Singh Soorme: Issue 3

Singh Soorme issue 3 features articles on Singhs from the Babbar Khalsa Jathebandi, including unseen and rare pictures with Jeevanis written from first hand accounts of former Babbar Khalsa Singhs.

Features articles on:

1978 Massacres
Formation of Babbar Khalsa
Jathedar Talwinder Singh Babbar
Bhai Sukhdev Singh Babbar
Bhai Anokh Singh Babbar
Master Sukhwinder Singh Babbar

Clearing misconceptions regarding Sant Jarnail Singh’s Jatha vs Babbar Singhs

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The news soon leaked out and Sikhs started a protest march from Gurdwara Gobindpuri Sahib Ji, which is three kilometres away from the Nirankari Bhawan in Kanpur. Women and children were also amongst the protesters. The Nirankari chief had again made full preparations for the Sikhs.

When the Sikh protesters reached the Nirankari Bhawan, the Nirankaris attacked them with brickbats and shotguns. An armed volunteer of the Nirankaris attacked Jathedar Kishan Singh with a spear, piercing his stomach. A fight ensued, and it was then that the police officers started to shoot at the Sikh protesters. As a result, thirteen Sikhs were martyred while a further seventy-four were injured.

This incident further increased Sikh resentment against Nirankaris and the Indian government. On 28th September, the bodies of those killed at Kanpur were carried in huge procession. The day before, the Sikhs of Amritsar, Delhi, Bombay, Lucknow, Kanpur and many other places observed a one-day protest strike.

The names of some of these Shaheeds are: Bibi Darshan Kaur, Bhai Jagjit Singh, Bhai Harcharan Singh, Jathedar Karam Singh, Jathedar Kishan Singh, Baba Kashmira Singh, Bhai Manmohan Singh, Bhai Gurbir Singh, Bhai Balwant Singh and Bhai Gurjit Singh.

As tempers ran high, the Punjab Government decided to ban the Nirankari Chief from entering Punjab for six months. Gurbachan Singh challenged this in the Supreme Court and the ban was lifted.

On the 30th September 1978, the Sikhs of Delhi organised a protest march and presented a memorandum to the Government of India, which demanded that all Nirankari ‘Smagams’ be banned. On 4th November 1978, the Nirankaris sent out a procession in Delhi to mark their annual conference. The Sikhs retaliated with a counter protest march that ended in bloodshed. The President of the Delhi Akali Dal, Avtar Singh Kohli, was hit on the head by a police-fired tear gas shell and was killed. Aside from him, Bhai Darshan Singh and thirteen-year old Maninder Singh were also Shaheed. Nine other Sikhs received injuries.

During the 5th and 6th November 1978, disturbances broke out in parts of Delhi and a curfew was imposed. Jan Sangh (BJP) workers provided a protection force, enabling the Nirankaris to continue their functions despite disturbances throughout the city. Many Arya Samaj leaders, including Lala Jagat Narain, gave speeches supporting the Nirankaris. This gave a new direction to the anti-Nirankari agitation. The Sikhs now strongly felt that the majority Hindu community in India was in support of the Nirankaris and their activities.

The Sikhs decided to take matters into their own hands following the failure of peaceful means.This time they were to obey Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s instruction:

“When all means of redressing a wrong have failed, it is both just and righteous to unsheath the sword”.

Bhai Ranjit Singh, a member of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha along with two other Gursikhs assassinated the Nirankari chief at his home on April 24th 1980. Bhai Ranjit Singh had managed to find employment at the Nirankari headquarters in Delhi, posing as a carpenter. Later that evening, he waited with an automatic rifle in a room within their guesthouse. One of the windows gave a clear view of the driveway.At about 11pm, he shot Gurbachan Singh from his position just as he returned home from a public function. Bhai Ranjit Singh managed to escape by jumping down onto a compound wall.

Bhai Sukhdev Singh Babbar, Jathedar of Babbar Khalsa, was a very close friend of Bhai Fauja Singh. He heard the news of Bhai Fauja Singh’s martyrdom while his Anand Karaj ceremony was being performed. He left his newly wed wife and rushed directly to Amritsar. He played a major part in eliminating the Nirankaris, including the assassination of the Nirankaris ‘Sat Sitaare’. Later he went underground from where he led the Khalistan movement for fourteen years, before attaining martyrdom on 9th August 1992.

Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala emerged after the Amritsar Massacre as the pivotal figure spearheading the Sikh response to the Indian government of Indira Gandhi. The situation deteriorated as the government continued its policy of undermining the Sikh nation. This included the extensive murder, rape and humiliation of Sikhs, particularly Sikh youth. Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala educated the Sikh masses about the central government’s anti-Sikh policies and discriminations and brought many onto the path of Sikhi through his teachings.

Frustration grew amongst the Sikh masses against the government and the Hindu media barons, such as Lala Jagat Narain, who deliberately and consistently depicted Sikhs as ‘terrorists’. Baba Jarnail Singh’s popularity became a threat to the government that had by then began to plan Operation Bluestar to bring the Sikh Panth to heel by attacking their temporal and spiritual sovereignty.

Shaheed Bhai Balwant Singh

Of all the Kanpur Shaheeds, Bhai Balwant Singh was the youngest, at the tender age of only 15. This child was born in Kanpur while his father, Sardar Maha Singh had moved from village Khoreean Dist. Gujarat. This child was only five months old when he was orphaned by the passing of his father. The Shaheed had one sister and three brothers. Their mother, Mata Sumitra Kaur worked in peoples homes and with great effort raised the entire family. This child had received his early education at Guru Nanak School Kanpul and after passing the eight grade began to sell goods from a cart so that the family’s expenses could be met.

This family had a deep love with the Guru Ghar. The Shaheed’s grandfather, Sardar Gian Singh and Great Grandfather Sardar Sukha Singh all served the Panth in the Gurdwara Reform Movement.

Bhai Balwant Singh Shaheedi Saroop

Shaheed Balwant Singh used to tell his mother “get me the blessings of Sant ji so that my body too can serve the panth.” Four bullets struck the Shaheed’s body and a sword had cut his jaw. Bhai Gurcharan Singh, Balwant Singh’s older brother was also hospitalised with a bullet in the right side of his torso.

Shaheed Bibi Darshan Kaur

Bibi Darshan Kaur was a very brave and daring woman who had a great enthusiasm for Panthic affairs. Her husband Sardar Harnam Singh is also a very spirited indvidual. Bibi Darshan Kaur Ji’s father was Sardar Partap Singh and she married into a family from village Rajat Dist. Campbellpore in 1947.

Bibi Ji had a deep love with the Guru Ghar and would always serve Gursikhs who would come to her home. People were all awe struck at the humble service she would give. Bibi Darshan Kaur would never eat without first completing her nitnem.

During the 1960s Punjabi Suba Agitation, she, along with her 3-year-old daughter courted arrest and spent six months in jail.

Bibi Darshan Kaur Shaheedi Saroop

In the Kanpur massacre, Bibi Ji was accompanying the march with fervour and fearlessness. The Nirankaris’ bullets struck her once in the chest and twice in the legs but she did not step back. In her age of 50 years, she was martyred and gave the entire Sikh community renewed vitality. Bibi Ji had two sons and two daughters, of which one son and one daughter remained to be married.

Shaheed Bhai Gurjeet Singh

Bhai Gurjeet Singh was a BA student in the DAV College Kanpur and was considered a good student as well as the NCC (National Cadet Core) Champion. He had received honours in the Jhansee camp as well as others.

The Shaheeds’ father, Sardar Joginder Singh had moved from village Vasr Gujarat (Pakistan) to Kanpur. The residents of village Vasr were all well known for their Patnhtic sentiments. Sardar Joginder Singh is a well-known personality in Kanpur where he is an SDO in the Defence Service.

Bhai Gurjeet Singh Shaheedi Saroop

When the protest march moved towards the Narkdhari Bhavan, Bhai Gurjeet Singh along with his friends was at the very front of the march and when the bullets began to rain down, he declared “I am not the son of a coward that I will step back. I am Sri Guru Gobind Singh’s son and I will go forward” And with this, he fell to the hail of bullets. Bhai Gurjeet Singh’s tattered body was, according to the post mortem, hit once in the head, once in the temple, on both sides of the torso, both sides of his legs. once in the chest and once in the chin.

Shaheed Bhai Harcharan Singh

Bhai Harcharan Singh was born in Dehardun UP, but his elders were from village Aisavari Dist. Jehlum Pakistan. Harcharan Singh’s father, Sardar Balvant Singh had a transport business and his Grandfather, Sardar Hazoora Singh was a well-known landlord of the area, but despite this, he also participated in the Gurdwara Reform Movement and gave his sacrifices. The entire family had great faith in the Guru and served gursikhs.

Bhai Harcharan Singh completed his BA and then joined his father in the transport business. He always selflessly served the Guru Ghar and those in need but never wanted any fame. He would give thousands of rupees without any written account and when asked about it, would simply say “the great-giver is also giving to me limitlessly and without any account”.

The Shaheed leaves behind his widow Harvinder Kaur and two young daughters aged two and three years respectively. His family was expecting a third child as well. The Shaheed has two older brothers and four elder sisters.

Bhai Harcharan Singh Shaheedi Saroop

Bhai Harcharan Singh used to say “I will not die the death of a dog, I will die like a lion, fighting to the end.” The Shaheed performed an ardaas, and in a truck went to march against the faithless Narkdharis, and there he fell, martyred by their bullets.

Shaheed Bhai Jagjeet Singh

Shaheed Bhai Jagjeet Singh was born in Kanpur. The Shaheed’s parents were from village Kazee Chak Dist. Jehlum Pakistan, and moved to Kanpur after Partition. First Bhai Jagjeet Singh comepleted his early education at Guru Nanak School and then was doing his BA at the NSD College. His parents, Sardar Gurdial Singh and Mata Mahinder Kaur are fortunate and blessed to have had a son who sacrificed his life for the love of the Guru. Bhai Jagjeet Singh had five brothers: four older, one younger and one sister.

With the exception of the two elder boys in the family, the rest of the family was amritdhari. Both his mother and sister have keskees and his sister, Ikbaal Kaur goes to school with her keski despite all hardships. When Bhai Jagjeet Singh was martyred, his sister and mother were also walking in the protest march against the Narkdharis. His mother was struck with a rock in the head but she did not panic and continued to walk with the sangat in high spirits.

Bhai Jagjeet Singh’s brother, Bhai Surinder Singh first began to keep the company of the Akhand Kertani Jatha and by seeing their brother’s new lifestyle, Bhai Jagjeet Singh, brother Jasbeer Singh, sister Ikbaal Kaur and the youngest brother, Charanjeet Singh also received amrit at the hands of the Jatha. The parents of the family appeared before the Punj Pyaray in 1977 at the Delhi Dusehraa Smagam and also began to keep the Khalsa lifestyle.

In November 1973, at the home of Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Ji Bibekee of Kanpur, the Akhand Keertani Jatha organised an amrit sinchaar. At this smagam Bhai Jagjeet Singh Ji and others came for the gift of amrit. Bhai Gurcharanjeet Singh Ji, who was at the smagam to have his small child receive amrit writes that Bhai Jagjeet Singh was in an indescribable state and all were amazed at the way the colours of naam dyed this young man after he received amrit. Once naam was imparted, his khanda began to go with so much power that it seemed as if he had been a long time abhyasi.

After receiving amrit, Bhai Jagjeet Singh always attended AKJ smagams and didn’t let any keertan pass. For a long time, he went about anonymously. In such a small age, he had such deep and far-sighted thoughts about the state of the Panth, that even an Army General would be put to shame.

At the end of 1976, Bhai Jagjeet Singh went to stay at Bhai Fauja Singh’s Khalsa Farm in Gurdaspur. He was happy to spend the majority of his time in the company of Bhai Fauja Singh . He learned gatka at the farm with great dedication.

When the bloody events of the 1978 Vaisakhi Massacre occurred, Bhai Jagjeet Singh was visiting Hazoor Sahib and he deeply regretted having been absent. He would often say “so many beloveds of the guru died and the Panth still is asleep?” He would agonise over the low-spirit in the Panth.

Bhai Jagjeet Singh was an active member of the Sikh Students’ Federation. He also went from village to village in Rajasthan with the Panj Pyaray for amrit sinchaars and had many people receive amrit and dedicate their lives to the Guru. Because of Bhai Jagjeet Singh’s efforts, no Sikh can be found drinking alcohol in the entire area of Bheelvara.

Bhai Jagjeet Singh had a great enthusiasm for martyrdom and constantly begged the guru, “True King, please accept this useless body in your service”.

A month before his martyrdom, Bhai Jagjeet Singh went to college to give a test for his BA but on each page, all he wrote was “Vahiguru, Vahiguru, Vahiguru, Vahiguru, Vahiguru”. When he was asked why he had done this, he replied, “the real test is something else, I’m preparing for that examination.” It is said that some days before his martyrdom, Sri Guru Gobind Singh visited the Shaheed in a dream and told him he would become a martyr. Two days before his martyrdom, Bhai Jagjeet Singh told his grandmother that his end was approaching and that after his passing, no member of the family should weep. Indeed, the entire family, after the martyrdom remained in high spirits and accepted the will of the Guru and obeyed the final wishes of the Shaheed by not displaying any grief.

Bhai Jagjeet Singh Shaheedi Saroop

Bhai Jagjeet Singh remained awake all night doing keertan the night before his martyrdom. His desire was so great for martyrdom that on the morning of September 26 at 10AM, as the Sikh Sangat was preparing to march towards the Narkdhari Bhavan, a few Singhs went before everyone else and Bhai Jagjeet Singh was amongst them. Bhai Jagjeet Singh along with Bhai Kishan Singh was the first to enter the Bhavan where the Narkdharis attacked them with sticks and other weapons. The attack left their bodies tattered but gave Bhai Jagjeet Singh the martyrdom he so longed for.

Shaheed Bhai Kashmira Singh

Bhai Kashmira Singh was born on June 5th, 1943 at village Behlay Dist. Amritsar. His parents were Sardar Kundan Singh and Mata Harnaam Kaur. Bhai Kashmira Singh received his early education at Tower School in Taran Taaran and then enrolled in the Government Secondary School. Because he was inclined towards spirituality from a very early age, he only studied till the seventh grade and then left school to spend all his time in meditation.

During the Punjabi Suba Agitation in 1960, Bhai Kashmira Singh spent five months in prison. After his release, he moved to Kanpur where his elder sister lived and began to work as a driver. During the 1965 Indo-Pak war, he served in the “Survey of India” and at this time he was married to Bibi Mahinder Kaur. Because his drive towards spirituality was so great, he left his job and moved back to Kanpur where he immersed himself in the study of SGGS, Sikh history and Gurbani. This lifestyle had a major effect on those around him and gursikhs would constantly be coming and going in his house at Gobind Nagar.

He would join the sangat to celebrate Gurpurabs with great enthusiasm and the sangat would enjoy the blissful bani he would read. At his dera, akhand paaths and langar were always running. Where he would do very good exposition of Gurbani, he was also a great lover of listening to and doing keertan.

Bhai Kashmira Singh Shaheedi Saroop

When the march to the Narkhdari’s bhavan took place, Bhai Kashmira Singh participated with excitement. We are told that Narkdhari Gurbachana’s first shot hit the Shaheed in the thigh. In total Bhai Kashmira Singh was struck by 6 bullets: 4 in the chest and 2 in the thighs. He didn’t turn his back from the fight and in this way, gave his life to maintain the respect of Guru Sahib.

Shaheed Bhai Kishan Singh

Bhai Kishan Singh was born in village Kotlaajaam dist Meeaavalee Pakistan. His father was Sardar Tikan Singh. From his childhood, Bhai Kishan Singh had great faith for the Guru and was forever a humble servant, and always at the forefront of any Panthic affair. After partition, he moved from Dera Ismael Khan to Kanpur. He began to work with SP Engineering Corp. but for his final four years, served Sri Guru Granth Sahib at Gurdwara Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib in Gobind Nagar. He lived an exceptionally simple life.

Bhai Kishan Singh was filled to the brim with Panthic fervour and desire to serve the nation. During the 1960 Punjabi Suba Agitation, he courted arrest at Gurdwara Sees Ganj Saahib Delhi and spent six months in prison before being released in 1961 at the end of the morcha.

Before leaving for the protest march against the Narkdharis, Bhai Kishan Singh told his family “my worldy association with you has now ended”. His family accompanied him to the march.

Bhai Kishan Singh Shaheedi Saroop

First bricks and staff blows rained down upon Bhai Kishan Singh’s head and then he was struck by three bullets: in the arm, stomach and shoulder. He was taken to the hospital where he was given 5 bottles of blood and an operation was performed. All this was to no avail, and at the age of 64, Bhai Kishan Singh went to reside at the feet of the Guru.

Shaheed Bhai Manmohan Singh

Shaheed Bhai Manmohan Singh was 29 years old at the time of his martyrdom. His father, Sardar Charan Singh moved from village Firookaa Dist. Sargodha to Kanpur after Partition. Sardar Charan Singh was a very well known cloth dealer in the city, and also did much anonymous service for the Gurdvara. The entire family was very well liked and had deep devotion for the Guru. The Shaheed’s grandfather, Sardar Sundar Singh took part in the Kirpan Agitation against the British and then also participted in the Guru Kaa Bagh Morcha, where he cheerfully accepted the police’s blows.

Bhai Manmohan Singh had at age 24 been married to Sardar Bahadar Singh Bajaj’s daughter, Jasbeer Kaur, and had a one and a half-year-old child.

Bhai Manmohan Singh Shaheedi Saroop

Bhai Manmohan Singh had taken part in the protest march against the Narkdharis. When the Sikh Sangat scattered at 10AM when the bullets began to fly, Bhai Manmohan Singh also escaped. When he returned to the scene at 12.30PM to retrieve his scooter, the police fired upon him and struck him in the back, head and chest, thus martyring him.