Shaheed Bhai Bikramjit Singh Narla

Lt. General Bindranwale Tigers Force of Khalistan (Sangha Group)

The road from Delhi to Lahore runs through Amritsar. Before entering the borders of Pakistan passengers go past a village of Narla. Narla is 3km from village Bhikhiwind, of Khalra Road district Amritsar. One of the great 18thcentury Sikh general, Jathedar Sham Singh Narla is also from the village of Narla. From Lahore to Kabul and from Sirhand to Delhi Takht people still talk about stories of Jathedar Sham Singhs bravery.

From the same village of Narla, a 20thcentury warrior took birth for the Sikh nation and gave his life also for the Sikh nation. The actions of Bhai Bikramjit Singh Narla, whose strength and bravery rocked the Delhi Takht.

Bhai Bikramjit Singh Narla was born in the house of Sardar Gopal Singh and from the womb of Mata Gurdeep Kaur on 1stSeptember 1968 in Narla district Amritsar. Bhai Sahib had 1 brother Bhai Sukhwant Singh and 3 sisters Bibi Balbir Kaur, Bibi Balwinder Kaur, Bibi Kuldeep Kaur. Bhai Sahib was the youngest child in the family. Bhai Sahib did his primary study at a local government school in Narla, then in Khalra high school to study up until 10thclass and finally went to a school in Patti to study till 12thclass. Bhai Sahib was kind and respected everyone no matter what faith they were. When the corrupt government of Indira Gandhi attacked Sri Darbar Sahib and other gurudwaras with tanks and bombs, Bhai Sahib was in village Algo Kothi. That day when Bhai Sahib got home, he threw his school bag on the floor and went in his room and started crying as Bhai Sahib felt helpless like many Sikhs around the world. Bhai Sahibs mother asked “why are you crying?” Bhai Sahib replied, “Mother, the Indian army attacked the Sri Darbar Sahib, I heard the sounds of bullets and tanks all night last night. The Sikhs have been left to die now after this attack on Sikhi.”

Bhai Sahib did not eat for many days. Finally Bhai Sahibs mother explained him history of Bhai Sukha Singh as he were from village Mahri Kamboki near Narla and Bhai Mehtab Singh of Mirakot. Massa Ranghar had forcefully taken over Sri Harimandir Sahib and committed adultery, his soldiers drank alcohol and did drugs within the walls of Sri Darbar Sahib. After hearing of this great beadbi, Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh went to Massa Ranghar with an excuse to sort out the dispute but instead they chopped his head off with a sword and bought it back and put in the feet of Baba Sham Singh Narla and Baba Budha Singh. The youth from all over started joining the army of Baba Sham Singh Narla. With this great history lesson from Mata Gurdeep Kaur, Bhai Sahib started eating.

After the 1984 attacks and planned mass murder of Sikhs, many Sikh youth from all over India joined the Sikh Freedom Movement. Singhs like Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, General Labh Singh, Jathedar Durga Singh RFK, Bhai Dhanna Singh Bahadurpur, Bhai Manvir Singh Chaheru and Bhai Sukhdev Singh Osmanwala secretly lead the Sikh Freedom Movement to its heights. Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sakheera was doing great lectures on history which made the youth take part in the Sikh Freedom Movement. The decision made on 26thJanuary 1986 at Sarbat Khalsa to give the sewa of rebuilding Akaal Takht to 5 Kar-Sewa groups. Sikhs from all over the world did sewa may it be practically or financially, every Sikh did their sewa. Bhai Sahib also did sewa and met Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sakheera and slowly both singhs became close. Bhai Sahib secretly started doing sewa with the Khadku Singhs.

Bhai Sahib got santhaya gurbani and nitnem from Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sakheera. Bhai Sahib soon started doing rauls at Sri Akhand Paath Sahibs. Bhai Sahib took amrit from the 5 beloved singhs and lived a pure Gursikh life. Sikhs who would go to Tarn Taran to do Darshan of Sri Darbar Sahib were harassed by the CRP officers that were planted outside Sri Darbar Sahib. The CRP officers did not feel shame in harassing Sikh women and Sikh youth were sometimes strip searched to insult the youth. After seeing the Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha of Bindranwale Tigers Force sent Bhai Ravel Singh Fauji and few more singhs went sent to take care of the CRP officers. The singhs attacked killed many of the CRP officers Tarn Taran and took their weapons also.

In which ever bus Bhai Sahib travelled in, the yobs would not dare harass girls. Bhai Sahib had told the girls to keep their heads covered with a chuni, as yobs get the point, and not mess around with the girls, but if the yobs still harassed the girls then Bhai Sahib would teach them a lesson. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Rashpal Singh Chhandran were arrested by the police in Ludhiana. The 2 singhs were put into a jeep, without handcuffs. The police jeep was travelling fast, when all of sudden a truck pulled out which made the driver of the jeep break really hard. As the police officers swung forward, Bhai Sahib and Bhai Rashpal Singh Chhandran jumped out the jeep and made a run or it. The police also tried to chase the Singhs but Bhai Sahib and Bhai Rashpal Singh Chhandran.

After this close encounter with the police Bhai Sahib joined the Bindranwale Tigers Force (Sangha Group) and punished many enemies, black cats and yobs that harassed the Hindu families of Punjab as well as Sikh families. Bhai Sahib was known as the right hand of Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha, both singhs had sworn in front of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji to do sewa of the panth together, live together and also die together. Bhai Sahib was never far apart from Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha. Bhai Jagdish Singh Jhuhra, Bhai Balwinder Singh Javnda, Bhai Rashpal Singh Chhandran, Bhai Baljit Singh Khela, Bhai Manjit Singh alias Bhai Mado Singh and Bhai Nirmaljit Singh Nimma alias Bhai Rameshpal Singh Meshi, all these singhs were part of Bindranwale Tigers Force (Sangha Group) and did missions together.

If a family was being harassed by so called Khadku Singhs, then the family would go and see Bhai Sahib. Bhai Sahib would straight away resolve the problem for the family, may it be Sikh family or a Hindu family. Not very far from Narla is a village of Sidhva, a close family friend of Bhai Sahib lived there by the name of Ramji Arora. Ramji Arora’s daughter was married to someone from Tarn Taran. Some fake Khadkus had threatened Ramji Arora’s son-in-law and asked for 1 Lakh Rupees. When Ramji Arora found out about this, he went to see Bhai Sahib to tell him about this injustice that was being done. I said, “Bikramjit Singh, while your alive, how can someone threaten us like this and ask for money? What have we done? Bikramjit Singh if you can’t help us then we might as well leave Punjab.” Bhai Sahib listened to Ramji Arora and then wrote a letter, the told Ramji Arora to give this letter to the Khadkus that were asking for money. Also Bhai Sahib said “Ramji Arora tell these Khadkus that I have taken the money and if they want the money then come see me, and if they still don’t listen then I will personally sort them out.” Ramji Arora took the letter and gave it to his son-in-law. When the Khadkus came to see Ramji Arora’s son-in-law, he passed the letter on to these Khadkus and it was from Bhai Bikramjit Singh Narla. The Khadkus left and never came back to bother Ramji Arora’s son-in-law.

A Khadku under the name of Jagtar Singh Dhola had kidnapped Dr. Chetan Das from Algo Kothi and was asking for 25 Lakh Rupees ransom from the family. Bhai Sahib met up with Jagtar Singh Dhola and told him that kidnapping doctors and lawyers isn’t what Sikh Freedom Movement is about and gives the good singhs a bad name. Instead Khadku Singhs respect doctors and lawyers, as they help the public. After this meeting with Bhai Sahib, Jagtar Singh Dhola let Dr. Chetan Das go. Dr. Chetan Das thanked Bhai Sahib and was back living with his family.

Tarsem Lal owned a grocery shop which was forcefully closed by the yobs and said that if he opened it then the yob would kill him. Tarsem Lal went to the police, but the police did not do anything. Bhai Sahib opened the shop and stayed there. Bhai Sahib sent a message out that if anyone wants to close this shop then they better bring their coffins.

Inspector Gurbachan Singh of Khalra Police Station regularly harassed Bhai Sahib Father, Sardar Gopal Singh and Brother Bhai Sukhwant Singh, to bring Bhai Sahib into police custody. Inspector Gurbachan Singh said that the family will be tortured if they don’t bring Bhai Sahib in to police custody. One day in the evening Bhai Sahib and 2 more Khadku Singhs went outside the Khalra Police Station. Bhai Sahib shouted at Inspector Gurbachan to come out, “Come out, I’m here, u harass and torture my family on daily basis telling them to bring me to your police station. Now I’m here with 2 more Khadku Singhs, if u arrest us then you will get the DSP rank.” But Inspector Gurbachan and rest of his force locked themselves inside the police station and did not come outside as they were so scared. Bhai Sahib waited for couple of hours but as the police force did not show their face, the singhs left and went back to the hideout. The police did not come out of the police station all night due to their fear of having an encounter with the Khadku Singhs. The police never again harassed Bhai Sahib’s family and whenever the police went to village Narla, they spoke to everyone with respect.

2ndNovember 1990, Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha, Bhai Baljit Singh Khela, Bhai Manjit Singh Mado, Bhai Nirmaljit Singh Patiala alias Bhai Rameshpal Singh Meshi and Bhai Sahib were staying and relaxing at the village of Bhullar, Tarn Taran. Some informant of the police had given police of Tarn Taran the information of singhs location on the night of 2ndNovember 1990. SP Operation Harjit of Tarn Taran Police Station told the informant that it is late now and the police will attack the singhs early in the morning. Early morning of 3rdNovember 1990 the Punjab police and the CRP officers had surrounded the village of Bhullar. Soon as the singhs realised they were surrounded, they did ardas to Guru Gobind Singh Ji, to keep the singhs fighting till the ammunition runs out or till they take the last breath. All 5 singhs agreed on fighting till death against the Indian security forces. Rather than being caught alive the singhs preferred dying on the battlefield fighting the enemy. Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha ordered the singhs to start the encounter outside the village in the fields as they didn’t want innocent people getting killed in the crossfire. After the war cries of Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akaal, the singhs vacated the house and tried to get to the fields, but the CRP officers rained bullets on the singhs. The singhs had no other choice but to return fire and fight within the walls of the village. On one hand the CRP trained officers were 20,000 in numbers and had top weapons with unlimited ammunition, on the other hand there were 5 singhs, with assault rifle each and very limited ammunition. The CRP did not come to die, but the singhs were ready to die of the freedom of Sikhs. While CRP officers were taking cover most of the time like cowards, the 5 singhs were writing history with their blood. The singhs moved towards the fields, by keeping their backs to each other and covering all angles of attack. SP Operation Harjit told his forces to move in as the darkness was crawling up and singhs will then have the advantage and get away. The encounter which started in the morning lasted all day. Following the orders of the SP Operation Harjit, the CRP started moving in towards the singhs. Singhs were using their ammunition thoughtfully, but when the singhs saw the CRP coming close the showered the bullets upon the CRP officers, killing countless officers. CRP ran back for their lives, as the singhs could not be contained. Then the CRP called in the bullet proof tractors and jeeps. Even when these bullet proof vehicles moved towards the singhs, the singhs also made these junk of metal pull back as the bulletproof did defend the bullets of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The singhs with limited ammunition were winning the encounter so far. The singhs had bullet wounds but still kept on fighting but SP Operation Harjit got his forces to tighten up on the singhs. Bhai Sahib had ran out of bullets and shouted to Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha, “Paji, mein chalaya waheguru ji ka Khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh.” Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha also got up, hugged Bhai Sahib and replied, “Bikram, Kalha nahi, khatte chalde aa. Khatte rahe aa, te Guru Gobind Singh Ji di godh vich vi khatte chalangay.” Bhai Sahib and Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha fired their last bullets as they marched towards the CRP forces. The CRP fired at Bhai Sahib and Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha and both singhs attained shaheedi. Even the dead bodies of both singhs had their arms around each other’s shoulders. Other 3 singhs also attained shaheedi fighting the Indian security forces and wrote history that will make the Sikh nation proud of such warriors.

Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bindranwale’s mission of freedom for Sikhs was supported by millions of Sikhs. Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha, Bhai Baljit Singh Khela, Bhai Manjit Singh Mado, Bhai Nirmaljit Singh Patiala alias Bhai Rameshpal Singh Meshi and Bhai Sahib wrote history of the great battle against the 20,000 CRP officers on Saturday the 3rdNovember 1990. The police took the bodies to the cemetery and cremated them without a post-mortem. The family of the shaheeds and the local villagers did Sri Akhand Paath Sahib of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Shaheed Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha’s family Sri Akhand Paath Sahib’s bhog was on Monday the 12thNovember 1990, which was held at the family house and Shaheed Bhai Bikramjit Singh Narla’s Sri Akhand Paath Sahib’s bhog was on Tuesday the 13thNovember 1990 which was also held at Bhai Sahib’s house. Sikhs from all over India were coming to pay their respects, but thousands of CRP officers were deployed to stop people from attending. The police were stopping sangat from entering the village. Punjab Police had put a curfew up from the village Bhikhiwind to all the way down Khalra Road. Sikhs tried to go to the Sri Akhand Paath Sahib through the fields as the roads were blocked off, but the CRP also stopped them from attending.

A Nishan Sahib was put up in the village for the memory of Bhai Sahib but the Congress leaders ordered the police to remove it and the police chopped the Nishan Sahib off. Those days CM Beant Singh hired KPS Gill to erase the memories of shaheeds and kill Sikh youth. The true Sikhs will never forget the great warriors who gave their lives to keep the Sikh dastar from falling on the feet of the Indian government.

16thNovember 1990 a secret meeting was held amongst top 5 Khadku Singh groups to revenge the loss of these great warriors as soon as possible. Bhai Manjit Singh of Khalistan Commando Force UP had taken the mission of punishing SP Operation Harjit and sending him to hell. 24thNovember 1990 SP Operation Harjit was leaving his house to go to his office with 2 more cars of his security personnel. The singhs had planted a remote controlled bomb on roadside, Bhai Major Singh had his finger on the button ready to be pressed when SP Operation Harjit passed by. Singhs thought there is no need to kill his security men, as they will be useless once we kill the man they are protecting. 9am SP Operation Harjit was on route and as soon as his jeep came in line with the bomb, Bhai Manjit Singh pressed the button and saw SP Operation Harjit’s jeep fly 15 metres into the air and his bodies could not be found for 100 metres.

Khadku Yodhe – Maninder Singh Baja