Shaheed Bhai Gurpreet Singh Sewe Wala

Babbar Khalsa

 

The mother still awaits her son, Gurpreet’s return. Once the locals said that 2 unknown youths are outside the village, Bhai Sahib’s mother without any footwear ran towards these unknown youths, hoping one of them will be her son, Bhai Gurpreet Singh, but it has been 18 years since Bhai Sahib’s shaheedi. Bhai Sahib was only 16 years and 7mnths old, when he attained shaheedi. Bhai Sahib attained shaheedi on 31st May 1986, when the police of Faridkot brutally killed this teenager.

Bhai Gurpreet Singh was born in the house of Sardar Najar Singh and from the womb of Mata Harjit Kaur in the village of Sewe Wala. Bhai Sahib was the eldest of two brothers and one sister. Youngest brother of Bhai Sahib, Bhai Gurdeep Singh helped his father in the farms. The had two acres of land out of which one acre has been loaned on, as the money was used to marry Bhai Sahib’s sister, Bibi Rani Kaur was married to a singh of the village Khara. When Bhai Sahib left home to join the Sikh Freedom Movement, the family faced many difficulties. The CIA of Bathinda had arrested Bhai Sahib’s father, Sardar Najar Singh and every other day he faced blind torture. As the pressure was put on police by the local panchayat, the police released Sardar Najar Singh but some days upon being released, Bhai Sahib’s father passed away as the torture had weakened him and delivered great amount of pain.

When Bhai Sahib was arrested for the first time, he was locked up in the youth jail. After a long time in the youth jail Bhai Sahib was granted bail. Bhai Sahib’s family and relatives did not pay for Bhai Sahib’s bail, instead the family gave Bhai Sahib a condition he must follow if the family was to bail Bhai Sahib out. The condition was that, Bhai Sahib must stay at home after being bailed. Bhai Sahib wrote a letter home from the youth jail of Faridkot. In which Bhai Sahib wrote his final Fateh to his family. This letter is kept close by Mata Harjit Kaur till today. Bhai Sahib was bailed by a close friend and after jumped into the battlefield with the singhs of Babbar Khalsa. Even today Mata Harjit Kaur has kept the orange dastar, Sri Sahib, iron Karah and Bhai Sahib’s kurta pyjama. Mata Ji showed us Bhai Sahib’s belongings with such courage.

Bhai Sahib had gone to Faridkot to meet singhs and plan an action, but the police managed to arrest Bhai Sahib with the help of a black cat. At the CIA HQ of Faridkot, Bhai Sahib was mercilessly tortured that we can’t even write about such torture tactics. For three days, Bhai Sahib was continuously tortured, but the police gained no information from this Babbar. When the Babbar Khalsa had started the movement against the Narakhdharis, Bhai Sahib was the first sewadar from the Faridkot area.

Bhai Sahib’s hair was very long, the police tied Bhai Sahib’s hair to the ceiling and hung him. The police burnt Bhai Sahib’s skin with cigarettes. The police was asking Bhai Sahib only one question, to give information on Bhai Iqbal Singh Babbar and Bhai Gurpal Singh Bucho Mandi Babbar. In the evenings an inspector by the name of Sham Sunder would break all boundaries of humanity and torture Bhai Sahib in many inhuman ways. Bhai Sahib kept on challenging Sham Sundar, “Oi Shamaya, try and get me to say my own name, saying the names of other singhs is far off. I wanted to kill you myself but you’re lucky, the Guru has saved you from me. But Babbar Khalsa will not let you live, the Guru will send a singh that will end your miserable life.” After Bhai Sahib’s shaheedi, Inspector Sham Sundar was killed by the singhs of Babbar Khalsa. The strength and bravery of Bhai Sahib did not break, no matter how much the police tortured Bhai Sahib. The police took Bhai Sahib to the farms behind the Faridkot jail and made him a shaheed in a fake encounter. Bhai Sahib sang the songs of warriors and attained shaheedi and had gone into the laps of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

When we asked Bhai Sahib’s mother, Mata Harjit Kaur if any panthic leader had helped the family, she pointed at their house and said, “See for yourself.” Looking at a small unmaintained house whose ceilings leak when it rains, it was clear the family had received no help. Some family members sleep amongst the cows as there is not enough space. The Sikh nation salutes the shaheedi of Bhai Gurpreet Singh Sewe Wala Babbar and to the struggle of Bhai Sahib’s family.

Tavareekh Babbar Khalsa – Karamjit Singh Sikhanwala