Shaheed Bhai Rajwinder Singh Panjwar

Khalistan Commando Force

 

Bhai Rajwinder Singh Panjwar alias Raju was born in the year 1965, to the blessed womb of his mother Mata Mohinder Kaur and father Sardar Kashmir Singh, in the village of Panjwar Kalan, district Tarn Taran, Amritsar. Bhai Rajwinder Singh was the second youngest of five children. His siblings were four brothers – Bhai Sarabjit Singh, Bhai Amarjit Singh, Bhai Baldev Singh Fauji, Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar alias Pamma (Jathedar of Khalistan Commando Force). The family earned their livelihood by cultivating their land and working in agriculture. Bhai Rajwinder Singh completed his studies up to tenth grade at his local village school. After which he began working alongside his family members in the fields and growing crops.

 

Bhai Rajwinder Singh’s younger brother, Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar was a well-known Jhujaru Singh, who became leader of the Khalistan Commando Force, following the martyrdom of the former leader, Shaheed General Labh Singh, who also hailed from the same village. Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar left his family home and went underground in 1987/1988, to continue serving the KCF militia group with his fellow Jhujaru brothers. Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar was very active in serving the fight for freedom and one of the most wanted Jhujaru Singhs by the Indian government. It did not take long before the police began to harass and interrogate the family on his whereabouts. Any major action or reports of latest attacks and events, the police would immediately attend the family home arrest the elder brothers and father with continued harassment for days on end. The family home would be unnecessarily ransacked just to cause the family inconvenience.

 

In the year of 1989, the second eldest brother Bhai Amarjit Singh was picked up by the police and kept in custody for many days where he was mercilessly tortured. Large wooden rollers were used on his thighs, electrocuted with his private parts (groin) ripped apart, soles of his feet beaten with metal rods and his arms pulled backwards. One can only imagine the pain. Upon release, after no information was disclosed of his brother Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar, he was taken to Guru Nanak hospital in Amritsar for many days of treatment and recovery. The soles of his feet had become full of infection and pus. His body had endured so much torture that his health had massively deteriorated.

 

The eldest brother Bhai Sarabjit Singh was then picked up by the then chief police officer Sita Ram. For four to five days the family had no idea where he had been taken. Once known, the family managed to gain his release. All family members had decided to leave the family home and stay with various extended family relatives. The only person who decided to stay behind was their mother, Mata Mahinder Kaur. On the night of 26th November 1992, the local police led by Thanedar Jagdeep picked up Mata Mahinder Kaur and took her to Chabal Kalan police station.

 

The chief in charge of the police station was a Hindu, known as Ashok Kumar alias Jaggi Ashoki. Time after time, the police of this station had multiple times picked up members of the Panjwar family but never once charged them with any case and unduly kept without rights. Mata Ji was close to 70 years of age and the cruel police did not spare her either. After days of merciless torture, the Super Intendent of Chowki Manochahal took her into his custody, where she was known to have attained martyrdom (Shaheedi), but no clear details or her body were returned to the family.

 

Both Bhai Rajwinder Singh’s grandfather (Dada Ji) and Paternal Uncle (Chacha Ji) were arrested by the police and kept without charge for up to 23 days with continued torture and harassment. The police did not take pity on the aged grandfather, instead broke his left arm and caused major fracture to his hip and broke his leg. Bhai Rajwinder Singh’s wife, four-month-old baby and his father in-law were then picked up by the police and kept in unjust custody without any charge for up to 22 days.

 

The police had made the empty and derelict family home into a police station. The house was looted and cleared out. Later the entire house was demolished, with the bricks and girders taken by the greedy police to use on one of their properties in Gagobua village. The police went one step further and sold the family land of 32 acres. They looted all the machinery and tractors the family used for their farming business. All this was done via an appointed and well-known police cat, known as Kala.

 

Later in 1994, Bhai Rajwinder Singh came back to the village area and took up his old job at the Punjab Electrical Board company. On 22nd February 1995, the police came looking for Bhai Rajwinder Singh and fronted his house. The police took no time to pick him up and throw him into the back of the police jeep and taken to Chabbal Kalan station. As soon as the family members heard of this, they quickly made their way to the Chabbal Kalan police station. Upon questioning the local police officer who completely denied the fact and said that Bhai Rajwinder Singh was not here. Having not disclosed any information to the police on the whereabouts of his brother Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar, Bhai Rajwinder Singh was killed in a fake encounter and became a Shaheed (martyr). The body was never returned to the family.

 

The family contributed and endured a lot for the sake of the Khalistan movement. Never once did they dwindle in their support for the Khalsa Panth and the fight for freedom. The struggles the family faced were beyond any imagination, the police did their best to make their lives a living hell. But the cause was larger than them and the family remained steadfast. Much is owed to this family and the Sikh Quam should never forget their individual greatness and their collective sacrifice.

 

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Rajwinder Singh Panjwar