Shaheed Bhai Darshan Singh Takhanwadh

Khalistan Liberation Force

The Sikh nation inherited the great revolutionary thinking of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale and gave shaheedi in the battle for freedom against the oppressing Indian government and amongst the shaheeds of Khalistan is the name of Shaheed Bhai Darshan Singh Takhanwadh. Bhai Darshan Singh Takhanwadh was born in the year of 1957, in the house of Sardar Gurdev Singh and from the womb of Mata Mukhtiar Kaur in the village of Takhanwadh, district Faridkot (now Moga). Bhai Sahib completed his primary education at his grandparents (mother side) village, Bharowal Kalan.

Bhai Sahib’s childhood was very caring and humble. Fair colour, beautiful face, blue eyes, ever so tall, wide chest, Bhai Sahib was a well-built young man. As Bhai Sahib had blue eyes, everyone in the family called him Billa. Before the attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib in June 1984, Bhai Sahib would go to Sri Darbar Sahib regularly with his friends and do darshan, here Bhai Sahib attended the speeches of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale and soon after joined the Sikh freedom movement. Bhai Sahib attended many speeches of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale and became very close with the singhs of Sant Ji’s group.

The Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi felt threatened when the Sikhs asked for equal rights, bit she tried to stamp down on Sikhs until Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale became the voice of the oppressed Sikhs. Many Sikhs started supporting Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale and this was not liked by Indira Gandhi and her Punjab’s counterparts, such as Gurcharan Tohra, Harchand Longowal and gang. Then in June 1984, to teach the Sikh nation a lesson and to eliminate Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale and his singhs, Indira Gandhi sent her army to kill and destroy the Sikhs. In this battle Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale, Bhai Amrik Singh, Baba Thara Singh, General Subeg Singh and many more Sikhs attained shaheediyan on the holy land of Sri Harimandir Sahib, as they faught against the invading Indian army. The Indian army used their best artillery to bring doing Sri Akaal Takht and killed thousands of Sikh pilgrims with their machine guns, who had come to Sri Darbar Sahib to pay respect to the shaheedi of 5th Nanak, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Then to finish of the assault on Sikhs, in November 1984, the Hindu mobs that were supported by the fascist Indian political groups, looted, gang raped and killed Sikhs on the streets of India after the assassination of Indira Gandhi.

After the attack on the Sikh nation in June 1984 and the Sikh genocide that took place after in November 1984, the Sikhs of Punjab became fearless and left the families and homes to jump into the battlefield against the Indian security forces. Amongst the fearless Sikh warriors was Bhai Darshan Singho of Takhanwadh.  Bhai Sahib also did sewa with Bhai Hussan Singh Hussanadhala within the Sikh Freedom Movement and also with Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala, Bhai Sahib did sewa within the Khalistan Liberation Force.

Bhai Sahib always stayed in the disguise of straight forward Jatt and due to this no one could have guessed that Bhai Sahib could have been a top Khadku Singh. The evil police officer of Baagha Purana police station, Inspector Meet Singh was assassinated on the gates of his police station along with his gunmen at around about 9am on 18thJune 1987, by a group of Khadku Singhs and Bhai Sahib was one of the singhs in this group. Other singhs involved in this action were Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala, Bhai Iqbal Singh Babbar, Bhai Hussan Singh Hussanadhala and Bhai Lakha Singh Dhuleke.

When a trusted singh invited Bhai Hussan Singh Hussanadhala and his fellow singh, Bhai Chand Singh Chandpurana to his house, the singhs accepted the request and when the two singhs entered the house, the so called trusted singh had the police waiting for the singhs and had Bhai Hussan Singh Hussanadhala and his fellow singh, Bhai Chand Singh Chandpurana captured by the police, in this battle Bhai Chand Singh Chandpurana was made shaheed by the police. At this moment Bhai Sahib was on the gate of this house and managed to escape safely. The police didn’t finish Bhai Hussan Singh Hussanadhala off and threw him in jeep as he was wounded. For many days Bhai Hussan Singh Hussanadhala was tortured by the police.

After this Bhai Sahib permanently joined Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala’s Khalistan Liberation Force. Bhai Sahib was known as the right arm of Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala. The Punjab police was searching every corner of the land for Bhai Sahib, but the disguise of Bhai Sahib helped him get through checkpoints. In the end, on 11thMay 1989, Bhai Sahib and fellow singhs were surrounded by thousands of CRP commandoes in the village of Kaunke Kalan. A fierce encounter took place between the two sides and lasted many hours. After many CRP commandoes falling to the ground, Bhai Sahib attained shaheedi and joined the very long list of shaheeds. The shaheedi barsi of Shaheed Bhai Darshan Singh Billa Takhanwadh is held on the 11thday of May every year at the family house in the village of Takhanwadh.

Amar Shaheed Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala – Maninder Singh Baja