Shaheed Bhai Tarsem Singh Mattewal

Lt. Gen. Dasmesh Regiment      

For the Khalsa Raj and the freedom of Sikhs, many singhs and singhnia did sewa. Shaheed Bhai Tarsem Singh Mattewal Lt. Gen. Dasmesh Regiment is one of them.

Bhai Tarsem Singh Mattewal was born in 1952 in the house of Sardar Piara Singh and from the womb of Mata Gurmej Kaur in village Mattewal, taseel Baba Bakala, and district Amritsar. Bhai Sahib had 2 sisters, Shaheed Bibi Narinder Kaur, Bibi Balwinder Kaur. Bhai Sahib also had 3 brothers, Bhai Nirmal Singh, Bhai Sahib Singh and Bhai Chirmal Singh. Bhai Chirmal Singh was adopted by their chacha.

Bhai Sahib studied at a local school and passed his 1oth at a high school in Satthaiala. Bhai Sahib was patient and always stayed calm. From a young age Bhai Sahib was good friends Bhai Seetal Singh Mattewal and Bhai Gurnam Singh Mattewal. The 3 were like brothers and always helped each other out. After the studies Bhai Sahib worked as an accountant. Bhai Sahib was married according to the full gurmat maryada in 1975 to Bibi Manjit Kaur daughter of Sardar Hari Singh of village Chhaamkan. Bhai Sahib had 2 sons, Bhai Nirpal Singh and Bhai Jaskaran Singh. In 1987 Bhai Sahib along with the whole family took Amrit from the Panj Pyare and started following the full rehat maryada.

Within the Sikh Freedom Movement, Bhai Sahib along with Bhai Seetal Singh Mattewal and Bhai Gurnam Singh Mattewal did sewa together to the fullest. Bhai Seetal Singh Mattewal was the Chief General of Dasmesh Regiment while Bhai Sahib was Lt. General of the jatha, Dasmesh Regiment punished many dushts that did beadbi of Sikh panth or harassed the people of Sikh faith. The Punjab Police and many more government forces were struggling to catch the singhs of Dasmesh Regiment.

On 10thSeptember 1991, Bhai Sahib, Bhai Seetal Singh Mattewal, Bhai Gurnam Singh Mattewal and 2 more singhs were in the village Ballowalli near Mattewal. Punjab Police and CPRF located the singhs of Dasmesh Regiment and rushed to get to Ballowalli. Soon as the Dasmesh Regiment singhs saw the police, a battle had started that would last 36hrs, on the border of Ballowalli and Mattewal.  On 12thSeptember 1991 all Dasmesh Regiment singhs attained shaheedi fighting the corrupt government forces. From a young age Bhai Sahib, Bhai Seetal Singh Mattewal and Bhai Gurnam Singh Mattewal had been close friends and now they had attained shaheedi together too.

In Amritsar, near Gurudwara Shaheedan, the sanskar of all 5 singhs was done according to gurmat maryada. The ashes along with flowers were put into the sarovar of Sri Kiratpur Sahib. An Akhand Paath Sahib was held in the fields of Ballowalli where the singhs of Dasmesh Regiment met martyrdom, in remembrance of them.

Khadku Yodhe – Maninder Singh Baja