Shaheed Bhai Swaranjit Singh Sohal alias Manjit Singh Changiara

Babbar Khalsa

 

The wish to live, has now gone away.

The fear of death, has also now gone away.

 

Bhai Swaranjit Singh Sohal was born on 31st January 1973, at his maternal grandparent’s home in Bathinda. Bhai Swaranjit Singh Sohal’s fathers name was Sardar Gurnaher Singh Sohal and mothers name is Mata Jaswinder Kaur. Bhai Sohal was sent school at the age of 3, he wanted to be an engineer when he grew up.

 

On 31st May 1984, Bhai Sohal requested his parents to meet Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale and attend Sri Manjhi Sahib where Sant Ji did speeches to awaken the Sikh youth of Punjab. The following morning, when the whole family of Bhai Sohal were getting ready to go Amritsar and visit Sri Harimandir Sahib, the Indian army had forced a curfew all over Punjab. Indira Gandhi had ordered her army to attack and kills Sikhs at Sri Harimandir Sahib. This merciless killing of Sikhs at their holiest shrine had a deep impact on Bhai Sohal, his dream of becoming an engineer had now changed. Bhai Sohal decided to take Amrit from Panj Pyare and made his mind up on becoming a Jhujaru Singh.

 

Bhai Sohal passed his 10th class at a government school in Mehal Kalan (Sangrur) in 1988. After Bhai Sohal took admission at the Akaal Degree College in Mastuana (Sangrur). Here Bhai Sohal started a branch of Sikh Student Federation, and he was elected as the President. He also was elected as the General Secretary of Sikh Student Federation for the Dhanaula branch. Bhai Sohal worked tirelessly day and night for the Sikh Student Federation and to resolve welfare issues of his area.

 

Bhai Sohal soon joined the Jhujaru Singhs of Babbar Khalsa under the command of Bhai Hari Singh Babbar and Bhai Vadhaik Singh Babbar. Bhai Sohal carried out many Jhujaru actions and punished many anti-Sikh elements. Bhai Sohal soon met Bhai Sukhpal Singh Sukhia of Barnala and Bhai Naib Singh of Gill Khurd. Bhai Sohal’s Jhujaru brother was Bhai Pavittar Singh of Dhanaula village. Bhai Sarbat Singh Laddi (village Kattu), Bhai Gurdeep Singh Deepa alias Chhotta Toofan and Bhai Surinder Singh (village Dhaundra) respected Bhai Sohal.

 

In the end, on 5th February 1991 Bhai Sohal and Bhai Pavittar Singh Dhanaula were arrested by the Punjab police after an informant had given their location up. The rest of the Jhujaru Singhs from Bhai Sohal’s group managed to escape and avoid being arrested. The 2 arrested Jhujaru Singhs were kept at the Dhanaula police station for 5 days where they faced brutal torture. Then on 10th February both Jhujaru Singhs were presented at the Barnala court and sent to Sangrur jail. Mata Jaswinder Kaur last saw her son on 6th March 1991, but the police officer said that they were taking Bhai Swaranjit Singh Sohal and Bhai Pavittar Singh Dhanaula on remand to Joga police station. This mother tried to stop the police taking her son, but was unsuccessful. She knew something wasn’t right. As Bhai Sohal left his mother, he shouted that the informant that had them arrested will have them killed by the police also.

 

The Punjab police did not take these 2 Jhujaru Singhs to Joga police station, instead they took them to another location, where they were blindly tortured. The nails and hair of both Jhujaru Singhs were pulled out. Bhai Sohal and Bhai Pavittar Singh did not give up any secrets of the Jhujaru Singhs and throughout the torture they continued to recite Waheguru. Then at night, roughly 10:30pm the police took the beaten-up bodies of the Jhujaru Singhs to a drain near Gobindpura village (Bandala), and made Bhai Swaranjit Singh Sohal and Bhai Pavittar Singh Dhanaula martyrs of Khalistan in a fake encounter.

 

Bhai Swaranjit Singh Sohal alias Manjit Singh Changiara was a complete Gursikh, and stayed well clear of people who indulged in drugs. Bhai Sohal drank the nectar of martyrdom at the young age of 18 years, but he did not bow down to the unjust government of India. Mata Jaswinder Kaur also passed away soon after the martyrdom of her son. Sardar Gurnaher Singh Sohal, Bhai Sohal’s sister and brother started staying in Dhanaula village.

 

Awaze Quam – 12th – 18th March 1992