Shaheed Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke

Bhindranwale Tigers Force of Khalistan

In the great history of Sikhs, many warriors have given their lives for not only Sikhs but also other faiths of the world. But when the honour and human rights of the Sikhs are attacked, a true Sikh does not stand back and let injustice take place. The enemies of Sikhs are stupid to think that they will get away with the injustice on Sikhs. Whenever the Sikhs have been attacked, the Sikhs have answered back. Many warriors have drunk the nectar of martyrdom when defending the Sikh guru’s creation. And in that large list of warriors is Shaheed Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda of Kamoke.

Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke was born in the house of Sardar Harbans Sing (Police Officer) and from the womb of Mata Gurdeep Kaur in the village of Kamoke, near Mehta Sahib district Amritsar. Bhai Sahib had 2 brothers, Bhai Malkit Singh, Bhai Kuldip Singh and 3 sisters Bibi Sukhwinder Kaur, Bibi Kulwinder Kaur, Bibi Kulwant Kaur. Bhai Sahib was the youngest of all brothers and sisters. Bhai Sahib studied at a local school up until 7th class, 8th class in a school at Dheriwal, then went to Khadur Sahib to study up until 10th class and then went to the DAV College in Hoshiarpur. In a Kabbadi match against the University of Ludhiana, Bhai Sahib came 1st. in every major Kabbadi tournament in Punjab, Bhai Sahib was the top player. Bhai Sahib was well known for his great physical and tactical skills in the game of Kabbadi. Bhai Sahib would regularly go to do Darshan of Sri Harimandir Sahib and listen to speeches of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bindranwale.

June 1984 attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib, where thousands of innocent Sikhs, then again thousands of innocent Sikhs were massacred in Delhi. After all this injustice on Sikhs, the Sikh youth could not carry on living as normal and jumped into the battlefield to take on the oppressors, Indian Government. Bhai Sahib also joined the Sikh Freedom Movement to punish the enemies of the Sikhs and was known as the right hand man of Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal within the Bindranwale Tigers Force.

Where many Khadku Singhs were fighting against the Indian security forces on a revenge mission, Bhai Sahib got all Khadku Singhs to fight against the enemy under one orange flag of the Khalsa and created unity. Operation Black Thunder saw one of the great warriors of the Sikh nation attain shaheedi, Bhai Surjit Singh Penta Lt. General of Bindranwale Tigers Force. Bhai Sahib was given the rank after Bhai Surjit Singh Penta’s shaheedi to safe guard the mission of Khalistan. As well as fighting the Indian security forces, Bhai Sahib also punished the looters and robbers who harassed Sikh families. Bhai Sahib did take the command of Bindranwale Tigers Force as a Khadku Singh but also made political decisions that would help the Khalistan Movement. The thoughts and aims of General Labh Singh had slowed down after his shaheedi, but Bhai Sahib encouraged the Khadku Singhs to follow the principles of General Labh Singh. Bhai Sahib put an end to looters who were taking money of the Sikh families forcefully and saying that the money is to buy weapons for the Sikh Freedom Movement. No one dare do something wrong in the area where Bhai Sahib had the command. Bhai Sahib also punished people who gave information of Khadku Singhs which led to singhs being killed. If a Sikh family was being harassed then they would go and see Bhai Sahib and then Bhai Sahib would take care of that. The police tried to spread wrong information amongst the locals and said that Bhai Sahib was a terrorist and a killer. But the locals did not believe a single word from the dirty mouth of the police, as the locals saw and knew what Bhai Sahib was and did. The police wanted Bhai Sahib so badly as Bhai Sahib was more successful than the Punjab Police put together. The way things were going when Bhai Sahib was in command, Khalistan a separate homeland of the Sikhs seemed as a realistic mission, unlike today we see no unity, everyone is full of ego, if we stay like this then Khalistan will never be achieved. Bhai Sahib was usually seen in the village talking to the locals asking about their health and asking if anyone is bothering them in the name of Sikh freedom fighters. Whenever the police jeeps would come to the village, the locals would notify Bhai Sahib and his group. They would say, ‘Bhinde ese pase hoja, policeaa rahi oo.’ As Bhai Sahib was really active and physically fit due to his Kabbadi career, Bhai Sahib would play hide and seek with the police, the locals on many occasions saw Bhai Sahib break out of the police surroundings. The locals were very proud of what Bhai Sahib was doing for the Sikh nation. It is said once Bhai Sahib was chatting to his friends, when Bhai Sahib saw Inspector Gursewak Singh from Beas Police Station coming into the village on jeeps with his full team. Bhai Sahib used his quickness with his body and mind and lost the police but the police also had an address of the house where Bhai Sahib might have been staying. Bhai Sahib quickly rushed to the headquarters of his group and alerted everyone that was there. Bhai Sahib’s cousin Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke also did missions with Bhai Sahib. Bhai Sahib had saved Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke’s life many times, Bhai Sahib loved his cousin dearly as they punished many enemies together. Inspector Gursewak Singh had lost Bhai Sahib and was very angry at his team of inspectors, Inspector Gursewak Singh told his team of inspectors that if you could not arrest Bhai Sahib when Bhai Sahib had no weapons, how can you arrest Bhai Sahib when Bhai Sahib has weapons.

In December 1988, Bhai Sahib along with Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke and Bhai Jaswant Singh Kittu were staying at the house of Bhai Major Singh in village Tappiala. 2000 police force and CRP surrounded the house, it was early morning still dark and really foggy. The Indian forces did not let anyone go out of the village. The locals had informed Bhai Major Singh about the police. Bhai Major Singh woke up Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke and told him that there are a big number of security forces that have surrounded the village, and that you should surrender. But Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke we are singhs not cowards, if we are to die today then we will send as many as officers to hell as possible.

The 3 singhs got their weapons and got ready to battle on the other side the security forces were about to enter the house of Bhai Major Singh. As soon as CRP officers entered the house, the singhs fired rounds of their AK47 onto the forces. 2 CRP officers were killed straight away. As the Bhai Sahib and the singhs moved forward to escape they face a fierce encounter with the CRP officers. In the encounter 20 CRP officers were killed, after the CRP officers started to move back as they were scared. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke escaped from Tappiala within the darkness and fog. When the CRP finally entered the house, they were angry to find out the 2 singhs had escaped and their 20 officers were killed. They shot dead Bhai Major Singh, only because the encounter happened at Bhai Major Singh’s house. When the CRP searched the house the found Bhai Jaswant Singh Kittu and arrested him. On a later time the CRP also killed Bhai Jaswant Singh Kittu in a fake encounter.

Now even the police were getting told off by their superiors, in every meeting the police would talk about Bhai Sahib. No one was willing to give information on Bhai Sahib. So the please played their dirty tactics. They prepared a black cat, Channa Diagarh was sent in the area of Bhai Sahib his mission was to win the trust of Bhai Sahib. Channa Diagarh started doing small missions together and later both singhs went to the gurudwaras and in front of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji swore on never to betray each other and became brothers. 13th February 1988, it was afternoon when Bhai Sahib and Bhai Kashmir Singh Molvipind, were near village Lither and Baba Bakala in village Sudhaar. As Bhai Sahib was parking his scooter, they were followed by 2 youths on a hero Honda who caught them up at this school of village Sudhaar. One of the 2 youths was Channa Diagarh. Channa Diagarh and his companion started shooting at Bhai Sahib and Bhai Kashmir Singh Molvipind. Bhai Kashmir Singh Molvipind was instantly shot dead there and then. As soon as Bhai Sahib realised the danger, Bhai Sahib try to take cover and fight back but was shot as he was taking cover. Bhai Sahib also attained shaheedi. As soon as Channa Diagarh killed the 2 singhs, he went with his companion went to the neighbouring village of Nika-Vadale. Meanwhile the locals of village Sudhaar gathered at the school and identified Bhai Sahib. Channa Diagarh had come back with one more companion now and fired shots in the air, the 3 black cats then put the dead bodies of Bhai Sahib and Bhai Kashmir Singh Molvipind in a 3 wheeler and got out of the village as soon as possible. They took the dead bodies to Batala Police Station. The police got the mother of Bhai Sahib to identify the dead body of Bhai Sahib; Bhai Sahib’s mother also identified the other dead body of a Sikh youth with a haircut as Bhai Kashmir Singh Molvipind. Mother of Bhai Sahib recalls a moment when Bhai Sahib bought Bhai Kashmir Singh Molvipind, she told Bhai Kashmir Singh Molvipind that the road you have taken is full of dangers, and he should stay at home. But Bhai Kashmir Singh Molvipind said that he has made is mind up and will be shaheed with Bhai Sahib and also we will be cremated together. The wish of Bhai Kashmir Singh Molvipind came true.

Bhai Sahib and Bhai Kashmir Singh Molvipind were cremated by the Batala police. In the Maja area, Gurdaspur and Amritsar had closed all their businesses. Sikhs and Hindus came from all over Punjab to village Kamoke to pay their respects to the fallen soldier. Every village of the area held an Akhand Paath Sahib of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. After Bhai Sahibs shaheedi the command of Bindranwale Tigers Force was given to Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke. As Bhai Sahib carried on the mission of Lt. Gen Surjit Singh Penta, in same manner Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke carried forward the Mission of Bhai Sahib.

Khadku Yodhe – Maninder Singh Baja