Shaheed Bhai Jagjit Singh Gill

Sikh Student Federation/ Khalistan Liberation Force

Bhai Jagjit Singh Gill was born in the year of 1964 and in the house of Principal Gurcharan Singh. Bhai Sahib’s family originally lived in the village of Sursingh, district Amritsar but later moved to Rajasthan’s Raisingh area. Bhai Sahib had two sisters and two brothers Bhai Amarjit Singh, Bhai Manjit Singh. After passing 10th class, Bhai Sahib took admission into Polytechnic College of Phagwara. When Bhai Sahib started studying at this college, there were only 2 student unions in Phagwara, Punjab Student Union (PSU) and the other was the Student Federation of India (SFI) which was a comrade union. Bhai Sahib was not part of any of them two, his friends tried to make him a member of Punjab Student Union, but that did not work. Bhai Sahib passed the first year exams with great results and when Bhai Sahib came back for the second year, he witnessed many students following the colours of the Khalsa. Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale, who was the leader of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Dam Dami Taksal influence had an positive affect on the Sikh youth of Punjab. Bhai Sahib was anxious to listen to the views of Sant Ji, Bhai Sahib borrowed cassettes of Sant Ji’s speeches from a friend and upon hearing to Sant Ji’s speeches, Bhai Sahib felt proud to be a Sikh and realised the slavery Sikhs were going through. These days Bhai Amrik Singh, leader of All India Sikh Student Federation (AISSF) alias Sikh Student Federation told his members to create Sikh Student Federation units in every college and university of Punjab.

When Bhai Satpal Singh Dhillon who was the general secretary Kapurthala’s Sikh Student Federation and Master Harinder Singh Kahlo who was the vice president tried to create a solid foundation of Sikh Student Federation in Phagwara, Bhai Sahib was one of the first people to help along with Bhai Sher Singh Pandori, Bhai Paramjit Singh Gandasa, Bhai Jarnail Singh and Bhai Ajit Singh. In Ramgharia Arts College the comrades had a strong and did not like the AISSF taking territory. Bhai Sahib and fellow singhs of AISSF had many fights with the members of comrade student units. Once the Sikh Student Federation unit was established in Ramgharia Arts College of Phagwara, it was the turn of Polytechnic College. Here Bhai Sahib signed up many students to Sikh Student Federation. Slowly units of Sikh Student Federation were established in every collage of Phagwara and was getting stronger daily. The comrades tried to argue with the singhs but singhs like Bhai Sahib would slap the comrades and make them go away, but the cowardly comrades will go to the police and lie about singhs carrying pistols. Once a fierce fight took place amongst the singh and comrades, but the DSP Mukhtiar Singh arrested 17 singhs of Sikh Student Federation. When Bhai Amrik Singh was given this news via telephone, Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale rang the local police station and the 17 singhs were instantly released. Soon a five member committee was also established which would lead the AISSF in Phagwara, one of the main singhs from the five members was Bhai Sher Singh Pandori. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola had also joined Sikh Student Federation. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola were close friends and usually went to panthic programmes together. Bhai Sahib fully supported the Dharam Yudh Morcha and the AISSF conferences, even after being arrested many times.

All India Sikh Student Federation was growing day by day, but the Indian government did not like this as they saw the AISSF as a formulation of another government. In the end the Hindu government of India labelled AISSF as unlawful. The Sikhs protested against this injustice of the Indian government and burnt 37 train stations of Punjab. Partabpura train station of Jalandhar district was burnt by Bhai Satpal Singh Dhillon and group while Bhai Sahib and fellow singhs burnt the Behram train station. Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale was being looked as the panthic leader by the whole Sikh nation, but the Akalis did not like this. To lessen the power of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale, the Akalis had Bhai Surinder Singh Sodhi killed, Bhai Surinder Singh Sodhi was the right hand man of Sant Ji. The Akalis also requested Indira Gandhi to attack Sri Harimandir Sahib in June 1984. The shaheedi of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale, Bhai Amrik Singh, General Subeg Singh and many more singhs at Sri Darbar Sahib made the Sikh nation declare the need of Khalistan and the Khadku Singhs started the armed struggle to kill the people responsible for the killing of innocent Sikhs.

15th August 1984, when the Indian government was getting ready to celebrate their independence day, the singhs of Sikh Student Federation held a meeting in the village of Dalewal. The singhs decided to burn down government schools to express their pain. On the night of 14-15th August 1984, Sikh Student Federation burnt down 17 government schools in Nakodar, Phillaur, Gorayian, Phagwara and Noormehl area. After this action many Sikh youth started burning schools regularly in the Punjab area. A comrade, Professor Rup Lal was a teacher in college of Phagwara, instead of teaching students he would spit venom against the Sikhs. One day Bhai Sahib and Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola shot Professor Rup Lal at the Ludhiana train station and made the professor permanently disabled, for talking against the Sikhs. Bhai Sahib was also one of the singhs that punished the black cat, Sukhwinder Singh who had killed Bhai Satpal Singh Dhillon at Nakodar Chownk. In March 1985, the Punjab police arrested Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola and later arrested Bhai Sahib from his village in Rajasthan. Both singhs were brutally tortured, Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola was charged with the robbery of the Marak Bank and many fake cases, while Bhai Sahib was charged with the killing of many black cats. After 8 months the bail of both singhs were accepted. Soon as Bhai Sahib came out they started re-establishing Sikh Student Federation. Bhai Sahib was made the president of Phagwara’s Sikh Student Federation unit.

These days Bhai Rajinder Singh Raji and Bhai Gurjant Singh Rajasthani were serving life in prison for murder. Bhai Rajinder Singh Raji got a message to Bhai Sahib, asking Bhai Sahib to help them break out of jail, so they can continue the Sikh armed struggle from outside the prison walls and also promised to fully back Sikh Student Federation. Bhai Sahib was in the process of planning on how to help the jailed singhs escape, when all of a sudden Bhai Sahib was arrested and locked up in Kapurthala jail under the National Security Act (NSA). Even when in jail, Bhai Sahib somehow wanted to free Bhai Rajinder Singh Raji and Bhai Gurjant Singh Rajasthani. First Bhai Sahib escaped from Kapurthala jail with Bhai Balwinder Singh of Dera Sedan after killing two police officers. Now Bhai Sahib teamed up with Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola and continued on the mission to free Bhai Rajinder Singh Raji and Bhai Gurjant Singh Rajasthani. Bhai Sahib freed the two singhs as they travelled on a train to their court hearing, Bhai Sahib had to kill two police officers and wound another two to complete this mission. This was a great sewa for the panth by Bhai Sahib and Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola. After this action Bhai Gurjant Singh Rajasthani became the general of Khalistan Commando Force Rajasthani group and later attained shaheedi in an encounter in Mohali. Bhai Gurjant Singh Rajasthani had punished many enemies of the Sikhs, he supplied Bhai Rajinder Singh Raji with weapons and ammunition, and he also played a role in the biggest bank robbery of India in Ludhiana. When Bhai Rajinder Singh Raji was arrested, the police couldn’t get him to say his name. None of the evil torture tactics of the police could make Bhai Rajinder Singh Raji speak. With hot irons the police burnt his body and made him shaheed. Bhai Rajinder Singh Raji was finally identified by the police of Rajasthan the following day. The police then set the scene of a fake encounter and declared him shaheed in an intense encounter.

After escaping from Kapurthala jail, Bhai Sahib was arrested in Chandigarh 3 months later. Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola was also arrested a short time later from Amritsar. Both Singhs faced blind torture of the Punjab police. Bhai Sahib was sent to Burail jail in Chandigarh and Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola was sent to the Amritsar jail. Once released both singhs joined Khalistan Liberation Force and did actions with Bhai Gurdeep Singh Deepa Heranwala’s group. This time Bhai Sahib and Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola made their mind up on not getting caught by the police alive. Bhai Sahib had attacked many police parties and punished big number of panthic enemies in the Nawashaher area. A police inspector of Phagwara, Pargat Singh was a cruel man, he would torture the families of Khadku Singh and had killed many singhs also. 18th March 1989, Bhai Sahib and Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola were ready to carry out the mission to punish Inspector Pargat Singh, but on the way to carry out this mission the Hero Honda motorcycle of the singhs broke down and made a scheme to snatch another motorcycle. The singhs saw a scooter coming their way and Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola gave Bhai Sahib the sign to stop the scooter. The singhs explained why they needed the scooter to carry out a panthic mission and that scooter will be given back in 2-3 days, but the man did not want to give his scooter and tussle started amongst Bhai Sahib and the guy who the scooter belonged to. Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola hit the guy in the head with the butt of the pistol, but the guy tried to wrestle both of the singhs at the same time which accidently made Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola fire the pistol twice. One bullet hit the man, who the scooter belonged to and another hit Bhai Sahib close to his heart. There was no going back now, Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola picked up Bhai Sahib on his shoulders and ran towards a hospital. Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola only had ran a short distance when Bhai Sahib realised that this was the end. Bhai Sahib told Bhai Bhola to stop and then Bhai Bhola gave the pistol to Bhai Sahib and said, “With the remaining bullets, kill me so we both can leave this world together. It is because of me that you are in this state, brother.” Upon hearing this Bhai Sahib put his hand on Bhai Bhola’s mouth and replied, “Death is in no ones hand, only how we die is in our hands. You must carry on fighting till your last breath and punish Inspector Pargat Singh.” Bhai Sahib said his final Fateh to Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola and attained shaheedi. When fellow singhs heard of this, they were shocked that Bhai Jagjit Singh Gill could leave this world so early. Some days later Bhai Kulwinder Singh Bhola finished the mission of Shaheed Bhai Jagjit Singh Gill and killed Inspector Pargat Singh.

Jo Laray Deen Ke Het – Loveshinder Singh Dalewal