Shaheed Bhai Sukhminder Singh Brar

On the road from Saadak to Jalalabad is the village Deep Singh Wala. Amongst the brave warriors of the Sikh Panth who gave their lives defending Sikhi, is the name of Shaheed Bhai Sukhminder Singh who was from this village and well respected by the locals. Bhai Sahib’s father’s name was Sardar Dalip Singh and his mother was called Mata Jai Kaur. Bhai Sahib was married to Bibi Daljit Kaur from the village of Kingra, also situated near Saadak. Bhai Sahib saw the birth of his two sons. Like many other families of Jhujaru singhs, Bhai Sahib’s family was also humiliated, harassed and tortured by the Indian security forces. During his Jhujaru life the Hindu racist police would arrest Bibi Daljit Kaur and torture her in various torture centres but this did not satisfy the Punjab police, they would arrest her brothers and brutally torture them in front of her.

Bhai Sahib was at the peak of his youth hood when he started to listen to the Panthic views of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale and joined other Jhujaru Singhs to do selfless service of the Sikh Panth. Even during the Dharam Yodha Morcha Bhai Sahib would go to Sri Darbar Sahib and stay there for many days continuously. Bhai Sahib would return home for a few days and again would leave go to Sri Darbar Sahib to stay with Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale.

When the Indian Government attacked Sri Darbar Sahib with troops and tanks in June 1984, Bhai Sahib along with other youth from his village had come to Sri Darbar Sahib and brought their harvested crops. Before the curfew fully got enforced by the Indian Army, Bhai Sahib and fellow Singhs had left to reach back home from Amritsar. One thing is not sure if Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale himself sent Bhai Sahib back home or Bhai Sahib had left before the attack actually started. On the way back the curfew was fully in effect all over Punjab and Bhai Sahib reached home from back roads and through farms.

For some time Bhai Sahib stayed at home after the attack but as the Jhujaru actions started to occur, the Indian security forces started arresting innocent Sikh youth around Punjab. Bhai Sahib would also get arrested from home and get tortured at police stations. Bhai Sahib would get accused of harbouring Jhujaru Singhs or if there was any Jhujaru actions in the area Bhai Sahib would get arrested and get tortured and get sent to jail on fake cases.

Once Bhai Sahib was kept at Faridkot Jail for 6 months on a fake case, then Bhai Sahib was once again got arrested from a Gurudwara in Wajjidpur after which he was tortured and sent to Ferozpur jail for another 2 months. Now along with Bhai Sahib his family members also started getting targeted by the Punjab police. Once the police came to arrest Bhai Sahib from his home but he was not at home but the police arrested Bhai Sahib’s mother and wife instead. This is when Bhai Sahib told his family, “I will not be humiliated anymore, and I will die fighting.” After this Bhai Sahib left home to enter the battlefield and join his Jhujaru brothers.

During Bhai Sahib’s Jhujaru life, he punished many enemies of the Panth. One action of Bhai Sahib stands out the most is when he blew up a corrupt-murdering police officer from the village of Dhodh by blowing his car up with explosives. The Kavishers also mention this action in their songs:

“Jugni Dhodha Nu Paee Thhil

La Laya Naaka, Na Lai Thhel

Kathhaa Karta Deputy Gill

Singha Bindh’ch Paati Pill

Oye Veer Maraya Jugni, Veer Maraya Jugni

Hun Jugni Firdi Sanbar Di

Deep Singh Walay Sukhminder Di”

In the second of year 1989, one day Bhai Sahib and 7 Jhujaru Singhs came to a hideout in the village of Jhanduwala, situated near Guru Har Sahai but the owners of this hideout had somehow been brought by the Indian security forces. One member of this family, Major Singh was a Dharam brother of Bhai Sahib. When the Singhs came to the hideout, Major Singh gave milk mixed with poison to the Singhs and as the poison took effect on the Singhs, their bodies became weak. By now Major Singh and his family had left the house. This hideout was on the outskirts of the village and had been surrounded by the enemy.

It is said by local villagers that they heard Bhai Sahib shout “Major, you shouldn’t have attacked us on our back, you could’ve got us attacked by the Indian security forces. If any of our Sikh brothers are listening, then serve justice to this traitor Major.”

Like this after saying many things Bhai Sahib and fellow Singhs attained Shaheedi. After some days the Jhujaru Singhs avenged the Shaheedi of Bhai Sahib by killing Darshan Singh the brother of the traitor Major Singh. Major Singh himself died of a fatal illness shortly after.

Bhai Sahib and 7 other Jhujaru were declared Shaheed by newspapers the following day. Singhs being poisoned was not mentioned to the world and the police took all the credit and displayed their false bravery stating that they had killed 8 Jhujaru Singhs in a fierce encounter. One thing must also be noted is that only the dead bodies of Singhs were shot at by the police, it was the poison that resulted in their Shaheedi.

Khalsa Fatehnama – January 2015