Shaheed Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand

Khalistan Liberation Force

Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand was the resident of Dargapur village and was born in the house of Sardar Sohan Singh and from the womb of Mata Surjit Kaur. Bhai Sahib passed his 5th class at Dargapur’s primary school, and studied up to 7th class at the government high school of Nusehra Panua. After leaving school, Bhai Sahib started doing farming with his father. Sometime later Bhai Sahib started living with his Massi and Massar in the village of Panjwar. Bhai Sahib stayed there for 5 years and after that Bhai Sahib became a truck driver.

In-between the years of 1977 to 1983, Bhai Sahib established his farms in the village of Gujjarpur, Mand. For some months Bhai Sahib did sewa with the Jatha of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. A week after the attack on Sri Darbar Sahib in June 1984, Bhai Pipal Singh Dholewal along with other Jhujaru Singhs came to Gujjarpur village in Mand. Bhai Sahib did sewa of langar for these Jhujaru Singhs. Soon the Jhujaru Singhs established a training camp in the jungle of Mand. Bhai Sahib was here under the command of Bhai Avtar Singh Bramha, when Julio Francis Rebeiro ordered the Indian Army to attack the Jhujaru Singhs to shut down this training camp. This action was code named “Operation Mand” by the Indian security forces.

The Jhujaru Singhs fought bravely against the Indian Security Forces. The Jhujaru Singhs shot down an Indian helicopter. After a fierce encounter and defeating the enemy, the Jhujaru Singhs including Bhai Sahib escaped form the area. After this operation, the Border Security Force of India was stationed all over Mand and the Jhujaru Singhs had to leave the Mand area. Now the Punjab Police started raiding Bhai Sahib’s house and harassing his family. Soon Punjab Police managed to arrest Bhai Sahib, SSP Swaran Ghotna took Bhai Sahib to Kapurthala and for 15 days he tortured Bhai Sahib blindly. Some days later Panchayats from the local villages managed to get Bhai Sahib released. Upon being released, Bhai Sahib came home, but the police had orders to kill Bhai Sahib. Bhai Sahib got this news and left home.

The police was now continuously raiding Bhai Sahib’s house and harassing the family. Punjab Police arrested Bhai Sahib’s mother and Bhai Puran Singh who worked in Bhai Sahib’s farms, both were taken to the police station od Sultanpur Lodhi. The local Panchayat once again managed to get Mata Surjit Kaur released but the police told her to present Bhai Sahib soon as possible or they will kill one of Bhai Sahib’s brothers. To avoid being harassed, Bhai Sahib’s family left the village in Mand and stated living in hiding. Bhai Sahib had 6 sisters, 4 of them had been married and 2 sisters were with the family in hiding, Bhai Sahib also had a brother who was yet to be married. Sometime later Sardar Sohan Singh got his 3 remaining children married.

Meanwhile Bhai Sahib remained in Chardikala and continued to punish the anti-Sikh elements. By now the Khalistan Liberation Force had been established and Bhai Sahib was made Lieutenant General of Khalistan Liberation Force under the command of Bhai Avtar Singh Brahma. Bhai Sahib got on with all the Jhujaru Singhs and he made everyone laugh. Bhai Sahib had many battles with the Indian security forces. In the Jhujaru life, Bhai Sahib saw many of his fellow Jhujaru brothers attain Shaheedi, such as Bhai Bohar Singh of village Valtoha, and Bhai Ranjit Singh of village Sangatpura. In the battle against the Indian Army in the village of Valtoha, Bhai Sahib fought against the Indian Army helicopters and Bhai Sahib along with his fellow Jhujaru Singhs killed many Indian soldiers. Some Jhujaru Singhs attain Shaheedi, but Bhai Sahib and some fellow Jhujaru Singhs fought their way out to escape again.

Then in another encounter in the Mand village, Bhai Sahib managed to escape but 3 Jhujaru Singhs attained Shaheedi, Bhai Jarnail Singh DC of village Kirthoval, Bhai Jagga Singh Sarpanch of village of Ratta and Bhai Hardev Singh Bapu of Birmingham, England UK. The remaining Singhs including Bhai Sahib escaped towards Beas River. The Singh who escaped from this encounter are, Bhai Sahib, Bhai Buta Singh Sursingh and Bhai Resham Singh. After this Bhai Sahib had another encounter in the village of Bhai Ladhu, in which Bhai Bakshish Singh attained Shaheedi, but Bhai Sahib, Bhai Narinder Singh Bhola of village Gagobua, Bhai Gurdeep Singh Vakeel of village Jai Singh Maniala, Bhai Nishan Singh of village Makhu, Bhai Ravinderbir Singh Bhola of village Kaleke and Bhai Major Singh Pala of village Johal all escaped from this encounter.

It was a month after the encounter of village Bhai Ladhu, the Punjab Police started harassing and torturing the family of Bhai Sahib, his brother, Bhai Harwant Singh, the Mata Surjit Kaur and Bhai Sahib’s sister Bibi Balwinder Kaur were also arrested by Sarhali police force. To teach the Punjab Police a lesson for arresting the mothers and sisters of Jhujaru Singhs, Bhai Sahib, Bhai Nishan Singh Makhu and another 18-20 Jhujaru Singhs attacked many police stations, killing many police officers and looting their armoury. Bhai Sahib was then surrounded in the village of Dargapur and in this fierce battle against the Indian security forces Bhai Mangal Singh of Gurdaspur and Bhai Sewa Singh Patti attained Shaheedi. Bhai Sahib escaped along with Bhai Jaswinder Singh Jaj Johal, Bhai Yadwinder Singh Goldy and Bhai Jaswinder Singh Ghora Patti.

In the end the day came when Bhai Sahib would attain Shaheedi. On 6th November 1991, Bhai Sahib was surrounded by Indian security forces after an informant had given his location to the police. A fierce encounter took place and after many hours of battling Bhai Sahib attained Shaheedi after his ammunition had finished. Bhai Sahib’s family held a Sri Akhand Path Sahib for the Chardikala of Bhai Sahib in his home village of Dargapur, Mand.

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand