Village Kairon, Patti) of Khalistan Commando Force. During this time, Bhai Sahib was keeping in mind the atrocities being perpetrated against the Sikh community. Bhai Sahib was a gentleman and very noble. The attack of Sri Harimandir Sahib had changed Bhai Sahib and soon he started doing Jhujaru actions secretly with Bhai Hardeep Singh Deepa of Chajjanwali and Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Ghukar also of Chajjanwali. After sometime, Bhai Sahib completely went underground with Bhai Vakeel Singh Bullet. Bhai Sahib had left home completely in 1989.

 

For almost two years, till his last breath Bhai Sahib did Jhujaru actions faithfully. Bhai Sahib started doing Jhujaru actions under the command of Bhai Hardeep Singh Deepa of Chajjanwali for a few months and when Bhai Bakshish Singh Kairon became a martyr, he started doing actions with Babbar Khalsa along with his fellow Jhujaru Singhs, under the command of Bhai Mahinder Singh Paund.

 

Bhai Avtar Singh Tari did Jhujaru actions in the armed movement with the likes of Bhai Daljeet Singh Pyara, Bhai Gopal Singh Lalli, Bhai Paramjit Singh Pamma (Teeno village, near Mansoor Wala, Zira), Bhai Sukhchain Singh Chaina (Sukhewala village, Zira), Bhai Sukhchain Singh Jassa, Bhai Fauji (Varha Chain Singh Wala village, Zira) Bhai Sarvan Singh (Kalsi village, Amritsar), Bhai Jaswinder Singh Bhujangi (Lehra Hori village, Zira) and two other Jhujaru Singhs from Kohar Singh Wala village, Ferozepur. All these Jhujaru Singh’s stayed with Bhai Avtar Singh Tari and attained martyrdom. Bhai Avtar Singh Tari’s group of Jhujaru Singh’s had links to Shaheed Bhai Sukhdev Singh Babbar and Shaheed Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala.

 

In the Sikh freedom movement, there was internal fighting but very few cases. These few cases were mainly provoked by the crookedness of Indian black cats, in which Jhujaru brothers were made to go against each other. When Bhai Sahib left Bhai Hardeep Singh Deepa’s Jhujaru group and joined Bhai Mahinder Singh Paund’s Babbar Khalsa group, Bhai Deepa wreaked havoc on Bhai Sahib’s family. Bhai Deepa kidnapped his Sardar Malkeet Singh (47 years old at the time) and Mata Kulwant Kaur (40 years old at the time) from their family home. Bhai Deepa in anger had also kidnapped family members of Bhai Vakeel Singh Bullet and Bhai Daljeet Singh Pyara. On 1st and 2nd of April 1990, due misunderstandings and tensions flaring between both sides, Bhai Deepa killed the family members of Bhai Sahib and other Jhujaru Singhs. Maybe Bhai Deepa was manipulated by the black cats that had infiltrated his group, or maybe Bhai Deepa of Chajjanwali village had other motives himself.

 

When Bhai Deepa kidnapped the parents of Bhai Sahib, he also kidnapped Bhai Sahib’s sister, Bibi Balwinder Kaur (10 years old at the time), but Bhai Deepa released her after he had killed Bhai Sahib’s parents. Bhai Avtar Singh Tari never took revenge for his huge loss, but some of his Jhujaru brothers kidnapped Bhai Deepa’s sister. When Bhai Sahib found out he immediately ordered his Jhujaru brothers to return her home as she is also their sister. Bhai Sahib fought the war against the Indian security forces alongside his fellow Jhujaru brothers in accordance to Sikh principles.

 

During his time in the struggle, Bhai Avtar Singh carried out many brave actions against the enemy. In the Ferozepur and Majha area, Bhai Sahib along with his Jhujaru brothers inflicted heavy losses on the Indian security forces. It was Bhai Sahib’s Jhujaru group who were responsible for blowing up police vehicles in Pheroke village, in which many members of the police force were killed, who would go into villages to terrorize and oppress Sikh families. Bhai Sahib once blew up CRPF vehicles at a Sugar Mill on Talwandi Road, in Zira along with his Jhujaru brothers. Bhai Sahib also sent many tyrant policemen in his area straight to hell.

 

On 17th August 1990, while traveling from Ludhiana to Jagraon on a scooter, Bhai Avtar Singh Tari had an accident in which he broke his right leg. Bhai Sahib’s treatment was arranged by the high command of Babbar Khalsa via Bhai Bhola Singh, at a secret location in the Daudh. This location was given to the Punjab police by a village tout by the name of Patel. The Punjab police surrounded the house and arrested the wounded Bhai Avtar Singh Tari, the police also arrested Bhai Bhola Singh who was a worker for All Indian Sikh Student Federation. Bhai Bhola Singh was sent to jail on weapons charges.

 

Meanwhile Bhai Avtar Singh Tari was tortured and interrogated in the Sadhak police station by DSP Davinder Garja for 4 days. On 21st August 1990, Bhai Sahib was taken to a bridge in village Bihla, and killed in a false police encounter. Bhai Sahib’s Jhujaru group offered to pay Faridkot’s SSP Swaran Ghotna 14 Lakh Rupees to release Bhai Sahib, however SSP Ghotna did not accept. Bhai Avtar Singh Tari of Zira was cremated by the Punjab police in Sadhak village.

 

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Avtar Singh Tari Zira