Shaheed Bhai Davinder Singh Jago

Babbar Khalsa

Bhai Davinder Singh Jago was born in the year 1962 in the house of Sardar Kartar Singh and from the womb of Mata Charan Kaur in the village of Nathuwal, District Batala. Bhai Sahib was the youngest of six children, Bhai Darshan Singh, Bhai Puran Singh, Bibi Dalbir Kaur, Bibi Jagir Kaur and Bhai Gurmej Singh. Bhai Sahib took birth in the house of a Gursikh farmer. Bhai Sahib passed his 8th class from a government school in Kala Afghana. From childhood Bhai Sahib was occupied in studying and house duties. In 1982 Bhai Sahib’s older brother, Bhai Puran Singh was arrested for killing someone over a land dispute and along with Bhai Puran Singh, Bhai Davinder Singh Jago was also arrested. Both brothers were sentenced to 20 years in jail and Bhai Sahib’s studies were dropped. In jail Bhai Sahib met Gursikhs like Bhai Amrik Singh, President of All India Sikh Student Federation and Baba Thara Singh a senior Singh of Dam Dami Taksal.

From childhood Bhai Sahib loved to sing, he sang beautiful Kavishari. During the June 1984 attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib, in which thousands of innocent Sikhs were killed, Bhai Sahib was in Gurdaspur Jail. The attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib had a deep impact on Bhai Sahib, he would always think about getting out of jail and punishing  the people responsible. In jail Bhai Sahib met many Jhujaru Singh such as Bhai Paramjit Singh Tugalwal, Bhai Laddi Singh Tugalwal, Bhai Gurdeep Sing PA (PA of Bhai Amrik Singh), Bhai Kulwinder Singh Kalanaur, Bhai Jagdish Singh Mehma Chakk and others. Bhai Sahib was very brotherly with the Jhujaru Singhs, but especially with Bhai Jagdish Singh Mehma Chakk. Bhai Sahib sang the very popular ‘Jago’ written by Bhai Jagdish Singh Mehma Chakk, which was very much loved by everyone and it was from here Bhai Sahib was nicknamed Jago. In 1985 Bhai Sahib was excused from the 20 year jail sentence after many appeals in the High Court by his family. Bhai Sahib was released and at the same time Bhai Jagdish Singh Mehma Chakk had also completed his sentence and had been released. Upon being released Bhai Sahib took Amrit from the Panj Pyare and became a Gursikh.

The Sikh armed struggle for Khalistan was at its peak and fully active. All over Punjab thousands of Jhujaru Singhs had left their homes and were punishing the anti-Sikh elements, claiming back their land and finishing off crime. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Jagdish Singh Mehma Chakk formed a Kavishari Jatha and started singing praises of Khalistani Shaheeds and Jhujaru Singhs that were fighting on the battlefield. Bhai Sahib was now being hunted by the Indian security forces, they would arrest Bhai Sahib’s family members and relatives to get information. Soon Bhai Sahib met the Jhujaru Singhs of Babbar Khalsa at Sri Darbar Sahib as he sung Kavishari. Bhai Sahib joined the Babbar Khalsa and started doing sewa with Jhujaru Singhs such as Master Sukhwinder Singh Dabbanwal, Bhai Gurnam Singh Pehalwan, Bhai Dharam Singh Keshtiwal, Bhai Karam Singh, Bhai Baldev Singh Darangwal, Bhai Charat Singh Babbar Ghaseetpur and other Jhujaru Singhs of Babbar Khalsa.

Bhai Sahib was made the General of Babbar Khalsa in his area. Bhai Sahib did many actions and always remained in high spirits. Bhai Sahib on many occasions travelled to Pakistan to receive training from the Singhs of Khalistan Liberation Force for example Jathedar Avtar Singh Brahma. The Jhujaru Singhs at these training camps loved Bhai Sahib so much because on every break during training Bhai Sahib would start singing Kavishari and keeping the blood of fellow Jhujaru Singhs pumping for revenge. Bhai Sahib did many actions against the oppressing Indian Government. In 1986, Bhai Sahib and Bhai Gurnam Singh Pehalwan found themselves surrounded by the CRPF in the Batala area. In this encounter Bhai Gurnam Singh Pehalwan managed to escape but Bhai Sahib was arrested with a stash of weapons. After being arrested Bhai Sahib was blindly tortured in Sadar Police Station in Batala, then again in the interrogation centre of Amritsar. Bhai Sahib was asked for the locations of fellow Jhujaru Singhs and weapons, but Bhai Sahib did not give any information to the enemy. In fact Bhai Sahib was heard swearing at the police and taking no attitude from them. In this case Bhai Sahib remained roughly one year in jail. Finally Bhai Sahib’s family managed to bail Bhai Sahib from this case. Soon as Bhai Sahib was released he went underground again and started doing sewa with the Jhujaru Singhs of Babbar Khalsa.

Along with local Sikh Sangat of Batala, Bhai Sahib tamed the racist Shiv Sena who had no limits of racist attacks on Sikhs in that area. Many innocent Sikhs were killed by the workers of Shiv Sena for no reason at all. Bhai Sahib along with his group of Jhujaru Singhs, located these murderers of the Sikhs and killed them in front of their houses. Then in Vatala Chakri Bhai Sahib threw grenades into the shop of Baldev Kumar, who was the President of Shiv Sena in that area. Unfortunately that time Baldev Kumar survived. Then Bhai Sahib also blew up a CRPF jeep along with soldiers in the village Ghoga, near Kama Nangal. Bhai Sahib also assassinated brutal police officers in village of Chahal, District Batala. An informant by the name of Phaja from the village of Nathuwal, was assassinated by Bhai Sahib, because he had many Jhujaru Singhs arrested and made Shaheed. Due to these fearless and brave actions, the Indian security forces wanted Bhai Sahib at any cost. The police started harassing Bhai Sahib’s family, they arrested Bhai Sahib’s mother and his two sister-in-laws who were later tortured. Bhai Sahib remained in high spirits and continued to do sewa for the Panth.

Then on 22nd July 1987, in the village of Neshera, near Vatala the Singhs of Babbar Khalsa held a meeting at one of the hideouts here. The meeting finished on the same day and Singhs returned to their locations, but Bhai Sahib decided to stay here and pass the night, Bhai Sahib was unarmed. Then the following day on 23rd July 1987 an informant gave Bhai Sahib’s location to the police and within few hours the hideout was surrounded by the Indian security forces. Due to being unarmed Bhai Sahib came out of the house and ran towards the fields. Soon as the CRPF soldiers saw Bhai Sahib they fired and Bhai Sahib was shot in his ankle. Bhai Sahib was unable to run and was arrested. After being arrested Bhai Sahib was sent to Vatala where he was blindly tortured. Bhai Sahib was asked for the location of fellow Jhujaru Singhs and the weapons of his group but Bhai Sahib did not give any information. In fact Bhai Sahib said, “I do know where the weapons are, but they belong to our Jathebandi and only they will use them. I know you’re going to kill me, so do it. I’m not going to tell you anything”.

Bhai Sahib then asked police officer Santa Singh to give him a glass of water, which the police officer gave. Bhai Sahib drank the water and then said, “Now make me say that I drank water.” The police was really angry and on the same night of 23rd July 1987, Bhai Sahib was made Shaheed with another Singh in a fake encounter near the village of Emha Talwandi, near Vatala. After the Shaheedi of Bhai Sahib, his body was given to the family. Bhai Sahib was cremated along with the other Singh killed with him in the fake encounter. The police did not stop after, they arrested Bhai Sahib’s brother, Bhai Gurmej Singh and accused him of smuggling weapons for Babbar Khalsa and he was tortured in Vatala for 21 days. Bhai Sahib’s nephew was also kept in jail for over a year with similar charges.

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Davinder Singh Jago