Shaheed Bhai Major Singh Nagoke

Nagoke Jatha

In Amritsar near Khadur Sahib a village called Nagoke has a high name in Sikh history. The great shaheed of India Bhai Udham Singh has also come from this village as well as many more chardikalaah singhs.  13thApril 1978, on the pure and holy land of Amritsar, 13 singhs who peacefully protested against Narakhdharis, for the mass beadbi of Guru Granth Sahib Ji and Sikh panth were shot dead. The dead bodies of 13 singhs were urinated on by the followers of Narakhdharis and danced on.

After this beadbi by the Narakhdharis many singhs and singhnia joined the Sikh movement to punish the Narakhdharis and any dusht that did beadbi of Sikh gurus or Sikh panth. Within the endless list of singhs that joined the movement, was the name of Bhai Major Singh Nagoke.

Bhai Sahib was born in 1950, in the house of Sardar Harbans Singh and Mata Harbhajan Kaur in the village of Nagoke. Bhai Sahib had an older sister Bibi Swaran Kaur. When Bhai Sahib was 21, Mata Ji passed away, after the death of Mata Ji Bhai Sahib and his sister were looked after by their grandparents. Bhai Sahib studied till 10thclass at a local high school in Nagoke.  Bhai Sahib’s father sent him to Khadur Sahib to learn about Sikhi and have Santhaya of Gurbani by Baba Tara Singh Ji Nirmale. There Bhai Sahib completed the full Santhaya of Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 4 times, Bhai Sahib also know 7 nitnem banis [khant] by heart. At the 36thmorcha of Sant Kartar Singh Ji Bindranwale’s against the Indian Government, Bhai Sahib joined the morcha along with his friends from the same village and surrounding villages. There Bhai Sahib joined Dam Dami Taksal. Bhai Sahib loved gurbani, when Bhai Sahib did rolls of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, he never took money for the sewa. Bhai Sahib always thought that only a gifted and blessed person is able to recite gurbani. Bhai Sahib was so active. Bhai Sahib could hold back the attack of 5 opponents in Gatka and also was a great player in Kabbadi. Whenever Bhai Sahib raced on his horses he would bet amongst his friends and always win. Bhai Sahib felt happy after he trained Gatka to the youth of Nagoke. Bhai Sahib got married in 1974 according to the gurmat maryada to Bibi Jaswinder Kaur, daughter of Sardar Chanan Singh from village Pakhon. Bhai Sahib had 3 sons, Kuldeep Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Ajaypal Singh.

8-10 April 1978, Dam Dami Taksal held Mahan Kirtan Smagam at Khadur Sahib near Amritsar. Bhai Sahib attended this smagam with his friends who included, Bhai Kulwant Singh Nagoke, Bhai Lakha Singh Nagoke, Bhai Jagga Singh Nagoke, Bhai Bir Singh Nagoke, Bhai Najjar Singh Nagoke, Bhai Bukal Singh Nagoke, Bhai Dhanna Singh Bahadurpur, Bhai Gurmukh Singh Bahadurpur and Bhai Hardev Singh Bahadurpur. All these singhs were in chardikalaah and did langar di sewa along with all other sewa for the whole period of Kirtan Smagam.  On the 11thApril 1978 all these singhs took Khande Da Amrit and became gursikhs. After the amrit sanchar all the singhs requested to, then jathedar of Dam Dami Taksal, Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bindrawale to let the singh stay with Sant Ji and sewa for the panth. Sant Ji replied that they more than welcome to stay with him at Taksal and that Taksal is a jathebandi of true Sikhs of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Sant Ji left Khadur Sahib to go Amritsar, and Bhai Sahib along with the singhs went Amritsar too, there they had ishnan and did darshan of Sri Harimandir Sahib and became soldiers of Taksal.

13thApril 1978 amritvela, Akhand Kirtani Jathedar Bhai Fauja Singh came to Sant Ji and informed Sant Ji of the fake Narakhdhari Guru Gurbachana is in Amritsar, B Block, Railway Colony, doing his fake dramatic smagam and is talking against Guru Granth Sahib Ji and the Sikh Panth. Bhai Fauja Singh asked Sant Ji to arrange a peaceful protest against the Narakhdhari Cult. Sant Ji said that the singhs are tyar bar tyar to do sewa. Sant Ji asked Jeevan Singh Umparnangal who was a member of SGPC, and had huge political following as he was a minister of Akaali Party which at that time was the ruling party of Punjab, to use his powers to stop this beadbi done by Gurbachana Nrakhdhari of Guru Granth and Guru Panth. But Akaalis dare do something against the Narakhdharis as Akaalis begged the Narakhdharis for  votes at every election, they didn’t want to risk their votes, even if that means allowing the beadbi of the panth.

If Akaalis have raj they become shameless, even if Sikhs or Sikh Maryada is being destroyed. When the Akaalis are close to losing the elections, they make announcements of saying that the Sikh panth is in danger, and also make fake promises that they will save Sikhi from beadbi, only if they remain in power. Jeevan Singh Umparnangal told Sant Ji that the Akaalis were the party of people and anyone can talk about their beliefs, but Sant Ji replied by saying that it’s good to talk about our beliefs but it is wrong to talk against other beliefs like the Narakhdharis talk against the Sikh Maryada and Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Dam Dami Taksal and Akhand Kirtani Jatha singhs came to an agreement of doing a peaceful protest against the beadbi of Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Singhs requested Sant Ji to allow Bhai Ranbhir Singh Fauji and Bhai Fauja Singh to lead the protest against Narakhdharis. Peacefully reciting Satnam, the singhs towards the fake smagam held by the Narakhdharis. When the protest approached the smagam, they could see the ego of Narakhdharis and heard the words he was saying against Guru Granth Sahib Ji. As soon as Gurbachana Narakhdhari  saw the singhs, he ordered his cowardly goons to shoot at the singhs blindly and kill as many singhs possible. Even the police had joined in with the goons of Gurbachana Narakhdhari, and threw gas bombs towards the singhs while the goons were shooting live rounds at singhs. After, the wounded singhs were attacked by followers of Narakhdhari Cult with swords, polls and metal bars. 13 singhs gave shaheedi and more than 150 Dam Dami Taksal and AKJ singhs were injured, who included Bhai Gurbachan Singh Manochahal. The streets were coloured red with the blood of Sikhs. After this assault on singhs who protested peacefully, the Narakhdhari Smagam continued for 3hrs more with the help of Akaali Panthic Party. After 13th April 1978, there was uproar within the Sikh panth about the unlawful killing of 13 singhs. All these killings and the beadbi of the Sikh Nation happened in front of Bhai Major Singh Nagoke and Bhai Anokh Singh Babbar. When the Narakhdhari Smagam finished the Akaalis made sure that Gurbachana Narakhdhari got to Delhi safe and sound. A case was made against Gurbachana Narakhdhari for the murder of 13 singhs in Amritsar, but the hearing happened at Karnal, just outside Delhi. With the political help of the Akaalis, Gurbachana Narakhdhari and his 70 goons were released without any charges. To put more salt into the fresh wounds of the Sikh Nation, Gurbachana Narakhdhari mocked the panth by saying, 6thGuru, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji released 52 prisoners from Gwalior Prison and today I have released 70 prisoners .

Bhai Gian Singh worked at Gurbachana Narakhdhari’s house. Bhai Ranjit Singh and Bhai Kabul Singh, without fear decided to enter the battlefield to bring justice to the Sikh panth for the killing of 13 singhs. But more singhs were needed, who didn’t care about their lives to carry this mission out.

Bhai Gian Singh’s wife was from Nagoke, that’s why Bhai Gian Singh regularly visited Nagoke. There Bhai Gian Singh met Bhai Major Singh. After a lot of planning a jatha of 16 singhs including Bhai Major Singh Nagoke went to Delhi to punish Gurbachana Narakhdhari under the command of Bhai Amrik Singh. Bhai Major Singh Nagoke drove the vehicle packed with guns to Delhi. According to the plan, the 16 singhs surrounded the mansion of Gurbachana Narakhdhari, and after cutting the barbed wire the entered the mansion. Gurbachana Narakhdhari was not at home so the singh waited for his return. Later that night Gurbachana Narakhdhari along with his bodyguard Partapaya, came home after the visit to Bharganj, there the 16 singhs shot Gurbachana Narakhdhari and his bodyguard and sent them to hell with loud jaikaray of BOLE SO NIHAL SAT SRI AKAAL. With the blessing of Waheguru the 16 singhs made back to Punjab safely and returned to their homes in chardikalaah. Before reaching Punjab the singh threw all their weapons in river Yamuna near Delhi. Delhi Police and CBI searched village Nagoke for Bhai Sahib but little did they know that Bhai Sahib had permanently moved to Mehta Chownk and started living with Sant Ji. When CBI tried to arrest Sant Ji in Chando-Kalan, Haryana, Sant Ji and Bhai Sahib made back to Mehta Chownk safely in a Truck.

DSP Gurbachana, who killed Bhai Manjit Singh also known as Hijacker Museebat Singh, by shooting him in the chest at Raja Sasi Airport, Amritsar. This dusht was also punished and sent to hell with his family and security by Bhai Sahibs Jatha. Makhan Hawaldar and Bhagwan Singh Sultanpur Lodhi was also punished to death by Bhai Sahib. Bhai Major Singh Nagoke, Bhai Manbeer Singh Chaheru, Bhai Surinder Singh Sodhi and Gen. Labh Singh were always successful in all the sewa they did for the panth.

After the assassination of Narakhdhari Gurbachna and Lala Jagat Narayan, the government was trying their best to arrest Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale and fellow singhs, but Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale’s innocence was proven. Now Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale started staying in Nanak Niwas on permanent basis.

Harchand Longowal was also trying many tactics to create a passage for the Indian security forces to get their hands on Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale. On 23rdApril 1983, Harchand Longowal talked the then Jathedar of Sri Akaal Takht Sahib, Singh Sahib Giani Kirpal Singh into releasing an order of not carrying weapons onto the Parikarma of Sri Harimandir Sahib. The anti-Sikh elements such as Harchand Longowal deployed the civil clothed police officers in Sri Darbar Sahib waiting for Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale to enter the Parikarma, so they could arrest Sant Ji. But Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale was a high thinker and also thought ahead of his enemies, he moved to the top floor of Guru Ram Das Langar Hall. The singhs such as Bhai Surinder Singh Sodhi, Bhai Swarn Singh Rode, Bhai Manbir Singh Chaheru, Bhai Labh Singh and Bhai Major Singh Nagoke were all ready to face any threat that came towards Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale.

On 25thApril 1983, the civil clothed police officers waiting around the Parikarma and waited for Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale to come, so they can take commando action on him. DIG Atwal was also in civil clothes ordering his officers on this operation. Bhai Labh Singh said, “Sant Ji, we must teach these Sikh traitors a lesson, by punishing DIG Atwal, the whole enemies will get the message that we do not tolerate betrayal to the Sikh panth.”

Bhai Labh Singh pointed DIG Atwal out to Bhai Major Singh Nagoke and now it was in the hands of Bhai Major Singh Nagoke to punish this enemy of the panth. As DIG Atwal went to the shoe house to his boots on, Bhai Major Singh Nagoke shot him and sent him to hell. The civil clothed police officers quickly ran away from their positions and out of Sri Darbar Sahib. Bhai Major Singh Nagoke shouted Jaikaray of “Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akaal” and fled the scene. The following article was written in the book, Tully & Jacob Page 97:

In April 1983, A.S. Atwal, a Deputy Inspector General of Police, came to pray at the Temple; after receiving Parshad at the Harmandir Sahib, he walked out towards the marble steps near the main entrance of the Complex where he was shot dead in broad daylight, with scores of witnesses standing by, including his own bodyguard and a police contingent posted a hundred yards away. Such was the terror of those days, so great the demoralisation of the police – crippled and constrained as they were by the political leadership – that his bodyguards simply fled; the police outpost was also abandoned, and the policemen ran and hid in the shops. The shopkeepers pulled down their shutters, and no one dared to approach the body. The killers danced the bhangra around the felled DIG, and then sauntered back into the Temple. Atwal’s body, “riddled with bullets, lay in the main entrance to the Sikhs most sacred shrine for more than two hours before the District Commissioner could persuade the Temple authorities to hand it over.”

 

In June 1984, Indira Gandhi sent the Indian army to attack Sri Harimandir Sahib, but the singhs of Guru Gobind Singh Ji defended Sri Darbar Sahib with all their might. Bhai Sahib was positioned on Ramgharia Bunga, from where the Indian soldiers were dying in numbers. After the Indian tanks demolished the position on Ramgharia Bunga, Bhai Sahib, Bhai Swarn Singh Rode, Bhai Dalbir Singh Abhyiassi, Bhai Ram Singh and Bhai Nand Singh went to the bunker of Guru Ram Das Langar Hall, from where the Dukhbhajani Beri could be seen. Also at this bunker, there is a well in which the singhs had kept their food supplies. The singhs were once again killing the Indian soldiers but the Indian army did not know where the fire was coming from. By 6thJune the Indian army had soldiers all over the complex of Sri Darbar Sahib. When Zail Singh came to see the damage the Indian army had done, his bodyguard was killed and only then the army found out about the singhs in Guru Ram Das Langar Hall. The army general then grabbed the head granthi of Sri Darbar Sahib, Giani Puran Singh and said, “The Singhs of Bhindranwale know who you are, you go and tell them to drop their weapons and surrender to the army, we will not kill them.” Giani Puran Singh gave this message to the singhs. Bhai Sahib replied, “Singh Sahib Ji, we are not traitors, we are singhs. This army has attacked our beloved Sri Harimandir Sahib. They are the enemies, we will fight with them till our last breath. My names is Major Singh and with me are, Bhai Swarn Singh, Bhai Swarn Singh, Bhai Nand Singh, Bhai Ram Singh.” The army general tried sending in another 5 forces but the singhs defeated them and sent every single one of them to hell. Now the Indian army through the poisoness gas bombs into the bunker where the singhs were fighting from. Due to the poisoness gas Bhai Sahib, Bhai Swarn Singh Rode, Bhai Dalbir Singh Abhyiassi, Bhai Ram Singh Sultanpuri, Bhai Nand Singh Patti attained shaheedi on the holy land of Guru Ram Das Ji on 9thJune 1984. Shaheed Bhai Major Singh Nagoke fought till his last breath, and put his name on the very long list of shaheeds. Bhai Sahib is and will be the brave soldier of the Sikh Panth who came from a village called Nagoke.

Khadku Yodhe – Maninder Singh Baja