Shaheed Bhai Surinder Singh Mintu  

Khalistan Commando Force

Lt. General of Khalistan Commando Force Bhai Surinder Singh Mintu was born on 20th July 1970, in the house of Sardar Gurcharan Singh who is the resident of village Bhikhiwind, near Sursingh. As Bhai Sahib was born into a Gursikh family, from childhood Bhai Sahib was taught about Sikh history and its core principles at a very young age. Bhai Sahib knew about all the genocides carried out upon Sikhs from the time of the Gurus. Bhai Sahib also held great respect for the sacrifices of the Sikhs and held Sikh martyrs deep into his heart. Bhai Sahib was well built, tall and wide, he loved playing wrestling and soon Bhai Sahib started being called Pehlwan, meaning strong man. Bhai Sahib took pride in everything he did, may it be studies, playing sports or even farming, he always made his family proud.

After the attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib and the slaughter of thousands of Sikh pilgrims, in June 1984 like every Sikh in the world, Bhai Sahib was also saddened. Then the killing of Sikhs on the streets of India in broad daylight in November 1984 made the Sikh realise that India was never there country. Many Sikhs picked up assault rifles and decided to protect Sikhi and Sikhs until they establish their own homeland, Khalistan. Bhai Sahib had started taking part in Jhujaru actions in secret with local Jhujaru Singhs. In 1988, Bhai Sahib passed his metric from a school in Khalra, and after joined Guru Nanak College of Ludhiana to learn civil engineering. Like school, in college Bhai Sahib was also called Pehlwan and he earned respect amongst fellow students. Bhai Sahib paid full attention to his studies as well as taking part in Jhujaru actions secretly. Bhai Sahib would create awareness of the fake encounters by Indian security forces in which Sikh youth were being killed. Bhai Sahib had a very calm personality and everytime he spoke he only spoke about progress of the Sikh Freedom Movement. Bhai Sahib would always plan to make the Sikh Freedom Movement progress faster and create a homeland in which Sikhi and Sikhs would remain safe. Bhai Sahib knew to make this mission a reality he would have to solely commit to doing sewa for Khalistan, and after thinking long and hard Bhai Sahib decided to stop his studies. Bhai Sahib left home and joined Khalistan Commando Force under the command of Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar.

Looking at Bhai Sahib’s commitment the senior Singhs made him the Khalistan Commando Force Lt. General of his area. Bhai Sahib had earned respect and an identity amongst Jhujaru Singhs of all groups due to his brave actions. The local villagers are witness to how Bhai Sahib stopped robberies and kidnappings. Bhai Sahib had tamed all gangsters of his area, anyone found to be committing injustices upon innocent people may they be Sikh or Hindu, Bhai Sahib would kill them on spot. This was the reason that the local gangsters extremely feared Bhai Sahib and did not commit any crime. No innocent person, of any religion was ever a victim of Bhai Sahib’s bullet. In fact Bhai Sahib brought back the Hindu families that had fled Punjab in fear. Bhai Sahib was also known as the saviour of the Hindus. Bhai Sahib would not fear anyone who targeted innocent weak and poor families. Bhai Sahib was known get his money from his family to assist in the Sikh Freedom Movement, he always did Ardas for the wellbeing of the world and for the establishment of Khalistan.

Like this Bhai Sahib continued to do sewa and progress towards freedom. By now the Indian security forces and informants had picked up on Bhai Sahib’s scent and were running around in big groups to capture him. In the end on 19th February 1991, Bhai Sahib was traveling to do an action, an informant gave Bhai Sahib’s location to the Punjab police, but due to Bhai Sahib’s brave actions the Indian security forces too scared to confront him. The Punjab police then got black cats involved, who portrayed themselves as Jhujaru Singhs but in fact they were paid government soldiers. The black cats spotted Bhai Sahib and made him shaheed, as he was unaware of such black cats. Locals from all religions condemned this and the glorious stories of Bhai Sahib’s actions are told in every household even today.

Awaze Quam – 15/21 August 1991