Shaheed Bhai Bakshish Singh Sri Hargobindpur

Khalistan Liberation Force

 

Bhai Bakshish Singh was born in 1965, in the house of Sardar Sadhu Singh and from the blessed womb of Mata Harnam Kaur in the city of Sri Hargobindpur, district Gurdaspur. From childhood, Bhai Sahib loved sports and after finishing his primary studies and enrolled at the high school of Sri Hargobindpur. In sports, Bhai Sahib won awards at a state level. Bhai Sahib’s family farms were based on the outskirts of Sri Hargobindpur, and it is here that Bhai Sahib met the first Lt. General of Khalistan Liberation Army, Bhai Manjit Singh Khujala. Bhai Manjit Singh Khujala was amongst the Jhujaru Singhs who were wounded during the Battle of Amritsar in June 1984, fighting the Indian army under the command of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. Hearing the brave and courageous stories of Jhujaru Singhs in how they defended Sri Harimandir Sahib, made Bhai Sahib join Bhai Manjit Singh Khujala and he started doing Jhujaru actions in secret.

 

All of sudden in July 1986, the Punjab police raided the farms of Bhai Sahib after an informant had given information to them. Bhai Sahib was arrested, Bhai Manjit Singh Khujala had left the area by then. The police had also taken possession of many of Bhai Sahib’s belongings. SSP Virk who had arrested Bhai Sahib had reported to his superior officer, Julio Francis Rebeiro, the they had raided the hideout of Bhai Manjit Singh Khujala and arrested a close associate Bhai Bakshish Singh. Bhai Sahib was blindly tortured by the Punjab police and then transferred to Nabha jail, where many Jhujaru Sighs were already imprisoned. It was here Bhai Sahib met the brave Jhujaru of the Khalistan movement, Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Toofan lived in neighboring villages and for this reason they became close friends. Then few weeks later, Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan and Bhai Major Singh Sabrawan were moved to another jail, from where they both escaped.

 

Soon after, Bhai Sahib was bailed, instead of returning to a life with family, he decided to jump into the battlefield and fight for freedom alongside his Jhujaru brother, Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan. This Jhujaru duo stood tall against the evil deeds of SSP Gobind Ram and the DSP Harjit of Batala who had made Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha of Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan. Both of these police officers abused their power and committed atrocities on the families of Jhujaru Singh including the family of Bhai Sahib. Then the Jhujaru Singhs of Khalistan Liberation Force, including Bhai Jugraj Singh and Bhai Sahib punished SSP Gobind Ram by blowing him into pieces.

 

On morning of 8th April 1990, at village Mari Butchian near Sri Hargobindpur, the Indian security forces surrounded the house where Bhai Sahib was staying for the night and the encounter started. Bhai Sahib along with 3 other Jhujaru Singhs were with Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan who was ill. The owner of the house gone out to get medicines for Bhai Toofan, but little did the Jhujaru Singhs know that this man actually had gone out to cash in on the cash reward on the heads of these Jhujaru Singhs. Bhai Sahib realised that they had been surrounded and started the battle, even Bhai Toofan had joined in to battle against the Indian security forces. All five Jhujaru Singh’s got out of the house to save the innocent lives and ran into the field of sugarcane. Three Singh’s went to one side while Bhai Sahib and Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan went the other way. During this gun battle Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan got hit by a bullet in his leg and was unable to move, so he asked Bhai Sahib to leave him but Bhai Sahib refused to leave him alone. Bhai Bakshish Singh lifted Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan on his shoulders and tried to escape on a tractor but tractor got stuck in the field and they were both hit by police bullets. Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan attained martyrdom on the tractor while Bhai Bakshish Singh hid behind some houses and kept fighting and later also attained martyrdom of bullet injuries. Other three Jhujaru Singh’s were able to escape from the gun battle.

 

Soon as the news spread of the Shaheedi of these Jhujaru brothers, the public surrounded the Sri Hargobindpur police station. Connivingly the Punjab police sent the bodies of both Shaheed Singhs to Amritsar. Due to pressure of the public, the police agreed for the cremations to be undertaken by family. The duty of cremation was given to Damdami Taksal’s Giani Bhagwant Singh who bathed both of the bodies. Then on 9th April 1990, the cremation of the martyred Jhujaru Singhs was done at 3pm. The state of Punjab was shut down for 2 whole days.

 

On 17th April 1990, Baba Thakur Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale of Damdami Taksal conducted the Sri Akhand Paath Sahib Bhog for the Shaheed Singhs. The video of this Bhog can be viewed on the 1984tribute.com YouTube channel.

 

Awaze Qaum – 18/24 June 1992