Shaheed Bhai Kuldeep Singh Bittu

Babbar Khalsa

 

Bhai Kuldeep Singh Bittu was born in the house of Sardar Banta Singh and from the womb of Mata Swaran Kaur in Dhandiala Natt village, district Batala. Bhai Sahib was the youngest of 3 brothers and 3 sisters. Sardar Banta Singh was a wealthy farmer and his whole family, including children were Amritdhari. Bhai Sahib had taken Amrit from the Panj Pyare at a very young age and ever since, he lived his life according to the Sikh code of conduct. Bhai Sahib studied up to 10th class at the government school of Shankarpura village. During the year of 1984, Bhai Sahib was studying in 10th class.

Due to being religious and part activist, Bhai Sahib would regularly visit Sri Harimandir Sahib to do Darshan of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj and also to listen to the speeches of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale in Sri Manjhi Sahib Hall. Listening to these speeches about the crimes committed upon the Sikhs by the hands of Indian government, Bhai Sahib would come home and tell his mother about the injustices that reigned over the heads of the Sikhs. Seeing Bhai Sahib highly interested in the Sikh struggle, his parents and brothers would get worried not knowing what Bhai Sahib would do.

Bhai Sahib had just given his 10th class exams, when in June 1984 the Indian army attacked Sri Harimandir Sahib complex with tanks and cannons. This attack on the Sikh throne, Sri Akaal Takht Sahib and almost another 40 historical Gurdwara had a deep impact on Bhai Sahib. He remembered the words Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale and told his family, “Sant Ji said, that if the Indian army attacks Sri Harimandir Sahib, make Singhs and Singhnia martyrs or disrespect the purity of Sri Darbar Sahib, then we must answer the Indian government back.” And this is exactly what Bhai Sahib did. After the attack, the local Hindus would mock Bhai Sahib by saying, “Oi Bittu, where has your Bhindri (referring to Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale) gone now?” Bhai Sahib’s reply would be, “I don’t know about Bhindri, but your Indri (referring to Indira Gandhi) will not alive for very long.”

After the attack many Sikh youth around Punjab gathered in their own local groups to form some type of guerrilla group which will answer back the Indian government. Bhai Sahib, Bhai Amrik Singh who was from the same village and another 3 local Singhs crossed the border into Pakistan via Dera Baba Nanak to attain guerrilla warfare training. Bhai Sahib stayed in Pakistan for roughly 2 years, first year he spent in Pakistani jail and then a year after he returned back to Punjab with skills to use many different types of weapons.

When Bhai Sahib returned to Punjab, he did not have any special weapons or a way of getting such weapons. Bhai Sahib joined other local Jhujaru Singhs who he met in Pakistan and who had returned to Punjab also. They all started a Jhujaru group locally with basic weapons such as double shotguns and started punishing anti-Sikh elements. Sometime later Bhai Sahib met Bhai Gurnam Singh Pehlwan (Dabbanwala village, Batala) of Babbar Khalsa and started doing Jhujaru actions under his command. In his Jhujaru life, Bhai Sahib did actions with Jhujaru Singhs such as Bhai Charat Singh (Ghaseetpura village, Batala), Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan and many other Jhujaru Singhs. The Punjab police had realised Bhai Sahib’s existence due to his brave Jhujaru actions and had put a heavy cash reward on his head. The police also harassed and tortured the family members pf Bhai Sahib. Due to Bhai Sahib’s commitment and bravery, the high command of Babbar Khalsa ranked Bhai Sahib the General of the Batala area. Bhai Sahib’s main role was to bring weapons from Pakistan into Punjab and arm Jhujaru Singhs.

On 11th September 1991, Bhai Sahib was staying at friend’s house to avoid capture in the village of Jaito Sarja, near Udohke. Somehow this information had leaked to the police of this area. At this time, Bhai Sahib was unarmed and staying in the house with the family of his friend. The Punjab police along with CRPF had surrounded the house in which Bhai Sahib was in. Even though Bhai Sahib was unarmed, soon as he saw the enemy, he started punching police officers and pushing them out of the way. Thanedar Ajaib Singh was leading the police team that were unable to control Bhai Sahib. In the end the CRPF soldiers started hitting the butt of their rifles on Bhai Sahib’s head and he attained martyrdom on the spot. After Bhai Sahib’s martyrdom, the police took his body to Kotla Bama village, Batala and declared him a martyr in a fake encounter.

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Kuldeep Singh Bittu