Shaheed Bhai Wassan Singh Sakheera

Khalistan Commando Force

Bhai Wassan Singh was born on 3rd January 1965, in the house of Sardar Gian Singh and from the womb of Mata Pritam Kaur in the village of Sakheera, district Tarn Taran. Bhai Sahib was the eldest of four brothers, Bhai Sulakhan Singh, Bhai Sukhchain Singh and Bhai Lakhvir Singh. Bhai Sahib was born into a family of a farmer. Bhai Sahib passed his 10th Classes from a government school in Sakheera. Bhai Sahib was very keen on studying and as well as studying Bhai Sahib was also very active in sports. Bhai Sahib was the captain of the Kho-Kho team of his school. After passing 10th class Bhai Sahib started helping his father on the farms.

Then at the age of sixteen, as Bhai Sahib matured he took Amrit from Panj Pyare and went to Dam Dami Taksal of Chownk Mehta to learn Gurbani Santhaya. Here Bhai Sahib completed his Santhaya and became a Granthi Singh. Bhai Sahib remained in high spirits and fulfilled the sewa of a Granthi Singh. Bhai Sahib also did the sewa of Panj Pyare. Bhai Sahib was very fortunate to do sangat of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale, while at Dam Dami Taksal. Another Singh Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sakheera from Bhai Sahib’s village was also at Dam Dami Taksal.

During the attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib and additional thirty eight historical Gurudwaras, Bhai Sahib along with Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sakheera escaped from Gurudwara Gurdarshan Parkash, Chownk Mehta before the police raided it. The attack on Sri Harimandir Sahib in June 1984 had a deep impact on Bhai Sahib. Bhai Sahib was very angry that the Sikh throne, the Sri Akaal Takhat Sahib was in ruins, but what made him even more angry was the fact the Jathedar Giani Kirpal Singh spoke the language of the Indian Government and said nothing was damaged during Operation Bluestar. Bhai Sahib, Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sakheera and another three Jhujaru Singhs planned to teach Giani Kirpal Singh who was now on the Indian payroll a lesson.  The Singhs attacked this sell out near the village of Chutirh, district Ludhiana but Giani Kirpal Singh just about survived. Like this Bhai Sahib also attacked Giani Sahib Singh who was also on the Indian payroll. Then Bhai Sahib was one of the main Singhs to organise the Sarbat Khalsa of 1986, in which the armed struggle of Khalistan was declared. Bhai Sahib was then sent to Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded in a Nihang Bana along with Bhai Lakha Singh Bandala and Bhai Pipal Singh Dolewal to join Bhai Amrik Singh Jaura in assassinating Kahna Nihang who spat venom against Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. This assassination was carried out under the command of Khalistan Commando Force’s Chief, Bhai Manbir Singh Chaheru and Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sakheera. The Singhs succeeded in sending Kahna Nihang on a one way ticket to hell. Bhai Sahib always remained in high spirits and continued to punish enemies. While living in jungles and hide-outs during the armed struggle. Bhai Sahib never missed his Nitnem and always did Ardas in front of Maharaj to keep Bhai Sahib close to his feet. Bhai Sahib was like a road block for the Indian Security Forces. The government had put a big cash reward on Bhai Sahib’s head. To get Bhai Sahib the Indian security forces started harassing his family in Sakheera.

On 10th January 1986, it was the Jor Mela at Gurudwara of Sultanpur Lodhi. Bhai Sahib was also at this Jor Mela with Bhai Harpal Singh Varingh, Bhai Jagdish Singh Bhola, Bhai Pipal Singh Dolewal and Bhai Lakha Singh Bandala. At this Jor Mela an Akali Dal minister had been making a speech against Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale, everybody was listening and no one had the strength to challenge this Akali minister. Soon a lady got up and started walking out of the sangat, she looked at the sangat and shouted, “There are so many Sikhs here, but no one can stop this minister from talking against the 20th century true Sikh, Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale.” These words went around and into the ears of Bhai Sahib and now the focus of the singhs went towards the stage. The singhs walked to the front of the stage, but the minister was still talking against Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale. Upon hearing these insults on Sant Ji’s name, Bhai Sahib who was with Bhai Harpal Singh Varingh said, “I’m going to kill him here and now for spitting venom against Sant Ji.” But Bhai Lakha Singh Bandala said, “Keep cool, we will definitely punish this minister but let’s get out of here alive first. There is too much CRPF here, if we kill him we will not get out of here alive.” But Bhai Sahib was angry and replied, “I don’t care what happens, we must kill him now, it’s not the same killing him later.” After the planning amongst the singhs, they came to an agreement of punishing the minister. Bhai Sahib got on to the stage and said to the minister, “Is your mind in the right place?” The minister replied, “No, it’s in the wrong place.” Bhai Sahib pulled is gun out and shot the minister in the head. The minister’s dead body did many summersaults as it fell off the stage. The crowd started running out of the tent and the guarding CRPF started searching for the singhs, but before the CRPF could get close to the singhs, CRPF found themselves in an all out encounter with the Singhs. Bhai Lakha Singh Bandala attained shaheedi in this encounter, the singhs made an temporary bunker and rained bullets on to the CRPF. The singhs fought till their last bullet and when the ammunition finished the singhs came out. The police arrested them, while handcuffing the singhs one police officer said, “The singhs were battling like there is no tomorrow.” One of the singhs replied, “Our ammunition has finished, what kind of encounter you expect? Give us ammunition and we’ll carry on with the encounter.” The singhs including Bhai Sahib knew that after being arrested the police would brutally torture them. The singhs were ready and did not say a single word through all the torture.

Bhai Sahib remained in high spirits while in jail. Bhai Sahib didn’t even tolerate the shouting of police officers, in fact the police officers would salute Bhai Sahib. On 12th October 1987, as Bhai Sahib was being shifted from Nabha Jail to Sangrur Jail, Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke was in the same jail also. Soon as Bhai Sahib got to Sangrur Jail he demanded to meet Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke. The jail sergeant said to meet the following day but Bhai Sahib insisted that he met the Jathedar that moment. Due to this Bhai Sahib got into a fight with the jails superintendent Gurcharan Brar, the alarms went off and police entered the jail with riot gear because Bhai Sahib was backed by other Singhs who also demanded to meet Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke. The jail superintendent was really angry and he tied Bhai Sahib, Bhai Jagdish Singh Bhola of village Ahmedpura, District Patti and Bhai Balwinder Singh of Bathinda to a tree within the jail and made all three Singhs Shaheed by shooting them. After the Shaheedi of these Singhs, their bodies were not given to their families. The Shaheedi saroops were cremated in presence of the few family members in Sangrur city under heavy presence of Indian security forces. After the Shaheedi of Bhai Sahib, the Singhs in all the jails of Punjab did a hunger strike for 3/4 days in anger of Bhai Sahib’s Shaheedi.

Information given by family of Shaheed Bhai Wassan Singh Sakheera