Shaheed Bhai Gurmail Singh Thandewala

Babbar Khalsa

 

The Sikh nation is proud that it has given and continues to give birth to warriors, who for Sikhi give their lives to break the chains of slavery from the neck of the Sikh nation. Guru Gobind Singh Ji has given a continuous blessing of warriors to the Sikh panth to attain freedom and then to maintain it also. Amongst the very long list of Sikh warriors the name, Shaheed Bhai Gurmail Singh Thandewala is mentioned with great respect. Bhai Gurmail Singh Thandewala was born in 1973, in the house of Sardar Kehar Singh Brar and from the womb of Mata Chand Kaur in the village of Thandewal, district Mukhatsar.

Bhai Sahib studied at the local school until 10th class and after in 1987, Bhai Sahib left home to join the freedom struggle with Babbar Khalsa and started doing actions within the Sikh Freedom Movement with bravery. Before leaving home to join the freedom struggle, Bhai Sahib had been secretly arranging langar for the Jhujaru Singhs regularly.

To break the chains of slavery, Bhai Sahib gave all his best to establish a free Sikh homeland, Khalistan. Bhai Sahib did not want the media to know about him and for this reason did actions very discreetly to avoid his name coming in the newspapers and Doordarshan.

There is no doubt that armed struggles do last very long and to be a part of a movement one has to be patient, because eagerness can damage the movement. Every step in movements should be taken with considerate thinking and in calmness, as one wrong move can jeopardise the whole movement. The eager people are more likely to damage the movement than make it strong. Other than that, Jhujaru Singhs involved in the movement should overcome their anger, as in anger wrong steps can be taken. The enemy can use the blind anger in their advantage. A freedom movement can’t move in the same pace all the way through. As well as being fast, one should know how to be slow and even know how to stop, if Sikhs apply this tactic to their lives than one day for sure they will achieve their goals.

Bhai Sahib was amongst those singhs who did not allow the enemy to take control of him. In 1992, the Sikh Freedom Movement was breaking as Jathedars of the movement were being made shaheed all over India. In the beginning of May 1993, Family and relatives of Bhai Sahib asked him to give up the life of a Jhujaru Singh and turn himself into the police. Bhai Sahib’s answer was, “Singhs only stop fighting if they are victorious or if they are shaheed. If we can’t win than we will attain shaheedi trying and make the Sikh panth proud. I will not give myself up to the enemy while I’m alive.”

In the end on 29th May 1993, Bhai Sahib sitting in a sunflower field on his own, which was situated on the outskirts of Bhullar village. An informant from the village had informed the local police and within minutes Bhai Sahib was surrounded by Indian security forces. When Bhai Sahib realised that he was surrounded, he grabbed his assault rifle and started a battle with the Indian security forces as he shouted the war cries of “Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akaal.” The battle between the Indian security forces and Bhai Sahib started at 10 o’clock in the morning and continued for 2 hours. When Bhai Sahib’s bullets ran out, he swallowed a capsule of Sy-Nyde and remained true to his words to not come into the hands of the enemy alive.

After Bhai Sahib had drank the nectar of martyrdom, the SSP held a press conference and stated that Bhai Sahib was responsible for the burning of Gidarbaha storages, killing of 5 Narakhdharis and many more actions. SSP also said that from the scene of the encounter, the police found an AK47 and 2 mags.

Kaumi Azaadi Lai Hoyian Kurbaniyan

Jando Apna Rang Vikhan Giyan

Ohdo Kaum De Suvay Vehre Vich

Baharan Murh Ke Aun Giyan

 

Wangar – July 2013