Shaheed Bhai Gurnam Singh Pehlwan Sultanwind

Deputy General Khalistan Commando Force

 

Beside a river end in Amritsar, there is a village called Sultanwind. In the Sikh Freedom Movement, Sultanwind has played a big part. Sultanwind has produced some of the top Khadku Singhs. Shaheed Bhai Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind and Bhai Harminder Singh Sultanwind member of Panthic Committee have put Sultanwind on the world map. Over 50 Shaheeds of the Sikh Freedom Movement were from Sultanwind. Amongst these shaheeds is Bhai Rajwinder Singh Raju also known as Bhai Gurnam Singh Pehlwan Sultanwind.

Bhai Gurnam Singh Pehlwan Sultanwind was born on 23rd February 1966, in the house of Sardar Amrik Singh and from the womb of Mata Gurdeep Kaur in Sultanwind, district Amritsar. Bhai Sahib also had younger brother who also was part of Sikh Freedom Movement, Shaheed Bhai Bikramjit Singh Sultanwind. Shaheed Bhai Bikramjit Singh Sultanwind attained shaheedi on 4h September 1990, in village Jaspal, fighting the Indian forces. Bhai Sahib was very much loved by family and friends. Bhai Sahib was active and physically fit, Bhai Sahib was called Pehlwan by friends. Bhai Sahibs parents wanted their son to be a doctor, reason why they gave Bhai Sahib the highest education. In 1986, after passing pre-medical, Bhai Sahib passed the admission test in to BSC Medical College. In those days Bhai Sahibs Chacha Ji, Bhai Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind was one of the top Khadku Singhs in the movement and also one of the most wanted by the police. The police started arresting Bhai Sahib to get information about Bhai Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind. Bhai Sahib was regularly harassed by the police. After considerate thinking Bhai Sahib made the decision of joining the movement and becoming a Khadku Singh. Bhai Sahib started doing sangat of top Khadku Singhs and became well known within the movement. Bhai Sahib was against black cats, bomb explosions and gun fire in public areas and also anybody who was against Sikhs. Bhai Sahibs aim was to carry out missions that would shake the government of Delhi. Bhai Sahib was against kidnapping of innocent people to fund the movement with ransom money. Bhai Sahib thought right in looting banks for money or police weapon storages for guns and ammunition, as these will support the movement to get stronger and also to move forward. Bhai Sahib looked up to General Labh Singh and shared the same views. Bhai Sahib stopped other Khadku Singhs from getting into personal revenge missions. Bhai Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind and Bhai Nirmal Singh Mianwind shared the same thinking, and before carrying out any mission, all these singhs would carefully think and plan the mission through, which helped them successfully completing missions. Bhai Sahib believed in punishing people who were against Sikhs and the freedom of Sikhs.

In 1988, to ruin the Sikhs of Punjab, Rajiv Gandhi the Prime Minister of India, indirectly ordered to release waters from the Phakhara Dame. Following the order, BN Kumar, Management Board Chief released the waters and let the waters flow over the fields and villages of Punjab. The waters drowned the fields of Punjab 20ft down, many houses of the Sikhs were wrecked, cows and buffaloes had drowned as they were tied in their stables. Sikhs had lost their loved ones, children and parents. To get the good books of Sikhs, the government sent in the army. But the army stood and watched Sikhs houses and livelihood get destroyed by the waters. After the innocent killings of Sikhs at Sri Harimandir Sahib in 1984 and the mass killing of Sikhs in Delhi, this was the 3rd attempt to completely wipe out the Sikhs. To revenge this tragedy Bhai Sahib, Bhai Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind and Bhai Nirmal Singh Mianwind stepped in to the battlefield from Sultanwind and on 7th November 1988, the singhs shot dead BN Kumar in Chandigarh, Punjab.

It is said that a meeting organised by Dr Sohan Singh, the 4 main Khadku Jathebandis formed unity. Khalistan Liberation Force Budhsinghwala, Khalistan Commando Force Sultanwind, Babbar Khalsa and Sikh Student Federation formed unity and made a 5 member committee. Dr Sohan Singh, Bhai Harminder Singh Sultanwind, Bhai Mehal Singh Babbar, Bhai Satinderpal Singh and Principal Amritsahibaaj Singh were the 5 members. This unity made the Sikh Freedom Movement even sharper.

As well as being active and physically fit, Bhai Sahib was also a doctor. If a Khadku Singhs was injured Bhai Sahib would treat them himself. Bhai Sahib could convince other doctors to carry out serious operations on Khadku Singhs. Bhai Sahib would regularly take bullets out of the wounds of Khadku Singhs and treat the wounds. Bhai Sahib was the pharmacy and an ambulance for the singhs of the movement. Bhai Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind was injured in an encounter in Chandigarh with the police forces, while Bhai Nirmal Singh Mianwind kept the police at bay with crossfire, Bhai Sahib picked up Bhai Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind and managed to escape the site of the encounter.

After the endless harassment of Bhai Sahibs family by the police, Bhai Sahibs younger brother, Bhai Bikramjit Singh Sultanwind also joined the Khadku Singh in the battle to break the handcuffs of slavery and harassment. Those days the Khadku’s of Sultanwind made regular headlines on not just national newspapers but also on international newspapers. Bhai Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind, Bhai Harminder Singh Sultanwind, Bhai Rajwinder Singh Raju, Bhai Paramjit Singh Sultanwind, Bhai Lakhwinder Singh Lakha Sultanwind, Bhai Majboot Singh Sultanwind, Bhai Bikramjit Singh Sultanwind, Bhai Jarnail Singh Sultanwind, Bhai Avtar Singh Sultanwind, Bhai Sukhdev Singh Leetay Sultanwind, Bhai Jarnail Singh also known as Bhai Jujhar Singh Sultanwind and many more Khadku Singhs of Sultanwind made headlines and also shook the government of Delhi.

Bhai Sahibs family was always in Guru Ji’s gifted chardikala and were always ready to do sewa for the panth. Before 1947 Bhai Sahibs grandfather, Sardar Darshan Singh was part of freedom movement too. Sardar Darshan Singh spent 18 months in jail for breaking the Mannawall Rail tracks.

Bhai Sahib was skilful in looting banks and looted many banks without firing a single bullet. Bhai Sahib never gave a single penny at home of the looting, instead took money from home to support the movement. Bhai Sahib never believed in the stories of the newspapers but rather believe in word of mouth.

18th October 1989, Bhai Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind and Bhai Nirmal Singh Mianwind were in Jalandher but a black cat had informed the police. The Jalandher rushed to catch these Khadku Singhs. The 2 singhs were surrounded by the police near the Jalandher Cinema and an encounter started. Bhai Nirmal Singh tried to escape but was shot by the police and attained shaheedi. Bhai Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind was shot in the leg and could not run nor walk. Bhai Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind swallowed a Sy-Nyde capsule and attained shaheedi rather than getting caught by the police. With the shaheedi of these 2 warriors the Sikh Freedom Movement suffered a major setback, Bhai Gurnam Singh Pehlwan Sultanwind never let the movement rest, and instead took the movement forward.

25th May 1990 a meeting was held at a secret location in remembrance of the attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib in 1984. This meeting was attended by some of the top Khadku Singhs. Bhai Sukhdev Singh Babbar, Bhai Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala, Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu, Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar and many more top Khadkus had attended this meeting. A corrupt insider had informed the police of the meeting location in Ludhiana. The Ludhiana police rushed to the location. If anyone saw the police that day, they would’ve guessed that something big was about to take place. Bhai Gurnam Singh Pehlwan Sultanwind was also on his way to the meeting location, Bhai Sahib spotted the police rushing towards the location of the meeting. Bhai Sahibs quick thinking came up with a plan that would save the top generals of the Sikh Freedom Movement. Bhai Sahib went into an empty house nearby with a single gun and opened fire upon the Ludhiana Police. The police could not go any further, so they surrounded the house and an encounter started. The news of the encounter reached the location of the meeting, the Khadku Singhs made a safe getaway. Meanwhile Bhai Gurnam Singh Pehlwan Sultanwind attained shaheedi in this encounter. Thanks to the quick and high thinking of Bhai Sahib, the top Khadku generals escaped to fight another day. If Bhai Sahib didn’t enforce the encounter the Ludhiana Police could have arrested or even killed the top Khadku generals of all 4 Jathebandis. Shaheed Bhai Gurnam Singh Pehlwan Sultanwind will always be remembered by the Panth and all the singhs of the Sikh Freedom Movement, Bhai Sahib gave his life for the Sikh Freedom Movement to carry on fighting.

5 singhs from the family of Bhai Sahib have joined the Sikh Freedom Movement and attained shaheedi.

Khadku Yodhe – Maninder Singh Baja