Shaheed Bhai Hardev Singh Kalia

Khalistan Commando Force/ Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan

Bhai Hardev Singh was born in the house of Sardar Karnail Singh and from the womb of Mata Charan Singh in the village of Kadrabad, near Kathunangal. Sardar Karnail Singh had 5 children, (eldest to youngest) Bibi Kuljit Kaur, Shaheed Bhai Baldev Singh (martyrdom 1986), Shaheed Bhai Hardev Singh Kalia, Bibi Baljit Kaur and Bibi Manjit Kaur. Sardar Karnail Singh provided for his family by working in his farms, running his own flour grinding shop and the family owned few cattle. Bhai Sahib studied up to 10th class at a school in a nearby village of Balpuria. Sardar Karnail Singh passed away due to ill health when Bhai Sahib was studying in 5th class.

Bhai Sahib’s whole family were Amritdhari Gursikhs, Bhai Sahib himself had taken Amrit from the Panj Pyare at a very young age. Mata Charan Kaur would tell the stories of Sikh Gurus, Sikh History and Sikh warriors to her kids and bought them up with immense love. From a young age Bhai Sahib became attached to the Gurdwara. Bhai Sahib paid less attention at home and did more Sewa at the local Gurdwara, as well as doing Sri Akhand Paath Sahib Rauls. Bhai Sahib also loved to sing Kavisheri, and would regularly sing at the local Gurdwara. Bhai Sahib also loved to play Kabaddi and he was a great player of this sport. At the sports festival of his village, Bhai Sahib always played Kabaddi.

When the Indian army attacked Sri Darbar Singh in June 1984, Bhai Sahib was 16 years old and his elder brother, Bhai Baldev Singh was 19/20 years old. Like many Sikhs around the world had their lives turned upside down due to this attack and merciless killing of innocent Sikhs at one of the most religious places in the world, Bhai Sahib and Bhai Baldev Singh also saw their lives dramatically change after the attack on Sri Darbar Sahib. An armed movement for a Sikh homeland started after the attack on the Sikh throne. Bhai Baldev Singh was a brave and courageous Gursikh, he had decided that he will avenge the killing of innocent Sikhs and the attack on Sri Darbar Sahib.

In the early days of 1985, Bhai Baldev Singh had joined the Jhujaru Singhs of his local area and started doing Jhujaru actions in secret. Bhai Baldev Singh had joined Bhai Makhan Singh from the nearby village of Chhith, Bhai Makhan Singh had spent time with Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale and after the attack had been active via All India Sikh Student Federation. Like this Bhai Baldev Singh did many actions with Jhujaru Singhs such as, Baba Ranjit Singh Dyalgarh, Bhai Gurmej Singh Dhilwan, Bhai Joga Singh Bishnandi, Bhai Kuldeep Singh Muchal and many more. On 25th March 1986, Bhai Baldev Singh Kadrabad attained martyrdom fighting the Indian security forces in the village of Mararh.

After the martyrdom of his brother, Bhai Sahib also decided to jump into the battlefield to free the Sikhs from the Indian chains of slavery. Bhai Sahib had a little involvement with his brother in doing Jhujaru actions in secret. Once Bhai Sahib left home, he joined Khalistan Commando Force (Zaffarwal) under the command of Bhai Kanti of Sialka village. Up till 1988, Bhai Sahib continued to do actions under Khalistan Commando Force’s Bhai Satnam Singh Bawa as well as Bhai Kant, but after Bhai Satnam Singh Bawa’s martyrdom, Bhai Sahib joined Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan under the command of Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal. Bhai Sahib was made the Lt General of the Kathunangal area due to his bravery and loyalty within the Sikh freedom movement. Bhai Sahib was very young but his Jhujaru actions were very big.

From his childhood, Bhai Sahib kept a strict routine of Nitnem and always wore a Gursikh Bana, the guerrilla warfare didn’t stop him from his principles. Sikhi was first in everything Bhai Sahib did. In 1989, Bhai Sahib had his Anand Karaj with Bibi Lakhwinder Kaur. In this marriage Bhai Sahib had 2 sons, Bhai Ranjodh Singh and Bhai Shamsher Singh. Within the Sikh freedom movement, Bhai Sahib was fortunate to have done actions with Jhujaru Singhs such as, Bhai Kulwant Singh Kanti, Bhai Mehtab Singh Nemi (village Vatu Bila, Kathunangal), Bhai Tarsem Singh Teja (village Vahila), Bhai Major Singh (village Khatrai Kalan), Bhai Satnam Singh Sheena, Bhai Balwinder Singh Shahpur, Bhai Seetal Singh Mattewal, Bhai Tarsem Singh Mattewal, Bhai Savinder Singh Shindu Sarai, Bhai Daljit Singh Rangeelpur, Bhai Jaswinder Singh Gandasa (village Chachowali), Bhai Dalip Singh Chachowali, Bhai Balwinder Singh Khasan, Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda Udohke, Bhai Balwinder Singh Mini Baba (village Ram Diwali) and many more Jhujaru Singhs. The local Kavishers had written a praise for these Jhujaru Singhs which they sang and here are some of the words:

# Pehla Aagaya Ram Diwalia, Phir Aagaya Chachowalia.

Phir Aagaya Bhai Hardev Singh Kalia, Jedhi Gan Shaday Changaria.

Gan Chaldi Babay Seetal Di, Jehri Bullet Proofa Paareh…. #

 

Bhai Sahib punished many police informers and touts that had Jhujaru Singhs killed for money. Bhai Sahib assassinated a police tout by the name of Channi in the village of Dyalgarh, who had Jhujaru Singhs arrested for cash rewards. Bhai Sahib was part of the Jhujaru group that had a well-known battle with Indian security forces in the Rataul area of Tarn Taran district. In this battle, the Indian security forces suffered heavy loss of lives.

On the morning of 26th April 1992, Bhai Sahib along with Bhai Gian Singh Shahzada (village Shahzada, Kathunangal), and Bhai Jagtar Singh Jagga (village Kot Hayat) were resting in the village of Kotli Dhole Shah. This information was given to the Punjab police by a local informer, during that time Bhai Sahib had 5 lakh Rupees reward on his head. Bhai Sahib was not well, and had a fever. As it was early morning, Bhai Sahib and fellow Jhujaru brothers were doing their Nitnem. A heavy presence of Indian security forces surrounded the village and started moving in on the 3 Jhujaru Singhs. Soon as Bhai Sahib realised that they were surrounded, the sons of Dhan Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj started firing towards the enemy, sending them to hell on a one-way ticket. This battle started at 7 o’clock in the morning and continued up till 4 o’clock in the evening. Bhai Sahib and the fellow Jhujaru Singhs had stored most of the weapons and ammunition at another place as they were scheduled to do a Jhujaru actions elsewhere. Due to this, the Jhujaru Singhs had only little ammunition to take on the Punjab police, CRPF, BSF and Indian army. The longer this battle continued the more ammunition was used and the enemy was getting closer to the 3 Jhujaru Singhs. When the Indian security forces couldn’t get close, they started throwing grenades into the house from which the Jhujaru Singhs were fighting from and like this, all 3 sons of the Sikh nation attained martyrdom and had their names written in the Sikh history.

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Hardev Singh Kalia