Shaheed Bhai Jaswinder Singh Gandasa

Babbar Khalsa

Bhai Jaswinder Singh alias Gandasa was born in the year of 1965, in the house of Sardar Mohan Singh and from the womb of Mata Charan Kaur in the village of Chachowali, near Jentipur. Sardar Mohan Singh had 3 sons and 1 daughter, Bibi Avinash Kaur, Bhai Baljit Singh, Bhai Jaswinder Singh Gandasa and Bhai Kuljit Singh. Bhai Sahib’s family were a poverty struck farming family. Sardar Mohan Singh made a living from the little land the family owned. Bhai Sahib was unable to study due to family being poor. Sardar Mohan Singh was Nihang Singh and his whole family had taken Amrit from the Panj Pyare. Bhai Sahib had taken Amrit in his childhood and knew his Nitnem by heart.

Soon as Bhai Sahib became responsible, he started to work in a warehouse in Batala, here Bhai Sahib worked for a long period of time. In June 1984, Operation Blue Star happened and thousands of innocent Sikhs were killed by the Indian army. Then in 1985, Bhai Sahib arrested by Punjab police on suspicion that he had been helping the local Jhujaru Singhs in secret. Bhai Sahib was kept in jail for just over 2 years and after being released, the Punjab police did not stop harassing Bhai Sahib and his family. Bhai Sahib had realised that he could not live in peace under the slavery of India and started looking for Jhujaru Singhs so he could join them and fight for freedom. In 1987, Bhai Sahib met Jhujaru Singhs and started living with them at Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar. In 1988, during Operation Black Thunder, Bhai Sahib surrendered to the Indian army and was arrested. Bhai Sahib was sent to Nabha Jail.

After being released from Nabha Jail, Bhai Sahib pledged to fight for freedom till his last breath under the command of Bhai Dharam Singh Keshtival of Babbar Khalsa. In his Jhujaru life, Bhai Sahib did many actions and also took responsibility for them under the Babbar Khalsa outfit. The Indian security forces had their noses sinking with the high level actions of Bhai Sahib. On 11th August 1992, the Punjab police from Kathunangal police station took their frustration out on Bhai Sahib’s brothers, Bhai Baljit Singh (Born 1961) and Bhai Kuljit Singh Pappu (Born 1968) by arresting them, is was after this day that no one ever saw these two brothers of Bhai Sahib again. The brothers of Bhai Sahib were totally innocent, only god knows what ordeal they went through from the hands of Indian security forces. On many occasions the Punjab police raided Bhai Sahib’s house and harassed the family and relatives of Bhai Sahib. Once the Punjab police went to the extreme to shoot towards Bhai Sahibs’ family home with his family inside.

On 6th January 1993, Bhai Sahib and fellow Jhujaru brothers were staying at house in the village of Shishrewal, near Fathegarh Churian. These Jhujaru Singhs of Babbar Khalsa had been preparing for a big action and had great amount of ammunition. An informant had given this information to the Punjab police. Upon getting this information, the Punjab police and CRPF surrounded the house in which the Jhujaru Singhs were staying. There was a big number of Indian soldiers, but the sons of Dhan Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj also had unlimited ammunition. A fierce encounter started between both sides. This battle lasted just over 48 hours in which many Indian soldiers were laid to their death. Bhai Sahib fought fearlessly and with bravery, on 8th January 1993, Bhai Sahib attained martyrdom.

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Jaswinder Singh Gandasa