Shaheed Bhai Balvir Singh Bira

Khalistan Liberation Force/ Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan

Bhai Balvir Singh Bira was born in the year of 1974, in the house of Sardar Darshan Singh and from the womb of Mata Dhan Kaur in the village of Dholan, near Thathi Jaimal Singh. Bhai Sahib was youngest of 4 brothers and 1 sister, Bhai Desa Singh, Bhai Jagga Singh, Bhai Daler Singh, Bibi Shinder Kaur and Bhai Balvir Singh Bira. Sardar Darshan Singh provided for his family by working on his farms. Bhai Sahib had taken Amrit at a very young age. Bhai Sahib had studied up to 9th class at the government school of Valtoha. Bhai Sahib always topped his studies and everything he put his mind and energy towards. As well as studying Bhai Sahib would also help his family in household duties. Bhai Sahib had been a brave child from the start, he was calm, polite and very welcoming towards everyone.

Sardar Darshan Singh’s farms were located at the nearby village of Thathi Jaimal Singh. Bhai Sahib would regularly go there and help his father. Many Jhujaru Singhs who had left their homes to fight for Khalistan were from the village of Thathi Jaimal Singh and surrounding areas. In the year of 1990, the armed struggle for Khalistan was at its peak. Bhai Sahib was studying in 10th class during this time and had come in contact with Bhai Rasal Singh of Thathi Jaimal Singh. Bhai Sahib already had interest in the armed struggle of Khalistan and followed it closely. Bhai Sahib told Bhai Rasal Singh that he wished to join his group of Jhujaru Singhs. Bhai Rasal Singh was overcome by Bhai Sahib’s bravery and love, he told Bhai Sahib not to leave home but Bhai Sahib used the examples of Sikh sacrifices and in the end joined Bhai Rasal Singh’s Jhujaru group. Bhai Sahib had said his final Fateh to his family and became active under Khalistan Liberation Force.

Bhai Sahib had just joined the Jhujaru group and in the second week decided to punish the local police officers who would harass and torture Sikh families for money. Bhai Sahib took an assault rifle from Bhai Rasal Singh and went near the Amarkot police station, he was alone on this mission and this was his bravery. Bhai Sahib climbed up on the roof of the police station without being noticed and opened fire upon the police officers. Bhai Sahib was shouting war cries of ‘Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akaal, Khalistan Zindabad’ as he slayed the police officers. The whole Punjab police had never witnessed a such unexpected attack upon them, Bhai Sahib killed one police officer and inured several. After the attack Bhai Sahib manage to escape unharmed leaving the police force to deal with the dead and wounded colleagues. After the attack, the whole Indian security forces were searching for Bhai Sahib but were unsuccessful. Bhai Sahib also took the responsibility for this action. All the Jhujaru Singhs from other groups also witnessed Bhai Sahib’s bravery and respected him for his courage. As the police could not capture Bhai Sahib, they started harassing Bhai Sahib’s family. Like this Bhai Sahib continued to do brave actions under the command of Khalistan Liberation Force’s Bhai Rasal Singh.

On 23rd January 1991, Bhai Sahib was with Bhai Rasal Singh, Bhai Gurmej Sakheera and Bhai Anwar Singh Khalas resting in a house in village Lakhna. Bhai Rasal Singh was injured from a previous battle with the Indian security forces. The Punjab police got the information of this location and within few minutes all 4 Jhujaru Singhs were surrounded. A fierce battle ensued and lasted 12 hours, Bhai Rasal Singh, Bhai Gurmej Sakheera and Bhai Anwar Singh Khalas attained martyrdom, meanwhile Bhai Sahib managed to escape with bravery unharmed. After the martyrdom of Bhai Rasal Singh, Bhai Sahib became very lonely. Bhai Sahib wanted to do much as he could for the Khalistan movement before he attained martyrdom too. So, after the martyrdom of Bhai Rasal Singh, he joined Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan (Sangha) under the command of Bhai Harbhej Singh Lalpura. Bhai Sahib stayed with Bhai Harbhej Singh Lalpura and continued to do big Jhujaru actions, showing his bravery that many had heard off. The Punjab police would raid houses regular in search of Bhai Sahib, and a big cash reward was put on Bhai Sahib capture, dead or alive.

Even though Bhai Sahib was of very young at age, his actions and dedication to the armed struggle for Khalistan had no boundaries. Bhai Sahib’s name was at the top of the wanted list in many police stations. On 15th January 1992, Bhai Sahib was unarmed and travelling on a bus from Patti to Khemkaran. A police tout got this information and reported it to his masters. Bhai Sahib had just sat on the bus when the Punjab police had surrounded the bus. As Bhai Sahib was unharmed, he was quickly arrested. After being arrested, the police got their tout to identify Bhai Sahib. As he was being identified, Bhai Sahib mocked the police saying, “The one your looking for, you will not find him.” Soon as he said that, Bhai Sahib swallowed a capsule of cyanide and attained martyrdom. After Bhai Sahib’s martyrdom, the police showed a false encounter near the village of Mehmoodpura. Bhai Sahib’s body was not given to the family and was cremated in Patti crematorium as an orphan body.

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Balvir Singh Bira