Shaheed Bhai Harjinder Singh Gujar

Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan

Bhai Harjinder Singh Gujar was born in the year of 1967, in the house of Sardar Piara Singh and from the womb of Mata Darshan Kaur in the village of Chhith, district Batala. Sardar Piara Singh had 7 children of which Bhai Sahib was the 4th eldest. Bhai Sahib studied up to 8th class at the school of a nearby village Ball. From childhood, Bhai Sahib had remained a player of Kabaddi. As well as being open, Bhai Sahib was also very humble in his personality. After his studies, Bhai Sahib passed his driving test and started learning to drive trucks.

It was during these days Bhai Sahib came in contact with Jhujaru Singhs who had left the luxuries of their home to fight for Khalistan. Shortly afterwards, Bhai Sahib started doing Jhujaru actions in secret under the of Khalistan Liberation Force’s Bhai Makhan Singh Chhith, who was from the same village as Bhai Sahib. Bhai Makhan Singh Chhith was a well respected Jhujaru Singh and any Jhujaru Singh that met him was filled with confidence and courage. In 1987, Bhai Makhan Singh Chhith attained martyrdom. After Bhai Sahib came in contact with Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan’s Bhai Hardev Singh Kalia. Bhai Baldev Singh Kadrabad, the bother of Bhai Hardev Singh Kalia also did Sewa under Bhai Makhan Singh Chhith until he also attained martyrdom in 1986. Under Bhai Hardev Singh Kalia, Bhai Sahib took the responsibility of Jhujaru actions in Punjab and Uttar Pardesh.

Soon a Punjab police informer had told his masters about Bhai Sahib’s Jhujaru activities. The Punjab police arrested Bhai Sahib from his home for harboring Jhujaru Singhs and took him to Mal Mandi interrogation centre. Here, Bhai Sahib was blindly tortured from which he could not even walk. Bhai Sahib was tortured for roughly 14/15 days. Even Bhai Sahib’s family did not know where the police had taken him, or if he was even alive. After the lengthy duration of torture, the Punjab police dropped Bhai Sahib off in his village. Bhai Sahib was unable to walk, and his clothes were dripping with blood.

The torture of Punjab police was supposed to break Bhai Sahib’s fighting spirit, but instead it strengthened it. Bhai Sahib had decided that he will not be tortured like an animal, and vowed to break the Indian system into pieces. Bhai Sahib had already been engaged and shortly after being released from Mal Mandi, Bhai Sahib’s Anand Karaj was done with Bibi Rajwinder Kaur in February 1990. Even after being married, Bhai Sahib continued his Jhujaru activities. Under Bhai Hardev Singh Kalia, Bhai Sahib had attained arms training and started doing armed actions. Within the Sikh freedom movement Bhai Sahib was also known as Bhai Gulab Singh Gammi, and from this name he took many responsibilities of his Jhujaru actions.

On 23rd July 1990, Bhai Sahib was given a target in the Jandiala village, a Lala who was spreading venom against the Jhujaru Singhs and supported the hard-hand tactics of the Indian government. This was not enough the Lala had made it his life goal to defame Jhujaru Singhs and had a small police station in the cellar of his house. The mission was to kidnap this Lala from his cellar and bring him back to the Jhujaru base. Following these orders of his Jhujaru brothers, Bhai Sahib along with Bhai Daya Singh (village Saido Lehal near Khujala, Mehta Road Amritsar) went to Jandiala. Upon reaching Jandiala, both Jhujaru Singhs attacked Lala’s house and kidnapped him. Bhai Sahib used the police jeep that was parked at the house to make their escape. When the jeep got close to the village of Mallian, the roads here were slippery and the jeep slipped off the road and got stuck in mud. While Bhai Sahib and Bhai Daya Singh were busy in trying to get the jeep out of the mud, the Punjab police had wired through to the CRPF and got the Jhujaru Singhs surrounded. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Daya Singh had a revolver each and 2/4 grenades amongst them. Soon as the CRPF surrounded the Jhujaru Singhs a fierce battle started. Both Jhujaru Singhs fought back with limited ammunition. Bhai Sahib was shot in the foot, and was unable to run. In the end, Bhai Daya Singh’s ammunition had finished and he sacrificed his life by swallowing a capsule of cyanide. With the last bullet in his chamber, Bhai Sahib turned the gun upon himself and attained martyrdom. During the Sikh freedom movement, many Jhujaru Singhs took their lives when there was no escape. This was done to avoid being arrested and tortured for secrets of the movement. After the martyrdom of both Jhujaru Singhs, their families were made to identify them and under police presence they were cremated at the Seetala Mandir.

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Harjinder Singh Gujar