Shaheed Bhai Dilawar Singh Babbar

Babbar Khalsa

 

In Punjab today we can see with are very own eyes young men with long hair wearing turbans and with full beards and we don’t need to look really far to see a baptised Sikh. This is all down to an individual called Bhai Dilawar Singh Jaisinghwala. Bhai Dilawar Singh sacrificed every part of his human body to stop a man named Butcher Beanta, scattering this body into to small pieces. The man Bhai Dilawar Singh stopped, Butcher Beanta had swore and promised that he would end the life of every young Sikh, he could get his hands on. Young Sikhs were being murdered under the orders of Chief Minister, Butcher Beanta but Bhai Dilawar Singh brought an end to this by killing him.

Before Butcher Beanta’s assassination mothers of Punjab had started telling their young sons to sacrifice their god given hair so that they would not be killed by the Beanta’s regime. For the first time in a long time, mothers encouraged young sons to grow their hair and beard. Once again young Sikh men were able to walk the streets without fear and pride of the Sikh appearance. From Village Streets to the high raise offices all people spoke about was, how they could never repay the deeds of Shaheed Bhai Dilawar Singh for the sacrifice he made for the Sikh faith. If Butcher Beanta was still alive today then there is a great possibility that Sikhs and Sikhi may not have survived in Punjab.

The parents of Bhai Dilawar Singh are superior beings for giving birth to such courageous individual who sacrificed his life so that others could live theirs. Bhai Dilawar Singh was born from the womb of Mata Surjit Kaur on the 18thof August 1970 in the village of Panjgraeen, which is near Kotakpura.

Bhai Sahib respectful father is Sardar Harnek Singh moved from his birth village of Jai-Singhwala near Bathinda to Patiala, where Bhai Sahib’s father began to work at Punjabi University as a youth welfare officer. Bhai Sahib had two brothers, Bhai Chamkaur Singh and Bhai Harbinder Singh. They all grow up together in Patiala and lived at Guru Nanak Colony, Street Number 12, House number 1223. Bhai Sahib studied up to secondary school at the multipurpose school of Patiala, he did enrol at college but then decide that his heart was set on joining the Punjab police force. Bhai Sahib was very athletic from a young age in particular he was a good runner and also was fond of wrestling. You could say that Bhai Sahib was shame in character but enjoyed life and its laughs, light hearted and good humoured.

At this particular time in Punjab there was a heightened activity of Khadkus Singhs and young Sikh men knowing that death was hanging over their heads were ready and willing to fight to achieve Khalistan. In 1984 the attack on the Sri Darbar Sahib by the Indian army and the various attacks on Sikhs in places like Delhi taught the Sikhs that if they wanted Sikhi and Sikh’s to survive then Khalistan was not just a dream but a necessity. Government polices where falling to suppress the Khalistan movement, day by day Sikhs who were ready to fight and die were confronting their enemies and defeating them. In this atmosphere the tyrant KPS Gill came to the forefront. With orders direct from this leaders in Delhi to stop the movement in its tracks and finish the movement and its members. KPS Gill is from a breed of so called Sikhs that will do anything for money and power even take orders to wipe out Sikhs and Sikhi from the Punjab. KPS Gill is a breed of human who is against Sikh rights and their welfare with the aim to please the Indian administration and his leaders. Soon as he became deputy general of police in Punjab he began a systematic process of eliminating young Sikh men. The process involved Sikh police officers killing Sikh youth and in return these officers were rewarded with gifts, bribes and promotion and the process of eliminating Sikhs had begun. These easily brought police officers started playing hunting games with the lives of the Sikh youth of Punjab. KPS Gill said with his over rated ego that this battle is between the Sikh Jatt police officers and Sikh Khadku Singhs. Orders from central agencies where playing a big hand in what was happening in the Punjab at that time and KPS Gill orders were in line with their taught.

During his time in charge KPS Gill relaxed recruiting rules and increased recruitment of part time low paid officers (community support officers) with the aim of deploying them to the front line as he believed their life was not worth very much. Unemployment was very high and young men found jobs hard to come by therefore young men out of desperation take up these vacancies. These young men where put straight on to the front line special during curfews, raids and encounters due to the high risk of injury and death. The young men were offered full time position if they followed orders and carried them out successfully. With this promise there was a high influx of cheap recruits, this was a hidden polices of KPS Gill. When these recruits began to wear their uniforms they began to act as police officers, knowing this KPS Gill began the second stage of his plan. Knowing that revenge could be used as a weapon he sent out secret units to attack the recruits families and friends but blamed these acts on the Khalistani Khadku Singhs.

Some police officers started to refuse to carry out acts of violence and torture on innocent individuals, they even started to inform family members of the captured individuals of where they were being held. KPS Gill became aware of this and in doing so compiled a list of these police officers, these list were given to the secret units who would kill and attack the officer’s family and friends and again blame the Khadku Singhs for these acts. There was a belief that if the Khadku Singhs were not killed then they would attack police officers and their families. KPS Gill’s third plan of a civil war was put into action. The police officers that cared about the Khalistan movement were shocked as they had not done any actions against the movement but the Khadku Singhs were attacking their families. The black cats in the disguise of Khadku Singhs did many low acts against the Sikhs under the command of KPS Gill that soon Sikhs were against the whole Armed Sikh struggle.

To encourage Sikhs to kill each other, the government of Delhi wanted a Sikh Chief Minister to be elected in Punjab. After many low acts of the Indian secret agencies, a man by the name of Beant Singh was elected as the Chief Minister of Punjab with 10% of votes. Butcher Beanta had a turban and a beard but everything else of his was against the Sikhs. The Zakhriya Khan and Massa Ranghar of that time, Butcher Beanta hated the Sikh people. In February 1992, Butcher Beanta was elected as the Chief Minister of Punjab. Now KPS Gill was killing even more innocent Sikh youths under the order of Butcher Beanta. Mothers use to pray every day that her son returns home safe, as Sikhs with turbans were killed at sight.

The partnership of Butcher Beanta and KPS Gill labelled all the dead innocent Sikhs as Khadku Singhs. Both of the evil men would encourage the Punjab police to kill even more Sikhs. All the baptised Sikhs were classed as terrorists. The more evil the police officers were the bigger reward they got from KPS Gill. Killing Butcher Beanta was the only thing that could stop this injustice on Sikhs.

At these bad times for the Sikhs of Punjab, Bhai Sahib enrolled as SPO in Punjab police, his duty was to be a gunman of SP Operation of Patiala. Bhai Sahib also did duties in Fatehgarh, but mainly his duty was in Patiala. During working a SPO, Bhai Sahib witnessed the killing of innocent Sikh youth with his own eyes. Bhai Sahib witnessed many atrocities on the Sikhs in police stations, Bhai Sahib was not a person who would remain quiet about such atrocities. How could one remain quiet when Sikh girls are being gang raped in police stations? Soon Bhai Sahib and Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana shared their views on this injustice of Punjab police.

Bhai Balwant Singh was from the village of Rajoana and after joining the Punjab police he was given the duty as gunman of Bhushan Sarhindi, the editor of Patiala’s newspaper Jagbani. Bhai Balwant Singh was also against the injustice served to Sikhs by the duo of Butcher Beanta and KPS Gill. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Balwant Singh would regularly talk about how to stop the terror of Butcher Beanta. Another singh, Bhai Lakhwinder Singh Lakha of Guru Nanak Colony in Patiala would also meet these two singhs and talk on the same issue. Bhai Lakhwinder Singh had studied with Bhai Sahib at school and was now also working in the Punjab police. On 18thSeptember 1994, the Punjab police fired Bhai Sahib from the SPO job. It is said that the government did not need SPO’s anymore, as they were no use now. Bhai Sahib soon released that Sikhs that had been recruited as SPO, had only been recruited to kill innocent Sikhs.

Bhai Sahib and Bhai Balwant Singh had many long discussions and at the decided to kill Butcher Beanta with the help of Khadku Singhs. After many tries Bhai Sahib managed to make links with Babbar Khalsa International. In November 1994, the singhs of Babbar Khalsa held a meeting in which Bhai Wadhawa Singh Babbar, Bhai Mahal Singh Babbar and Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara regarding the assassination of Butcher Beanta. Then on 1stMay 1995, Bhai Sahib rented a house in Ratoli village of Uttar Pardesh state. Bhai Sahib had told his family that he and his friends will be starting a business of an apple tree farm.

On 31stJuly 1995, newspapers wrote an article on Butcher Beanta, in which the Congress party did a speech at convention in Rampura Ful and said, “Beant Singh is Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Guru Gobind Singh Ji and also Bhagwan Sri Ram.” The Congressi minister, Sher Singh had no respect of Sikh faith when he labelled Butcher Beanta as the reincarnation of Sikh Gurus.  News of this convention left the Sikh nation in dismay and anger. This act of the Congress party left Bhai Sahib wanting to kill Butcher Beanta. When regarding this act of the congress party, Bhai Sahib’s father spoke to him, Bhai Sahib answered with a question, “Father, is Butcher Beanta bigger or is the Sikh Gurus bigger?” Sardar Harnek Singh answered, “Of course, the Sikh Gurus are bigger.” Then Bhai Sahib said, “Okay then, now either Butcher Beanta’s name will remain on this earth or the name of Sikh Gurus.” At that time, Sardar Harnek Singh did not understand what Bhai Sahib meant.

On 25thAugust 1995, Bhai Sahib, Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara, Bhai Jagtar Singh Tara, Bhai Paramjit Singh Bheora and Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana me at Patiala’s Gurudwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib and planned the next plan of action. At this moment Bhai Gurmeet Singh Engineer, whose family lived near Bhai Sahib and had also joined the team and became the part of the mission. Bhai Gurmeet Singh Engineer worked at BPL company and had rented a room in Mohali, Chandigarh.

Now all the plans were made to kill Butcher Beanta. On 30thAugust 1995, Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara, Bhai Jagtar Singh Tara and Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana went the Secretariat in the Ambassador car. Bhai Sahib was also in the car wearing the police uniform. Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara got off the car on the way. But that day Butcher Beanta had left the office early. Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara had gone Gajiabaad, Delhi on the same day.

Bhai Sahib and Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana went to Chandigarh’s sector 45, house number 3031/1 where Bhai Sahib’s brother, Bhai Chamkaur Singh lived. Both singhs spent the night here and the following morning, on 31stAugust 1995went to Bhai Gurmeet Singh Engineer’s rented room in Mohali. Bhai Jagtar Singh Tara and Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana went to the secretariat on the scooter, when Butcher Beanta arrived at the Secretariat, these two singhs went Mohali to get Bhai Sahib. In Mohali, Bhai Gurmeet Singh Engineer could see Bhai Sahib ready to this mission of the Sikh nation. When Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana told Bhai Sahib that is prey has arrived at the Secretariat, Bhai Sahib quickly got up, he had the RDX belt around his waist ready to blow and kill the Massa Ranghar of that time, Butcher Beanta. Bhai Sahib got into the car and made his way to the Secretariat. Bhai Jagtar Singh stopped the car at the Secretariat and then got out of the car to walk out of the Secretariat. Soon as Bhai Dilawar Singh saw the mass murderer of Sikhs, Butcher Beanta coming out of the Secretariat with his security forces, he also started walking towards the butcher. None of Butcher Beanta’s security managed to see Bhai Sahib approach the murderer, probably this is how Waheguru helped Bhai Sahib get close to Butcher Beanta. As Butcher Beanta was to sit in his Ambassador car, Bhai Sahib quickly got close to him and as one of the security guards shouted at this stranger, Bhai Sahib detonated the bomb. Bhai Sahib attained shaheedi and at the same time killed the mass murderer of Sikhs, Butcher Beanta.

Butcher Beanta, who thought he had won the battle against the Khalsa, the same Butcher Beanta who thought he was the reincarnation of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Guru Gobind Singh Ji had been eliminated. The needle of the clock which was hanging on a wall of state bank opposite the Secretariat, told the time of when God had sent death in the disguise of Bhai Dilawar Singh to kill him, the clock was stuck on 5.13pm, the time the explosion happened.

Like this Bhai Sahib sacrificed his life to save thousands of more lives that Butcher Beanta had been ordering to kill. Bhai Sahib thought to himself, “The Sikhs that have been killed are dead, but i will not let Butcher Beanta kill any more Sikhs.” Bhai Sahib had served justice to the families, whose members were killed by the Butcher Beanta regime and also to those Sikhs that were hurt when Butcher Beanta labelled himself the reincarnation of Sikh gurus. Bhai Sahib didn’t care about sacrificing his life defending the Sikh faith, Bhai Sahib wanted the future generations to be free from injustice and drugs, Bhai Sahib wanted the future Sikh generations to live the way of Sikh life openly without any threats.

 

Is the dream of Bhai Sahib fulfilled? This the question standing front of all those Sikhs, that dance to lustful songs, do drugs, have shaven heads and beards, the people who support the killers of Sikhs and allow the discrimination of their own Sikh faith. This question stands in front of those Sikhs, who support the anti-Sikh cults and disrespect their own true guru, Dhan Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

In the Ambassador car that Bhai Sahib used to get inside the Secretariat, after the bomb explosion the investigating police found note in that car that was written by Bhai Sahib as he waited for Butcher Beanta to come out. In the note written by Bhai Shaib he writes about the promise he made to the panth:

 

Je Main Shaheeda Di Yaad Vich Geet Na Gai

Ta Roohan Onha Diyan Kurlaun Gia

If i don’t sing in the memory of shaheed singhs

Then their souls will be upset

 

In front of Bhai Sahib’s sacrifice, we bow our heads. People define the word martyr as, if one has a choice of life and death and then he or she chooses death, that is what is the definition of a martyr is. Bhai Sahib if wanted could have lived happily with his family, but to stop the terror of Butcher Beant, he chose to marry his own death, for this reason Shaheed Bhai Dilawar Singh is heavily praised within the Sikh panth.

When we went to Bhai Sahib’s house in Patiala, we found out that Bhai Sahib’s parents went to Calgary, Canada. In this house in Patiala, we feel the presence of shaheed singh in the room where the great photos of Bhai Sahib stand on a shelf of the room. Looking at Bhai Sahib’s childhood photo was pure bliss. Today in this family house in Patiala, the brother of Bhai Sahib, Bhai Chamkaur Singh and his family live. We found out that Bhai Sahib personality was calm and he had a great sense of humour, Bhai Sahib could make everybody and anybody cheer up. Whenever Bhai Sahib went to the village, he would always help out in the farms. Bhai Sahib was strong and active.

In 1988 when Punjab suffered from floods, Bhai Sahib helped many families at this hard time. No one could have guessed that a straight forward guy was, Bhai Dilawar Singh who could go to the extreme to help others. Bhai Sahib was friend of friends. Bhai Sahib’s friendship with Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana is an example of true friendship. When two slips with the names of two friends were thrown to see who will become the human bomb, upon Bhai Sahib getting the right to be the human bomb, he hugged Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana. Bhai Sahib was excited that he will be a martyr of the Sikh faith. Even the last night, Bhai Sahib spent with his friend, Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana. Once Bhai Sahib’s father tried to speak to him about marriage and Bhai Sahib laughed and said, “I will let you know when i want to get married.” Bhai Sahib’s family didn’t know that at the age of 25, Bhai Sahib would get married to death.

On 31stAugust 2003, Dal Khalsa held a shaheedi smagam in remembrance of Bhai Sahib in Amritsar and also requested Sri Akaal Takht Sahib to put up a photo of Bhai Dilawar Singh in the museum. Then on 31stAugust 2007, Shromani Akali Dal Amritsar held another shaheedi smagam in remembrance of Bhai Sahib in the village of Depali, district Bathinda, which was attended by thousands of Sikh sangat from across India. On the same day in Amritsar, Shaheed Bhai Dilawar Singh was awarded the Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Award by Khalsa Action Committee. This award was received by Bhai Sahib’s mother, Mata Surjit Kaur. At this moment Bhai Sahib’s father, Sardar Harnek Singh, brother Bhai Chamkaur Singh and sister in-law Bibi Sharanjit Kaur were present at this moment also.

23rdMay 2012, Shaheed Bhai Dilawar declared a Sikh martyr by Sri Akaal Takht Sahib. We hope that soon the photo of Bhai Sahib will also be put up in the Sikh museum. In fact the photo of Shaheed Bhai Dilawar Singh, who sacrificed his life for the Sikh nation, should be put up in every house, officer and car.

Khalsa Fatehnama August 2012 – Sarabjit Singh Ghuman