Shaheed Bhai Binderjit Singh Dunneke alias Raju Sharma

Khalistan Liberation Force

Bhai Binderjit Singh was born in the year of 1969 from the womb of Mata Surinder Kaur and in the house of Sardar Jagtar Singh in the village of Dunneke, district Moga. Bhai Sahib had 2 brothers and his father, Sardar Jagtar Singh did service in ITI. Bhai Sahib completed his primary education at a school in the village of Ghodewal and after that studied up till 10th class in Moga.  Then Bhai Sahib took admission ITI in Moga. As Bhai Sahib studied to be a Giani, he met Jhujaru Singhs. Bhai Sahib had a very kind and calm personality, it was due to this that the locals had much love and respect for Bhai Sahib. Bhai Sahib had taken Amrit from the Panj Pyare at the age of 9 years. From start Bhai Sahib was good at aiming down objects, he used to say to his mother, “Mata, you mark a target on the wall and I will aim for it.” Bhai Sahib would always test and improve his aiming. Mata Surinder Kaur told us that Bhai Sahib would come home from school every day and start aiming down targets.

Also when eating, Bhai Sahib would put away his dishes and eat from his hands. When Mata Surinder Kaur told Bhai Sahib to use a plate he would say, “Mata, Singhs don’t eat in dishes.” At a small age Bhai Sahib made big statements, Mata Surinder Kaur would be left wondering where her son learns all these statements from. Then in June 1984, the government of Delhi attacked the throne of the Sikhs, Sri Harimandir Sahib and multiple historical Gurudwaras. This led to the killing of thousands of unarmed and innocent Sikhs, this evil act by the Indian regime had shook the deep roots of the Sikhs across the world. This bloody assault on the Sikhs by the Indian government changed Bhai Sahib, he wanted justice at any cost. Bhai Sahib prepared himself and got ready to enter the battlefield.

Bhai Sahib started searching for Jhujaru Singhs and soon came in contact with Chief of Khalistan Liberation Force, Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala, Bhai Kuldeep Singh Sheikhapura and Bhai Amrik Singh Dunneke. With the guidance of these warriors Bhai Sahib started doing sewa within the Sikh Freedom Movement from home in secret. In the Jathebandi, Bhai Sahib was given the code name of Raju Sharma. No one knew which village Bhai Sahib was from beside the Jathedar of Khalistan Liberation Force, Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala. While Bhai Sahib was undercover he continued to do big actions and punish the enemies of the Sikhs. The main aspect of life for Bhai Sahib was to do selfless service and recite Gurbani. When the Jhujaru Singhs of Khalistan Liberation Force attacked the CIA Staff Headquarters in Moga the police knew that Raju Sharma was the one who led this assault. Now the Indian security forces were trying to get more information of Raju Sharma. No one in Bhai Sahib’s village knew that Bhai Sahib was taking part in Jhujaru actions while he studied at school. Bhai Sahib stayed anonymous and continued to do sewa under the name of Raju Sharma, the movement was picking up its strength thanks to Jhujaru Singhs like him. Bhai Sahib was so greeting that when Jhujaru Singhs met him they would not be able to forget the hospitality they received under Bhai Sahib and they were also shocked that they had just met Raju Sharma, one of the most wanted Khalistani in India.

In the end a fellow singh of Bhai Sahib came into the hands of the police and he broke down during the blind torture. The Punjab police received all the information on Bhai Sahib through the arrested singh. On 1st November 1987, the Indian security forces raided Bhai Sahib’s house. Both parents of Bhai Sahib were harassed and threatened to produce Bhai Sahib at the local police station or else they would be dealt with harshly. When Bhai Sahib received this information, he decided to go underground and be a part of the armed struggle by totally leaving home. Now Bhai Sahib started doing action openly not caring about his identity. After going underground, Bhai Sahib did not look towards his home again. The Punjab police blindly tortured Bhai Sahib’s parents so he would be forced to hand himself in to the police. Bhai Sahib had moved away from the worldly attachments and had fully dedicated himself to the establishment of Khalistan. Bhai Sahib may have joined the Sikh Freedom Movement secretly, but soon as he started doing actions openly the whole Punjab was talking of his bravery and the fear could be seen on the faces of Indian soldiers when his name was mentioned.

The Punjab police regularly raided Bhai Sahib’s house, soon all the men from his family started staying away from home to avoid being arrested. One day Bhai Sahib received the information that his mother was alone at home, he quickly went home and grabbed his mother’s arm and took her into a room where the family kept the Sundar Gutkas and Photos of Sikh Gurus. Bhai Sahib said, “Mata put hand on my head and promise me that you won’t cry when I attain shaheedi. In fact you will proudly tell the whole world that your son is a shaheed of Khalistan and that he has done his sewa for the freedom of the Sikhs. Also don’t tell father that I came home.” After this Bhai Sahib ran out of his house, Mata Surinder Kaur tried to run after him to stop him but with no luck. This was the last time Bhai Sahib met his mother.

Police would raid the house of Bhai Sahib and harass Mata Surinder Kaur, the police would say, “Old woman, present your son at the police station. Do you like being taken to the police station every other day and being harassed? Your son will soon be captured and killed by us, so you might as well hand your son in us and we might allow him to live.”

15 days before the shaheedi of Bhai Sahib, both of his parents were arrested and locked up at the Ghal Kalan police station. The parents did not know what was happening on the outside and on the other side Bhai Sahib and the Jhujaru Singhs of Khalistan were progressing in the Sikh Freedom Movement. The list of Bhai Sahib’s actions was very long, no wonder why the Indian security forces were trying everything to capture him.

In the end the time came which every Jhujaru prepares themselves for. Bhai Sahib was with Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala and Bhai Kuldeep Singh Sheikhapura travelling to do an action. When these Jhujaru Singhs reached Ludhiana, they were fully surrounded by the CRPF and BSF. A fierce encounter started and Bhai Sahib managed to help the fellow singhs escape from the scene. Bhai Sahib attained shaheedi in this encounter on the 25th June 1988. When the fellow singhs and the supporters of the Sikh Freedom Movement got the news of Bhai Sahib’s shaheedi they were filled with sadness. The following day on the 26th June 1988 the newspapers reported, “A pillar of Khalistan Liberation Force and known as the right Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala has been named as Bhai Binderjit Singh Dunneke alias Raju Sharma, who was killed yesterday in a fierce encounter near Ludhiana. He was wanted for many cases.”

At the time of Bhai Sahib’s shaheedi Mata Surinder Kaur was locked up at the Ghal Kalan police station, she told us, “I was at the police station when my son was made shaheed. While in my cell on the 25th June 1988, I felt as though my son had left this world. I mourned my son, a police officer came to me and said not to worry they haven’t killed my son. We were released on 28th June 1988 and that is when we found at that our Binder (Bhai Sahib) had attained shaheedi.”

 

Kaumi Nishane – March 2011