Shaheed Bhai Fateh Singh Arifke

Khalistan Liberation Force

Bhai Fateh Singh Arifke was born in the year of 1952, in the house of Sardar Dalip Singh and from the womb of Mata Pritam Kaur in the village of Arifke near Usmanwala, District Ferozpur. Sardar Dalip Singh had 7 children, Bhai Hari Singh, Bhai Sewa Singh, Bibi Aagaya Kaur, Bhai Sukha Singh, Bhai Fateh Singh, Bhai Gajjan Singh and Bhai Satnam Singh. Bhai Sahib’s family have always been attached to Dam Dami Taksal. Bhai Sahib had studied 8 classes, after school Bhai Sahib started to help his father in the farms. Bhai Sahib’s family have been living their lives according to gurmat. Bhai Sahib’s family took Amrit from Sant Kartar Singh Bhindranwale’s Jatha of Dam Dami Taksal, after attending various gurmat parchar seminars. Bhai Sahib’s elder brother, Bhai Sukha Singh was Amritdhari and was known as one of the main singhs at Dam Dami Taksal but at that time Bhai Sahib was into the wrong crowd. Due to Bhai Sukha Singh being part of Dam Dami Taksal, when Sant Kartar Singh Ji Bhindranwale came to Arifke to do parchar, the Jatha would stay at Bhai Sahib’s house.

During the 1970’s, Dam Dami Taksal did a gurmat parchar in Bhai Sahib’s area, but due to Sant Kartar Singh Ji Bhindranwale having other duties, the Jatha of was in the hands of Giani Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa, who later became the Jathedar of Dam Dami Taksal. Giani Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa would regularly visit Bhai Sahib’s house to meet his uncle. In the village of Arifke Bhai Sahib was really close to Bhai Rasal Singh (Shaheed of June 1984), both of these Singhs were like brothers. In 1976, Bhai Sahib and Bhai Rasal Singh got surrounded by Giani Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa and were told to leave the bad crowd and take up a Gursikh jeevan by taking Amrit from the Panj Pyare. Giani Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa told these two Singhs stories and about the sacrifices of Dhan Guru Gobind Singh Ji Mahraj and this had an effect on both Singhs that from that day Bhai Sahib and Bhai Rasal Singh dropped the bad habits and took up a Gursikh jeevan by taking Amrit from Panj Pyare at a smagam done by Giani Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa, after this Bhai Sahib and Bhai Rasal Singh Arifke became Singhs of Dam Dami Taksal.

In 1977, Sant Kartar Singh Ji Bhindranwale passed away and leadership of Dam Dami Taksal was given to Giani Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa. As a Gursikh Bhai Sahib continued to work on his farms and earn a living. In 1979, Bhai Sahib was married to Gursikh, Bibi Baljit Kaur from the village of Chak Rauke Utakh, this Anand Karaj between the Gursikhs was arranged by Bhai Rasal Singh Arifke.  Bhai Sahib had two children in this marriage, Bibi Prabhjit Kaur and Bhai Parminder Singh. After taking Amrit Bhai Sahib became one of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale’s close Singhs. Bhai Sahib would go with Sant Ji all over India to do Gurmat parchar. On 4th January 1978 Bhai Sahib went with Sant Ji from Boparai (Ludhiana) to Sri Patna Sahib to do parchar, then Bhai Sahib went again on 4th January 1979 to Patna Sahib with the Jatha. Bhai Sahib had given all his remaining life to preach Sikhi with Sant Ji, even when the Dharam Yudh Morcha started, Bhai Sahib fully got involved and on many occasions gave his arrest.

In the Dharam Yudh Morcha of 29th August 1982, in front of Amritsar Kotwali, Bhai Sahib, Bhai Rasal Singh Arifke, Bhai Jagir Singh, Bhai Balkar Singh, Baba Inder Singh, Bhai Bahal Singh Bhavrha, Bhai Kalga Singh Dharamkot, Bhai Jaswant Singh Bhure Kohna were all part of the 218 Singhs who gave their arrest as Shaheedi Jatha. Bhai Sahib was jailed at Model Jail of Ludhiana and was released on 15th October 1982. During this time Bhai Sahib along with fellow Singhs did a hunger strike for their basic rights to be given to them, which was a success. Like this in 1983, Shiv Sena of Ferozpur declared that they would burn an effigy of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale in the town centre, to counter this Bhai Sahib, Rasal Singh Arifke, Bhai Durga Singh Arifke and Bhai Ajit Singh Lohai scared off the Shiv Sena and no effigy was burnt. Bhai Sahib remained active in such actions and continued to defend the Sikh Panth.

Even in Arifke, Bhai Sahib did Gurmat parchar and encouraged many people to take Amrit and become Gursikhs. Bhai Sahib had been married almost 5 years but had not yet had a child. Bhai Sahib went to Sant Ji with his Singhni and said, “Sant Ji, my Singhni and i have no child. Please can you bless us by doing Ardas to Dhan Guru Ram Das Ji to give us the happiness of a child.” Sant Ji did the Ardas in front of Sri Darbar Sahib and told Bhai Sahib to do sewa at the shoe house and told Bhai Sahib’s wife to do Jaaps of “Thir Ghar Baiso, Har Jan Pyare” and to do ishnan at Tarn Taran Sahib on Masia. A year later Bhai Sahib saw the birth of his daughter Bibi Prabhjit Kaur.

Bhai Sahib also went to political conferences with Sant Ji. Bhai Sahib was also given the duty of bailing the Singhs from jails and providing care for them after. Jhujaru Singhs who were in hiding would regularly come see Bhai Sahib for food and other needs. Bhai Sahib always supported the Hindus of his area and kept them safe from racist groups. The Punjab police would regularly arrest Bhai Sahib and torture him, but after no solid evidence Bhai Sahib would be released, but the Punjab police did not stop with Bhai Sahib, they would also arrest and torture Bhai Sahib’s father and brothers. Majority of the time Bhai Sahib stayed with Sant Ji at Sri Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar.

Just before the attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib in June 1984, Bhai Sahib went to see Sant Ji towards the end of May. Bhai Sahib was told to return to his village by Sant Ji and told that if the Government of India attacks Sri Harimandir Sahib to stop the Dharam Yudh Morcha then the Singhs must take up weapons and fight for Khalistan and also help the Jhujaru Singhs who are fighting in the struggle. That day the bus service was off and Bhai Sahib walked back home to Arifke. On 3rd June 1984, Sri Harmandir Sahib was attacked by the Indian Army and Sri Akaal Takht Sahib was demolished. After the attack Bhai Sahib’s heart was filled with hatred towards the Indian Government, now the armed struggle had started. Bhai Sahib helped many Jhujaru Singhs who had left their homes to be part of a free Sikh homeland. Bhai Sahib would serve Langar to Jhujaru Singhs at his house. Bhai Sahib was close to Bhai Kuldeep Singh Muchal, due to both studying at Dam Dami Taksal, but now Bhai Muchal had joined a Jhujaru group of Khalistan Liberation Force. Bhai Sahib also helped many Jhujaru Singhs by having them bailed from jails. Due to this Bhai Sahib was arrested many times by the Punjab Police and mercilessly tortured.

On 26th October 1987 Bibi Baljit Kaur gave birth to Bhai Sahib’s son Bhai Parminder Singh, everyone was happy in Bhai Sahib’s house seeing the birth of his son. Then on 30th October 1987, Bhai Sahib left home and told his family he was going to Baba Budha Sahib to do Ardas to thank Maharaj for giving him a son, on the way Bhai Sahib met Bhai Kuldeep Singh Muchal at an electrical water tubal in the village of Vharian, district Tarn Taran. The location of Bhai Sahib, Bhai Kuldeep Singh Muchal, Bhai Bittu Singh Manan and 2 more was given to the police by the Sarpanch of Vharian. The police rushed down along with CRP officers to arrest the unarmed singhs. The Indian security forces arrested all the singhs including Bhai Sahib.

The CRP took the 4 singhs to Tarn Taran Police Station and tortured them brutally to get information on other singhs, such as Bhai Avtar Singh Bramha and Jathedar Durga Singh Arifke. The brutal and blind torture of the CRP did not get singhs to give information. As all methods of torture had failed the police took Bhai Sahib, Bhai Kuldeep Singh Muchal and Bhai Bittu Singh Manan to the fields of a nearby village and killed all three singhs in a fake encounter on 27th October 1987. Following day the newspaper printed false headlines of the bravery of the police.

Information taken from Shaheed Bhai Fateh Singh Arifke’s family