Shaheed Bhai Harmandar Singh Grewal

Babbar Khalsa

Ik Chaah Hai Zinda Rehen Di

There is one hope to stay alive

Jehri Maran Nahi Dendi

Which does not let me die

Ik Chaah Hai Jit Jaan Di

There is one hope to win

Jehri Haaran Nahi Dendi

Which does not let me lose

Fatwa Jad Par Hona

When the punishment is read

Odhan Hi Fateh Paavaangay

That day victory will be achieved

Kandaya Te Nachaagay

We will dance on petals

Mooli Te Geet Gaavangay

We will sing songs on daikon

Has Ke Gali Yaar Di Varhday Rahaangay

We will happily enter the streets of our friends

Naag Ban Ke Vairi De Larhday Rahaangay

We will bite our enemies like a snake

Kaum Di Azaadi Di Aag Vich

In the fire lit for the Sikh freedom

Lakraah De Thaavein Sarday Rahaangay

We’ll be the wood to keep the fire burning

The Grewal families are well known in the Mukhatsar area. One of the Grewal families is of Sardar Ram Singh, in whose house Bhai Jagwinder Singh Grewal Babbar was born from the womb of Mata Gurdev Kaur on 28th May 1963 in the village of Grewal, district Mukhatsar. From the start Bhai Sahib was saintly and always remained calm. Bhai Sahib would go to Sri Darbar Sahib in Mukhatsar and do sewa for hours on end. The killing of 13 innocent Sikhs in 1978 by the Narakhdhari cult had a deep impact on Bhai Sahib, from there onwards the life of Bhai Sahib changed. In 1982, Bhai Sahib passed his BA from Mukhatsar college, now Bhai Sahib wanted to take admission in an engineering college and wanted to become an engineer. After the 1978 Sikh massacre, Bhai Sahib stayed in contact with the singhs of Babbar Khalsa at Sri Harimandir Sahib. Bhai Sahib would stay with the singhs of Babbar Khalsa at Nanak Niwas for many days. At the time of June 1984, when the Indian attacked Sri Harimandir Sahib, Bhai Sahib was in Mukhatsar at Sri Darbar Sahib. Beside Sri Harimandir Sahib the Indian army had also attacked 38-40 other historic gurudwaras. Bhai Sahib was arrested from here along with many other singhs and after being a victim of brutal torture by the hands of Indian security forces Bhai Sahib was released. The family was continuously harassed by the police, Bhai Sahib made his mind up of leaving home and going underground to avoid the police brutality.

Bhai Sahib had spent much time with Bhai Balbir Singh Langiana Babbar. Soon the friendship of these to singhs turned into a relation. Bhai Balbir Singh Langiana Babbar attained shaheedi in September 1992, in the village of Sangatpure. Bhai Langiana’s sister, Bibi Swarnjit Kaur was married to Bhai Sahib. Today both families are known as families of shaheeds by the locals. Bhai Sahib had two daughters and that ties Dumalla and share the same Sikhi as their father. Whenever Bhai Sahib met his singhni while being underground, Bhai Sahib would tell her, “My love, you do the sewa of our house and I will do the sewa of the panth.” The children of Bhai Sahib have only seen photos of their father and heard stories of Bhai Sahib’s bravery from their mother. If someone asks Bhai Sahib’s daughter about the father, the elder daughter proudly says, “My father is Grewal Babbar, he was a true Sikh warrior. He faught for the freedom and became a martyr.”

In Bhai Sahib’s life of living under ground with Khadku Singhs, if someone said to him “Oh my friend Grewal, you have everything that a human can ask for, so why have you taken this path?!”  Bhai Sahib would reply smilingly, “All the things I have are materialistic. The enemies have challenged the Sikh nation, now my heart does not feel right living in the tall mansion. If your sisters have been harassed and Sri Guru Granth Sahib had been burnt, how could we stay at home?” while being underground Bhai Sahib’s most trusted singh and close friend was Bhai Jaskaran Singh Rupana Babbar. Bhai Sahib had also done actions with Bhai darshan Singh Akalian Babbar, Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand Falori Babbar, Bhai Balwinder Singh Ganga Babbar and many more.

In the start of 1993, a black cat named himself Bunga Babbar and had infiltrated the Babbar Khalsa group of Malwa. Bhai Balwinder Singh Ganga Babbar was continuously moving singhs into different areas and also changing hideouts to reduce the risk of singhs being arrested and this also confused the police at the time when the police were doing everything possible to catch the Babbars of Malwa. It was at this time, Bhai Bashir Mohammed alias Bhai Lachman Singh Babbar and his singhni, Bibi Rani Kaur also left Punjab and went to Calcutta. Now Bhai Lachman Singh Babbar gone, the black cat found an easy way to infiltrate the Malwa group of Babbar Khalsa. Bunga Babbar was in fact called Raja and was keeping an eye on the Babbars of Bathinda, Faridkot and Mukhatsar. This black cat Raja was known to have Khadku Singhs killed by the police including Bhai Lachman Singh Babbar and his 8 month pregnant singhni, Bibi Rani Kaur. Bhai Sahib had suspicion on Raja’s activities and wanted to kill him. But Bhai Jaskaran Singh Rupana Babbar stopped Bhai Sahib and said, “Let’s assure ourselves before punishing him.”

On 7th February 1993, black cat Raja was also behind the shaheedi of Bhai Meharban Singh Bhuttar Babbar. Bhai Meharban Singh Bhuttar Babbar had taken a capsule of Sy-Nyde to avoid being captured by the police alive. The police now had upped the level of security around Punjab. The families of shaheeds could not hold Sri Akhand Paath Sahibs to do the final Ardas of the fallen soldiers.  Khadku Singhs were doing Sri Akhand Paath Sahib in secret locations for their shaheed fellow singhs. Babbar Khalsa gave the sewa of Shaheed Bhai Meharban Singh Bhuttar Babbar’s Sri Akhand Paath Sahib to Bhai Sahib and Bhai Jaskaran Singh Rupana Babbar.

The Sri Akhand Paath Sahib was to be held in the village of Kauni. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Jaskaran Singh Rupana Babbar attended the Sri Akhand Paath Sahib in disguise, to avoid being identified. But the Indian security forces were informed about this Sri Akhand Paath Sahib and surrounded the village. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Jaskaran Singh Rupana Babbar saw the police climbing up the rooftops and making bunkers. Bhai Sahib did Ardas in front of Guru Granth Sahib Ji and in the Ardas Bhai Sahib said, “Hey Waheguru, we won’t come in to their hands alive. We will fight till our last breath. O Lord may no innocent be harmed by our actions.” Both singhs came out of the house in which the Sri Akhand Paath Sahib was going on with their assault rifles and faught till their last breath. Bhai Jaskaran Singh Rupana Babbar told Bhai Sahib, “Brother Grewal, we can’t do much now, I don’t want to be caught alive by these cowards. Do you want to have this (With a Sy-Nyde capsule in his hand) or shall we take the last bullet left in our guns?” Both singhs hugged each other tightly, Bhai Sahib said, “We have faught the battle, we are not going to take this (Throwing the Sy-Nyde away.)” The singhs said their final Fateh to each other and with the last bullet singhs shot each other in the temple together and joined the never ending list of Shaheeds. The Indian commandoes did not go near the bodies of singhs for more than two hours after the last bullet being fired. The Indian security forces used the villagers as the shield to go near the shaheed singhs. As they approached the singhs the Indian security followed the great tradition of bravery by shooting the dead bodies with their machine guns. The family in whose house the Sri Akhand Paath Sahib was held at were arrested and taken to the CIA HQ in Mukhatsar. Paathis, Granthis and sewadars were all kicked on to the streets and Sri Akhand Paath Sahib was stopped in between. The bodies of Bhai Sahib and Bhai Jaskaran Singh Rupana Babbar were taken to Mukhatsar mortuary and left on the floor. Both singhs of Babbar Khalsa gave their shahadats laughingly and said their final Fateh to the world.

Tavareekh Babbar Khalsa – Karamjit Singh Sikhanwala