Shaheed Bhai Gurinder Singh Ginda Bhagowal

Sikh Student Federation/ Babbar Khalsa

 

The attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib in June 1984 by the Indian government left the Sikh youth wanting justice and wanting to remove the feet of the cowardly Indian army that killed many innocent Sikhs off the land of Punjab. Bhai Gurinder Singh Ginda Bhagowal is such a warrior that broke the silence and faught against the oppression.

A farmer of Bhagowal village, Sardar Pritam Singh and his wife, Bibi Mahinder Kaur lived and honest living and had 7 children, here their names in order. Bibi Gurdarshan Kaur, Bibi Balbir Kaur, Bhai Harbhajan Singh, Bibi Gurwant Kaur, Bhai Gurinder Singh, Bhai Lakhwinder Singh and Bibi Bhupinder Kaur. From a very young age Bhai Sahib was always into Sikhi. Bhai Sahib was born in 1962 and had a great interest in poetry. Bhai Sahib passed his metric in Bhagowal.

Short time after passing his metric, the 1978 Sikh massacre happened where 13 singhs were killed as they peacefully protested. After this many Sikh youth got involved with the youth wing and then later joined the Sikh Student Federation, Bhai Sahib was one of these Sikh youths. Bhai Sahib took part in Dharam Yudh Morcha but his family was starting to get worried about Bhai Sahib. The family started to plan to send Bhai Sahib out of Punjab and later Bhai Sahib was sent to stay with his aunt in Bombay. This was in the end of year 1982. The family was shocked in how easily Bhai Sahib had agreed to go and stay in Bombay. But for Bhai Sahib this journey would not be waste. In Bombay, Bhai Sahib made links with arm dealers, but soon Bhai Sahib was arrested for being in possession of a pistol. Bhai Sahib was charged and spent 4 months in jail, the family bailed Bhai Sahib out and brought him back to Punjab.

Back in Punjab, Bhai Sahib continued his part within the Sikh Freedom Movement. Bhai Sahib joined the group of youths from his area that were doing top actions. This group had the likes of, Master Sukhwinder Singh Dabbanwal, Bhai Gurnam Singh Dabbanwal, Bhai Dharam Singh Keshtival, Bhai Jasbir Singh Bittu Keshtival, Bhai Sukhdev Singh Chabba, Bhai Baldev Singh Dorangala, Bhai Jaswant Singh Mastana Bijliwal, Bhai Charat Singh and Bhai Baljit Singh Bubba. After the government of India sent its army to attack Sri Harimandir Sahib and to kill innocent Sikhs in June 1984, all this group of singhs had to leave home and do actions anonymously but Bhai Sahib continued is sewa secretly from home.

Year 1985, when only two days were left for the state elections, a bomb blast happened where Bhai Sahib was making the bombs. The blast destroyed the whole family house and luckily no one was killed in the blast. Now everyone knew Bhai Sahib’s involvement in the Sikh armed struggle and that day Bhai Sahib went underground.

Then in district of Batala, Bhai Sahib was involved in every Khadku action that took place from the area of Chakri Bazaar up to the village of Ghola. The police had now started harassing and torturing the family of Bhai Sahib, but this did not stop Bhai Sahib from carrying on with the actions. Soon Bhai Sahib was chosen as the area commander by the Babbar Khalsa. Many times the news broadcasted, that Bhai Sahib had attained shaheedi, but soon after another news would come of Bhai Sahib’s action.

The one day a traitor did the only thing he was good at, give police the information of the Khadku Singhs. 7th June 1989, Bhai Sahib and Bhai Avtar Singh Rupowali were on their way back to Batala from Patiala. The car the singhs were travelling in was stopped at a checkpoint by the police in Jalandhar. It was normal for the Khadku Singhs to get stopped as they would blend into the public and after some questioning the police would allow them to pass. On this day, Bhai Sahib fearlessly stopped, thinking it’s just another routine check, but on the other side a traitor and identified the Bhai Sahib as Bhai Gurinder Singh Ginda of Bhagowal.

Soon as the car stopped the police surrounded the car, Bhai Sahib now knew this is due to information being leaked via traitor. Bhai Sahib did not want to come in to the hand s of the police alive, Bhai Sahib quickly swallowed a Sy-Nyde capsule and attained shaheedi on the spot, while Bhai Avtar Singh Rupowali was arrested. Shaheed Bhai Gurinder Singh Ginda Bhagowal had put his name beside the shaheeds of Khalistan and will forever remain in chardikala. Bhai Sahib had coloured the panth in such a colour that the future Sikh generations would praise his shaheedi.

Purja Purja Kat Maray – Baljit Singh Khalsa