Shaheed Bhai Sukhdev Singh alias Bhai Heera Singh

Babbar Khalsa

Bhai Sukhdev Singh Babbar was born on 12th February 1964 in the house of Sardar Ujagar Singh and from the womb of Mata Amar Kaur in the village of Padhri Kalan, District Amritsar. Bhai Sahib passed his 10th class from a government high school of village Sursingh, Bhai Sahib was also a good hockey player. Bhai Sahib had a well built and a tall body and was physically active also. Bhai Sahib was loved by all students and teachers at his school. After passing 10th class Bhai Sahib started helping his father on the family farm. By 1982-83 Bhai Sahib had been in the sangat of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale regularly. Bhai Sahib’s family wanted Bhai Sahib to be a soldier in the Indian Army as Sardar Ujagar Singh had been in the army and a freedom fighter. Besides his father, Bhai Sahib’s two brothers were also in the army. Bhai Sahib had now been attached to doing sewa of the Sikh Panth. Bhai Sahib first did sewa with the All India Sikh Student Federation as one of Bhai Amrik Singh’s closest Singhs, and soon Bhai Sahib joined Babbar Khalsa under Bhai Sukhdev Singh Dasuwal.

During the attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib in June 1984, Bhai Sahib was in the complex and along with other Jhujaru Singhs of Babbar Khalsa fought the invading army with bravery. In the end while Longowal and Tohra surrendered themselves, Bhai Sahib and the Jhujaru Singhs of Babbar Khalsa succeeded in escaping by breaking through a wall of Nanak Niwas. Bhai Sahib was very saddened when in June 1984, he saw the demolished Sri Akaal Takhat Sahib, Sri Darbar Sahib riddled with bullets and the genocide of innocent Sikhs. Bhai Sahib had now become even more active with Babbar Khalsa under the command of Bhai Harpal Singh Pappu.

On 3rd September 1986, Bhai Sahib was alone and was travelling to Raiay village. As soon as Bhai Sahib reached Raiay, his scooter broke down and Bhai Sahib waited at a shop as he got his scooter repaired by a mechanic. It was a criminal named Kumar who saw Bhai Sahib and went to the police and said “I will give you information on Sukhdev Singh Babbar if you release members of my gang.” The police agreed and went to the shop where Bhai Sahib was waiting. The police asked Bhai Sahib his name to which he replied “My name is Heera Singh.” The police were confused and called Kumar, he said “Sir his nickname is Heera Singh but he is Sukhdev Singh of Babbar Khalsa.” Bhai Sahib had no route of escape as his scooter was still being repaired. The police arrested Bhai Sahib and took him to Beas Police Station, where he was brutally tortured. Bhai Sahib’s right arm was broken. Meanwhile Bhai Sahib’s father and brother were arrested and kept at Raiay Police Station. Bhai Sahib was taken to the Beas Bridge and a constable told Bhai Sahib, “We are going to kill you here.” Another constable joked and said, “Tell us, how shall we kill you?” Bhai Sahib looked into the eyes of the enemy and replied, “If you want to kill me then quickly do it.”

Bhai Sahib was asked again about fellow Singhs and where the weapons were kept, but Bhai Sahib did not say a word, instead Bhai Sahib swore at the police officers. The police were angry as they couldn’t scare Bhai Sahib, they made Bhai Sahib Shaheed in a fake encounter. After Bhai Sahib’s Shaheedi his body was taken to Amritsar along with Bhai Sahib’s father and brother, then the body was handed over to the family. The Thanedar by the name of Suri told Bhai Sahib’s mother, Mata Amar Kaur, “Mata Ji, what did you eat to give birth to such a warrior? So much bravery that even in the hands of the enemy he kept of challenging them. He wasn’t scared of dying”.

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Sukhdev Singh alias Bhai Heera Singh