Shaheed Bhai Sarbat Singh Laddi

Khalistan Guerilla Force

 

Bhai Sarbat Singh Laddi was born in 1971, in the house of Sardar Amar Singh and from the womb of Mata Mukhtiar Kaur in village Kattu, near Dhanola, district Barnala. Bhai Laddi was the second eldest of 4 children, eldest being Bibi Yadwinder Kaur, then Bhai Harbans Singh and youngest Bibi Binder Kaur. Bhai Laddi studied up to 10th class at the government school in the village. After passing 10th class, Bhai Laddi took admission at Sangrur’s Mastuana Sahib Akaal Degree College where he passed his 12th class. During these days, the Jhujaru Singhs were highly active in the area. One day Bibi Bimal Kaur (widow of Shaheed Bhai Beant Singh Maloya) had come to Bhai Laddi’s college. After hearing her speech Bhai Laddi felt a pull towards the Sikh Freedom Movement.

 

Slowly Bhai Laddi started taking part in the All India Sikh Student Federation activities, and looking at the dedication of Bhai Laddi the leadership of AISSF made him one of the senior members of the federation collage unit. Eventually Bhai Laddi came in contact with a Jhujaru Singh of Kabarwala village, Baba Kaur Singh and from here, along with a fellow college student Bhai Swaranjit Singh, Bhai Laddi started taking part in Jhujaru actions secretly. Later Bhai Laddi joined Bhai Piara Singh of village Alo Arkh, another Jhujaru Singh.

 

On 15th August 1991, the Punjab police raided Bhai Laddi’s house for the first time. Bhai Laddi was not at home that day, after the local villagers advised him to surrender himself at the local police station, but Bhai Laddi refused any advice and left home forever to jump onto the battlefield against the Indian tyranny and establish a Sikh nation, Khalistan. After going underground, Bhai Laddi joined Khalistan Commando Force under the command of Bhai Wassan Singh Zaffarwal.

 

Once Bhai Laddi was surrounded by the Indian security forces in the village of Ghunas, near Tapa village. A fierce battle ensued and after causing heavy casualties to the enemy, Bhai Laddi managed to escape safely. When Bhai Laddi decided to deal with the police informers and touts, he along with 10/12 armed Jhujaru Singhs went to the Gurdwara Sahib of Kattu village and made an announcement from the speakers of the Gurdwara Sahib, “I have not gone anywhere, I am in my village. If any police informers want to give this new to their masters, do so now. We will be waiting at the river (outskirts of the Kattu village).” But no police tout or informer had the courage to accept this challenge of the Jhujaru Singhs. The following day the Indian security forces raided the house of Bhai Laddi, and arrested his father, Sardar Amar Singh, who was taken to the Dhanola police station where he was tortured for 2 days before the local Panchayat managed to free him. After this incident the Punjab police set up small police station in the Kattu village.

 

Later on, Bhai Laddi met Bhai Kesar Singh Jogi (village Chhajli, near Sunam) of Khalistan Guerilla Force and from here Bhai Laddi did Jhujaru actions under this group till his last breath. Looking at Bhai Laddi’s bravery and intelligence, the senior command gave him the rank of area commander.

 

In the end, on 16th January 1992 Bhai Laddi was unarmed and travelling to Moga on a bus. The Dhanola police were given this information and Bhai Laddi was arrested at the bus station of Barnala 10 o’clock in the morning. That same evening Bhai Kesar Singh Jogi was also arrested by the Punjab police. Both Jhujaru Singhs were brutally tortured at the Dhanola police station but they did not give any information to the police. When the police realized they weren’t getting any information, they decided to kill them. On the morning of 17th January 1992, both Jhujaru Singhs were taken to the drain of Dhanola village and made martyrs in a staged police encounter. The families of Shaheed Bhai Sarbat Singh Laddi and Shaheed Bhai Kesar Singh Jogi were not given their bodies, but 2 days after Sardar Amar Singh was allowed to gather the ashes of his son, and under the police presence the family flowed the ashes at Sri Kiratpur Sahib.

 

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Sarbat Singh Laddi