Shaheed Bhai Mahinder Singh Current

Babbar Khalsa

Bhai Mahinder Singh Current was born in the year of 1967, in the house of Sardar Sohan Singh and from the womb of Mata Pritam Kaur in the village of Bijliwal, district Batala. Sardar Sohan Singh had 8 children (eldest to youngest) Bhai Gurmeet Singh, Bhai Surjit Singh, Bhai Surinder Singh, Bhai Ravinder Singh, Shaheed Bhai Mahinder Singh Current, Bibi Inderjit Kaur, Bibi Sarabjit Kaur and Bhai Palwinder Singh. Bhai Sahib’s family were very poor, and worked as labourers to put food on the table. Bhai Sahib had only studied up to 3rd class, due to the family being poor, Bhai Sahib could not study further. From his childhood, Bhai Sahib had to work as a labourer due to poverty. Bhai Sahib would work in farms and feed cattle. Bhai Sahib worked as a labourer up till he became a man.

Bhai Sahib used to travel to the village of Khanfatta to work, and at a Gurdwara Othian Sahib, Bhai Sahib came in contact with the Jhujaru Singhs. It was from here, Bhai Sahib slowly got involved in the Sikh freedom movement for Khalistan and started taking part in Jhujaru actions in secret. Bhai Sahib’s heart was in the movement and felt the pain that the Sikh nation was suffering under the Indian government. Bhai Sahib himself wanted to be a Jhujaru Singh. In 1988, Bhai Sahib came to Gurdwara Othian Sahib to meet the Jhujaru Singhs, but the Indian security forces had surrounded the Gurdwara Sahib. The Jhujaru Singhs made attempts to escape but were unsuccessful and were arrested along with Bhai Sahib.

After being arrested, Bhai Sahib’s family and local Sarpanch managed to free him by putting pressure on the Punjab police. Bhai Sahib had worked at the house of this Sarpanch. After this, Bhai Sahib had decided to leave home and join the armed struggle for Khalistan. In 1989, Bhai Sahib joined Babbar Khalsa under the command of Bhai Dharam Singh Kashtiwal and Bhai Gurbhej Singh alias Bhai Dalip Singh. Bhai Sahib also went to Pakistan many times, for training in arms and guerrilla warfare. Bhai Sahib had also carried out many Jhujaru actions. Bhai Sahib took written responsibility of actions such as the assassinations of police cats and informers. Once in village of Ratta Abdal, Bhai Sahib was involved in a fierce battle with Punjab police, in which one of Bhai Sahib’s Jhujaru brothers had attained martyrdom and 2/3 police officers were killed. Under Bhai Dharam Singh Kashtiwal, Bhai Sahib was made the Area Commander of Bijliwal and surrounding areas.

On 15th October 1991, Bhai Sahib was resting at house in Chandu Majra, planning a Jhujaru action. At this time, Bhai Sahib did not have any heavy weapon, instead only had a pistol. Bhai Sahib’s location was given to the Punjab police by his very own eldest step-brother (Surinder Singh). Upon receiving this information, the Punjab police surrounded the house in which Bhai Sahib was staying and arrested him. After being arrested, Bhai Sahib was taken to the interrogation centre of Batala where he was blindly tortured. Due to inhumane torture, Bhai Sahib attained martyrdom in the early hours of 16th October 1991. To avoid internal investigation, the Punjab police took the body of Bhai Sahib to the farms of village Masanian and staged a fake encounter and declared Bhai Sahib a martyr. The body was not given to Bhai Sahib’s family and was cremated by the police in Batala.

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Mahinder Singh Current