Shaheed Bhai Major Singh Johal alias Pala

Shaheed Bhai Major Singh Johal alias Pala

Khalistan Liberation Force

Bhai Major Singh Johal was born on 30^th March 1970 from the womb of Mata Kashmir Kaur and in the house of Sardar Darshan Singh in the village of Johal Raju Singh, district Tarn Taran. Bhai Sahib was from a Gursikh family and had a sister Bibi Gurinder Kaur and a brother Bhai Dilbagh Singh. Bhai Sahib completed his education uptil 10^th class at a government school in a nearby village of Tharu. Then Bhai Sahib passed 12^th class from Tarn Taran’s Guru Arjan Dev Khalsa School in 1988 and then for his BA Bhai Sahib enrolled himself at the Khalsa College of Tarn Taran. Bhai Sahib completed two years of his BA and then went underground. Bhai Sahib loved to study and his headmaster never complained about Bhai Sahib to his parents. As well as studying Bhai Sahib also took great interest in sports. Bhai Sahib was part of his school’s football team from 5^th class. Bhai Sahib was chosen as a top player at many football tournaments. In his village Bhai Sahib also helped his family in the farms.

Bhai Sahib was very loved by his family as he was the youngest in the family. From his childhood Bhai Sahib had been attached to Sikhi, Bhai Sahib would daily go to the local Gurudwara and do sewa. In June 1984, the Indian government attacked Sri Darbar Sahib with tanks and cannons and thousands of innocent Sikh pilgrims were massacred by the Indian army also additional thirty plus historical Gurudwaras were attacked and damaged. Many Sikhs around the world were angry and wanted revenge for the attack, Bhai Sahib was amongst these Sikhs. Soon after the attack, Bhai Sahib visited Sri Akaal Takht Sahib and seeing the Sikh throne in ruins had a deep impact on Bhai Sahib. At that time Bhai Sahib was only 15 years of age. It was here Bhai Sahib did Ardas in front of Dhan Guru Ram Das Ji Maharaj that he would avenge the attack on Sri Darbar Sahib. It was after this powerful Ardas that Bhai Sahib started taking interest in the armed struggle and Jhujaru Singhs that followed after.

On many occasions Bhai Sahib made contact with Bhai Ranjit Singh Rana of Tharu and asked to join the armed struggle, but Bhai Sahib was told to continue with his education. It was in 1988 Bhai Sahib passed his 12^th class and after Bhai Sahib took admission into college where he met more Jhujaru Singhs. Bhai Sahib met the group of Khalistan Liberation Force’s Bhai Anar Singh Para and Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand. At first Bhai Sahib did sewa with Khalistan Liberation Force secretly and during this period Bhai Sahib also continued to study. Bhai Sahib gave his first part of the BA exam but when Bhai Anar Singh Para saw Bhai Sahib’s sewa he took Bhai Sahib into his group and involved him in every action thereafter. Bhai Sahib was now nicknamed Pala by the Jhujaru Singhs of Khalistan Liberation Force. In his Jhujaru life Bhai Sahib did many actions and had many encounters with the Indian security forces.

Some of Bhai Sahibs actions are written below:

• First ever encounter with the Indian security forces was in the village of Karuna Wala. Here Bhai Sahib, Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand and Bhai Buta Singh Sursingh escaped.
• Attacked the CRPF headquarters in Bhagwanpura
• Fierce encounter in the village of Ladhu, in which Bhai Bakshish Singh Nawa Pind, Bhai Raju Singh Kirtowal, Bhai Pamma Singh Kirtowal, Bhai Gurdev Singh Nawa Pind attained shaheedi and Bhai Sahib, Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anoop Singh, Bhai Buta Singh Sursingh escaped.
• Bhai Narinder Singh Bhola, Bhai Buta Singh Sursingh, Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para and Bhai Sahib attacked the CRPF headquarters in the village of Gundiwind.
• Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para, Bhai Jagtar Singh Jagga Gharyiala and Bhai Sahib attacked the Homegaurd headquarters in the village of Lakhna Kalan with grenades. After which this headquarters was permanently closed.
• Attacked the police station of Sarhali in which the DSP was wounded and 5 CRPF soldiers were killed. Bhai Gurdeep Singh Vakeel, Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para and Bhai Sahib took part in this action.
• Attacked a police station in the village Kade Pako, in which Bhai Gurdeep Singh Vakeel, Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para and Bhai Sahib took part and used grenades, pistols and RPGs. In the action 2 police buses were burnt and 11 CRPF soldiers were killed.
• Attacked the CRPF headquarters in Kubaak. Bhai Gurdeep Singh Vakeel, Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para, Bhai Narinder Singh Panjab and Bhai Sahib took part with RPGs, grenades and pistols. In this action a CRPF jeep was blown up and 3 CRPF soldiers were killed.
• Attacked the BSF headquarters in Khemkaran. Bhai Gurdeep Singh Vakeel, Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para and Bhai Sahib took part and killed 4 BSF soldiers.
• Attacked the BSF headquarters in the village of Noorwala. Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para and Bhai Sahib took part.
• Attacked the convoy of 2 buses of CRPF in the village of Bhure Kona. Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para and Bhai Sahib took part killing 9 CRPF soldiers and wounding 7.
• Attacked a CRPF checkpoint in the village of Dubli. One bus and one jeep were destroyed by the Jhujaru Singh and 19 CRPF soldiers were killed including one DSP and 1 soldier was wounded. This action was done by Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para, Bhai Nishan Singh Makhu and Bhai Sahib.
• Attacked the police station of Kalian Sakatran with RPGs. Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para and Bhai Sahib took part in this action.
• Attacked the police station of Manochahal in which 17 soldiers were killed. This action was done by Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para, Bhai Nishan Singh Makhu and Bhai Sahib.
• Attacked the checkpoint near Padhri village in which 3 commandos were killed. This action was done by Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para, Bhai Gurdeep Singh Vakeel and Bhai Sahib.
• Destroyed 2 CRPF jeeps near the river of Chandian. This action was done by Bhai Gurdeep Singh Vakeel, Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para, Bhai Gurbachan Singh Aahlaan and Bhai Sahib.
• Attacked the CPRF checkpoint in Amarkot destroying a CRPF jeep, killing 1 soldier and wounding 6. This action was done by Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para and Bhai Sahib.
• Attacked another checkpoint in Amarkot in which 4 CRPF soldiers were killed and wounding 6. This action was done by Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para and Bhai Sahib.
• Attacked the CPRF checkpoint near Panjwar, killing 5 CRPF soldiers, wounding 4 and destroying 2 jeeps. This action was done by Bhai Harbhajan Singh Mand, Bhai Anar Singh Para and Bhai Sahib.
• Assassination of Chanan Singh of village Dudh, who informed the police on Jhujaru Singhs.
• Assassination of police officer Jaswant Singh, who did CID of Jhujaru Singhs and had them killed by CRPF and BSF.
• Assassination of 2 Home Guards in Ferozpur, who were told to leave their jobs and du to them not leaving they were assassinated.
• Assassination of Shiv Sena workers in Ferozpur.

On 13^th May 1991, Bhai Sahib had disguised himself and was travelling on a bus from Dragabaad to the Sri Akhand Parth Sahib Bhog of Shaheed Bhai Varinderbir Singh Bhola. On the way the police stopped the bus and arrested the unarmed Bhai Sahib due to information given to them by a black cat. Bhai Sahib was then immediately made Shaheed in a fake encounter in the village of Khalchian, after being arrested. After making Bhai Sahib shaheed with their bullets, the police released a press release stating that Bhai Sahib had killed himself by swallowing a capsule of Sy-Nyde. Bhai Sahib’s Shaheedi saroop was not given to the family, the police cremated Bhai Sahib’s body at Dargaiana Mandir. A Sri Akhand Paath Sahib was held for the Chardikala of Shaheed Bhai Major Singh Johal alias Pala in his home village of Johal Raju Singh on 22^nd May 1991. Bhai Charan Singh Kar Sewa Wale was at the Sri Akhand Paath Sahib Bhog.

Information given by family of Shaheed Bhai Major Singh Johal alias Pala