Shaheed Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke

Khalistan Commando Force

When we talk about the great Sikh warriors of the Sikh Freedom Movement, a village is regularly mentioned. Village Kamoke near Batala, district Amritsar has given birth to many Khadku Singhs and 3 in particular. Bhai Mukinder Singh Kamoke also known as Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke, Bhai Dharamvir Singh Kamoke and Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke have contributed so much to the movement at the age of 21, 24 and 30.

From these warriors of Kamoke is, Bhai Mukinder Singh Kamoke, who was later named Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke by the Khadku Singhs. Bhai Sahib was born on 30th April 1969 in the house of Sardar Avtar Singh and Mata Gurbachan Kaur. Bhai Sahib had 3 Brothers, Bhai Diljinder Singh, Bhai Surinder Singh, Bhai Sukhjinder Singh and 4 sisters, Bibi Rajwinder Kaur, Bibi Gurwinder Kaur, Bibi Sarbjeet Kaur, Bibi Jaswinder Kaur. Bhai Sahib studied at a local village school up until 10th class. Bhai Sahib helped the family in farming during and after study. Sardar Avtar Singh owned a hotel in Banaras, UP. In those days Bhai Sahibs cousin brother Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke was one of the top Khadku Singhs from the Maaja area. From a young age Bhai Sahib was close with Bhai Dharamvir Singh Kamoke, Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke and the 3 singhs shared everything. As Bhai Sahibs cousins were in the Sikh Freedom Movement, Bhai Sahibs father did not want his son to be a part of the movement and sent Bhai Sahib to Banaras(UP) to look after the hotel on full time basis. In Banaras Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke regularly met Bhai Sahib. If it is your destiny to be a warrior then u can’t change that destiny. Slowly Bhai Sahib got involved with the panthic sewa along with Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke. Soon the police started harassing Bhai Sahibs family on regular basis, asking for the where about of Bhai Sahib. Bhai Sahibs family started living outdoors to avoid the harassment of the police. Bhai Sahibs younger brother Bhai Sukhjinder Singh worked and stayed at the butcher house in Maal Mandi, for 3 months. The police had planted 2 assault rifles on Bhai Sukhjinder Singh. The police then filed false cases on Bhai Sukhjinder Singh of handling firearms and was sent to jail for 2 years in Amritsar. After many appeals the court released Bhai Sukhjinder Singh.

Dec 1988 Bhai Sahib, Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke and Bhai Jaswant Singh Kittu were staying at Major Singh’s house in village Tapiala. Someone had informed the police of Khadku Singhs were in the Tapiala village. When the local villagers saw the police and the CRPF heading towards the village, they quickly informed Major Singh, who then warned the Bhai Sahib. The Police had surrounded the house. The 3 singhs were getting ready to leave the house by the front door when the CRPF entered the house. Soon as they came face to face an encounter started. Straight away to officers of CRPF were killed by the singhs. The Indian forces were shook so quick, they instantly pulled back. It was amritvela, dark and foggy, Bhai Sahib and Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda were able to escape breaking the guard of CRPF at the back of the house and killing 20 CRPF officers. But Bhai Jaswant Singh Kittu carried on fighting the Indian forces. The Indian forces were losing this encounter so bad that they started killing the innocent villagers and Bhai Major Singh was also caught. Bhai Jaswant Singh Kittu could not see his brothers n sisters getting killed by the police. The coward police then arrested Bhai Jaswant Singh Kittu. On a later date the police killed Bhai Jaswant Singh Kittu in a fake encounter. The next day police press released statement saying that 2 Sikh terrorists Bhai Major Singh and Bhai Jaswant Singh Kittu have been killed in an encounter in village Tapiala. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke had got away after injuring the CRPF officers. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke kept the mission and ideas of Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal and Gen. Labh Singh alive. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke were strictly against the innocent killing of Sikhs, looting of innocent Sikhs and the 2 singhs punished whoever did this injustice on Sikhs.

After Gen. Labh Singh attained shaheedi a reporter of The Hind Samachar tabloid Inderjit Soodh, printed articles that spoke in disrespect of Gen. Labh Singh. The Khadku Singh did not like this. Gen. Labh Singh, who never let a fly sit on his nose while he was alive, now that he is shaheed the reporters feel safe to talk against the great General of the Sikhs. Bhai Sahib, Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke, Bhai Gurnam Singh Pehlwan Sultanwind, Bhai Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind and Bhai Nirmal Singh Mianwind could not tolerate this insult on Gen. Labh Singh. The singhs made a plan that before the sun goes down they will punish this reporter and show Inderjit Soodh the moon of eid. The sewa was handed over to Bhai Sahib and Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke, the 2 singhs stayed true to their word and shot dead Inderjit Soodh before sunset. The next the same newspaper printed a picture of dead Inderjit Soodh with his mouth wide opened.

While Bhai Sahib was alive no looter or black cats dare do something wrong in Bhai Sahibs area. Living in the farms and jungles Bhai Sahib served justice to many enemies of the panth. Bhai Sahib gave love to the villagers and in return the villagers gave lave back to Bhai Sahib. The more Indian Government said that Bhai Sahib was dangerous, the more Sikh sangat loved this great warrior. Now Bhai Sahib did not just belong to village Kamoke, but Bhai Sahib was the treasure of the whole Sikh nation. For the freedom of Sikhs Bhai Sahib would take the life of enemies and for the freedom of Sikhs Bhai Sahib would give his own life too. Soon Bhai Sahib started walking in his area openly and fearlessly. But Bhai Dharamvir Singh Kamoke did not like that and advised Bhai Sahib not to walking openly as Bhai Sahib is valuable to the Sikh nation, and the Indian Government will shoot u from behind if they had the chance. Also that Sikhs and Indian forces are equal in strength and Bhai Sahib would be no match of 1000 personnel of the Indian forces. To achieve success Bhai Sahib should stay underground, as Bhai Sahib can’t do anything for the freedom by being dead.

Monday, 28th May 1990. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Raja Singh were staying at the house of Bhai Didar Singh son of Najjar Singh in Batala. SSP Ashok Kumar of Beas Police Station was passing by Batala with his team. A blackcat had informed SSP Ashok Kumar of Khadku Singh staying at the house of Bhai Didar Singh. The Police quickly rushed to the house and fully surrounded it, some officers climbed on to the roofs of Bhai Didar Singh neighbours. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Raja Singh were fully surrounded, but the police wanted these 2 warriors alive. Bhai Sahib started a fierce encounter in which Hawaldar Ranjeet Singh was seriously injured. Bhai Raja Singh was successful in escaping the trap laid by the police but Bhai Sahib had stay and fight the forces. Bhai Sahib only had a pistol, when Bhai Sahib saw a breakthrough he rushed down the stairs and as Bhai Sahib was to take the last step of the staircase, an officer from the rooftop shot Bhai Sahib in the back. Bhai Sahib fell down and attained shaheedi. More information was released in the newspaper the following day stating, that Bhai Sahib was Lt. Gen. of the Bindranwale Tiger Force and later joined Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar, Bhai Bhupinder Singh Bhinda Kamoke and did sewa under name of Khalistan Commando Force Panjwar.

500,000 Rupees was the prices on Bhai Sahibs head. The news of Bhai Sahibs shaheedi spread throughout the Punjab and surrounding areas. The police took the shaheedi saroop of Bhai Sahib to the police station in Beas and later sent the saroop to hospital for the post-mortem. That very evening of 28th May 1990 Bhai Dharamvir Singh Kamoke gathered all the locals from surrounding villages in the village Kamoke. Bhai Dharamvir Singh Kamoke made a speech which stated, that if the Sikhs love Bhai Sahib for the panthic sewa he has done then it’s our duty as Sikhs to get Bhai Sahibs shaheedi saroop back and do the funeral properly according to the Sikh code of conduct. If the Indian government decides to shoot at us for asking Bhai Sahibs shaheedi saroop then Bhai Dharamvir Singh Kamoke will take the bullet in my chest. In big numbers a protest started on the road from Jalandhar to Amritsar on the turning of village Rahiey. The protest caused heavy traffic jams, trains were stopped and the train tracks were completely destroyed. Sikh sangat made it very clear that Bhai Sahib was not a terrorist, Bhai Sahib was the son of the Sikh nation. And that the Sikh sangat will not rest until Sikhs get the shaheedi saroop of Bhai Sahib. 29th May 1990 in the morning the protest was of only 5000 sangat, by the afternoon the sangat grew and made the count of 50,000. Old women with walking sticks and newlywed brides were taking part in this protest to give their brother and son a proper Sikh funeral. The police could not win the 50,000 strong Sikh sangat and at the end the police gave the shaheedi saroop of Bhai Sahib to the sangat.

The shaheedi saroop of Bhai Sahib was bought back to Kamoke. There the 5 singhs of Dam Dami Taksal, Jathedar of Dam Dami Taksal of that time Baba Thakur Singh Ji and Bhai Mokham Singh washed the body of Bhai Sahib. Village Kamoke was full of Sikh sangat from all corners of India. Everyone wanted to do darshan of Bhai Sahib. Nihangs from the Dal Panth, Taksalis from Mehta Sahib and Sikhs from other jathebandis were present there to witness this funeral of a warrior. The sangat was chanting “Satnam Waheguru” and cursing the government of Delhi with slogans, “Delhi can kill Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke physically, but Delhi can never kill the mission and thoughts of Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke.” The funeral came to an end in line with Sikh code of conduct. Baba Thakur Singh Ji set fire to the Shaheedi saroop of Bhai Sahib. The singhs of Dam Dami Taksal did Kirtan and the ardas was done, after the village of Kamoke could hear many war cries, and today the united answer still echoes through Kamoke of Sat Sri Akaal.

Without the help of Bhai Dharamvir Singh Kamoke this funeral would not have been possible. Bhai Dharamvir Singh Kamoke is liked by all the Sikh nation for his sewa in regards of Bhai Sahib. Shortly afterwards Bhai Dharamvir Singh Kamoke was arrested and locked up in jail in Jammu, North India. On the release of Bhai Dharamvir Singh Kamoke the police kidnapped him and killed him in a fake encounter. The family of Bhai Dharamvir Singh Kamoke never got the body and the police denied any involvement.

Every panthic singh mentioned in this jeevani of Shaheed Bhai Bikramjit Singh Kamoke, has done great sewa. The Sikh nation will always keep these singhs in their hearts.

Khadku Yodhe – Maninder Singh Baja