Shaheed Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda alias Dhamaka

Dasmesh Regiment of Khalistan

Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda alias Jarnail Singh Dhamaka was born on 20th January 1969 to Sardar Swaran Singh and Mata Baldev Kaur in the village of Barkiwal, situated Dera Baba Nanak Road, Batala. Bhai Sahib was born in a very poor household. Bhai Sahib had a younger brother, Bhai Harvinder Singh and their parents worked hard for their daily wages to make ends meet. Bhai Sahib took Amrit from the Panj Pyare quite early in his childhood and also took up poetry recitals, due to which he would perform Kavisheri on the stages of Gurdwara. Bhai Sahib completed his 10th class in a nearby village of Mirzajan, and his 11th class from Batala City in March 1989. Due to poor financial condition of his family, Bhai Sahib was unable to pursue his studies beyond 11th class and left for Chandigarh in search of work.

During this time, the Punjab police and other Indian security forces had started harassing the people in and around the village of Barkiwal, because of Khalistan activities in the area. Because Bhai Sahib’s family was quite poor, they were harassed and tortured the most by the Punjab police. It was this cruel behavior of the police that pushed Bhai Sahib to join the Khalistan movement, he joined Bhai Seetal Singh Mattewal’s group- Dasmesh Regiment in the beginning of the year 1991. After joining the group, Bhai Sahib executed many actions and also took responsibility for them. Bhai Sahib was given the rank of Deputy Chief by the senior Jhujaru Singhs of Dasmesh Regiment of Khalistan. Bhai Sahib was accompanied by his schoolmate, who was from a neighboring village, Bhai Joginder Singh alias Karamjit Singh Patiala. Both of them were martyred together on 20th December 1992.

Bhai Sahib was, by now, on the hit list of the Punjab police due to his countless brave Jhujaru actions for Khalistan. The Punjab police had announced a prize of many lakh rupees to catch him. Bhai Sahib had been involved in direct confrontation with the Punjab police and other Indian security forces many times. Bhai Sahib was pretty active in the areas of Baba Bakala, Sathiala, Beas, Khalchiya, Raiya etc.

On 14th December 1992, Bhai Sahib along with 3 of his companions, were planning for the next Khalistan action in a house situated in the village of Sultanwind, Amritsar. All 3 Jhujaru Singhs were without any arms at hand. Meanwhile, news of their presence reached the police station in village Qila Lal Singh, Jaintipur. The Punjab police assembled officers from other forces and surrounded the house in the village of Sultanwind at midnight on the same day. In the tussle that followed, Bhai Joginder Singh alias Karamjit Singh Patiala and Bhupinder Singh Bhinda alias Dhamaka were arrested by the police. The other two Jhujaru Singh were successful in escaping.

During his arrest, a Police SHO removed Bhai Sahib’s turban and ripped his ‘Gatra’. This infuriated Bhai Sahib to such an extent that he retaliated without any fear and attacked the SHO for his indecency. The police of Qila Lal Singh took both the arrested Jhujaru Singhs to the interrogation centre of Batala City and started their inhumane torture. The day that Bhai Sahib was arrested, the Punjab police went to his house and after finding no one at the house, they vandalized the belongings of the family and stole valuables from the house.

After 6 days of torture, the night of 20th December 1992 witnessed the Punjab police of Qila Lal Singh taking both the prisoners to the bridge of village Choranwali and shooting them down. The case was of course falsely declared as an encounter. After their martyrdom, the police did not return their bodies to their families and cremated them as unidentified corpses in the crematorium of Batala City. When both the families found out about the police’s shameless conduct, they procured the remaining ashes of both the Jhujaru Singhs, performed the appropriate rites and organized Sri Akhand Paath Sahib at their homes.

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda alias Dhamaka