Shaheed Bhai Amir Singh Bhaini Bhaswal

Babbar Khalsa

 

Bhi Amir Singh was born in the year 1950, from the blessed womb of mother, Mata Karam Kaur and in the house of father, Sardar Ujagar Singh in the village of Bhaini Bhaswal, district Gurdaspur. Bhai Sahib was the youngest of five children, three brothers and one sister – Bhai Sucha Singh, Bhai Sarain Singh, Bhai Mela Singh, Bibi Gurbachan Kaur and Bhai Amir Singh (Shaheed). Living in Punjab, their family worked in farming and agriculture with a very successful earning. Sardar Ujagar Singh owned a small dairy with twenty cows. The family lived a very comfortable life. Bhai Amir Singh studied up to twelfth grade at a school in Jagowal, Gurdaspur. He then went onto study his BA degree at the government college in Gurdaspur. He then went out of town to live in Patna Sahib with plan to study further, an ‘oversees’ course. However, he did not last there long as he felt very homesick and wished to come back to his village and home. So, he cut his time short there and returned home.

 

Bhai Amir Singh was a very humble individual and lived a Gursikh way of life. His actions spoke highly of his character, he was always seen to be serving and helping the poor and needy. In 1979, his Anand Karaj (wedding) was arranged with Bibi Balwinder Kaur (village Purowal, Dhariwal). They were blessed with two sons and one daughter – Sukhwinder Singh, Harvinder Kaur & Gurwinder Singh. During this period of family life, Bhai Amir Singh was able to travel to both UK and France to work. He was unable to stay in France long, due to the Iraq war and so returned to Punjab. Once back in Punjab, he got himself a job at the Government Dairy Farm as a Secretary. Due to his very compassion and helping nature, he found out that his cousin (Chacha’s son/Uncle’s son) was struggling financially and unable to get a job. So, Bhai Amir Singh very generously left his job and had his cousin appointed for the same job. Bhai Amir Singh went back to working with his family in agriculture and farm their land.

 

It was the year 1984 and the Dharam Yudh Morcha spearheaded by the great Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale, was at its peak. Masses of congregation would gather at the Sri Harmandir Sahib complex to listen to the sermon and speeches by Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale.

Bhai Amir Singh to attended a few times and was positively influenced. He deeply understood the plight of Punjab and the rights called-for under the Anandpur Sahib Resolution. Bhai Amir Singh was so inspired that he wanted to give his head to the Guru and take Amrit. Bhai Sahib along with his family went to Chownk Mehta (the headquarters of the Damdami Taksal Institution) and were blessed and baptised with Amrit. This encouraged an activity mentality in Bhai Amir Singh and he began to build close connections with the congregation of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. He built close ties with Singhs such as Bhai Gurcharan Singh Chardikala, Bhai Bawa Singh Raju Bela and others.

 

Then came the month of June in 1984, the heinous Indian Government attacked Sri Harmandir Sahib killing thousands of innocent Sikhs. A full battle ensued with the fearless Jhujaru Singhs who made it extremely difficult for the army to enter the complex. The level of defence and retaliation was beyond remarkable. The brave lions of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj fought fearlessly, ferociously and in high spirits. Many Singhs and Singhnia attained martyrdom during this battle of Amritsar. Bhai Amir Singh was deeply saddened and emotionally pained at how the most sacred religious centre of the Sikhs was unequivocally attacked. He knew he could not just sit and do nothing. Even his calm nature could not control the anger in his blood. He had to take revenge. Bhai Amir Singh made the decision to join the Jhujaru Singhs and play his part in fighting back against the Indian Government.

 

November 1984 saw the revenge assassination of India’s Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, by two of her own bodyguards who were Sikh. The great Shaheed Bhai Satwant Singh and Shaheed Bhai Beant Singh sacrificed their own lives for the Sikh nation by eliminating the perpetrator. This assassination spoke loud and clear to the entire world of the pain and anger felt by the Sikh nation. The dictated attack on the Sri Harmandir Sahib was like to an attack inflicted on the Vatican of the Christians or the Mecca of Muslims. Delhi was so defeated when Indira Gandhi was assassinated that they proceeded to do worse than what could have been imagined and entire India just sat and watched. Days after her assassination, Rahul Gandhi (Indira Gandhi’s son) along with the Indian Government ordered an all-out attack and carried out a genocide. They let loose thousands of mobs who were ordered and directed by the Delhi police and government officials to target and kill all Sikhs in Delhi and other cities in India. Not only were the Sikhs killed, they were killed in the most denigrating way by putting tyres around the neck of Sikh men and setting them alight. Thousands burnt alive like this on the streets of Delhi. Mobs stampeded the homes of Sikh families, killed the men and raped the women. This went on for three whole days, with generations of Sikhs wiped out in an instant and hundreds of wives left widowed. It was another mark by the Indian Government that every Sikh is not welcome in this so-called incredible India. This was a religious attack.

 

Bhai Amir Singh could not bear this pain and was now even more determined to dedicate his life to the fight for Khalistan. He permanently left his family home and went underground to serve with the Jhujaru Singhs. He took two other Singhs with him from his village, Bhai Balwinder Singh Kala and Bhai Balwinder Singh Baju. They joined Babbar Khalsa under the command of Bhai Gurcharan Singh Chardikala, Bhai Bawa Singh Raju Bela and others. Together, they travelled by Ferozepur and crossed the border into Pakistan. In Pakistan, they stayed at Jhujaru training camps. Bhai Amir Singh took on the responsibility to set up medical facilities within the training camps. Here, the injured Jhujaru Singhs were brought over the border and received treatment. Bhai Amir Singh worked to personally treat these brave Singhs and was capable in treating gun shot wounds, bandages and administering pain relief. He got to meet many prominent Jhujaru Singhs who had also left their families and went underground, namely; Bhai Jagir Singh, Bhai Nirvair Singh, Bhai Kharag Singh Killi, Bhai Chandi (Patti), Bhai Sharanjit Singh Dasuya with many others.

 

Two and a half years later, in 1987, Bhai Amir Singh and Bhai Jamalpur of Ludhiana returned back to Punjab together and met with Bhai Gurcharan Singh Chardikala and Bhai Bawa Singh Raju Bela had returned from Pakistan some time earlier. Bhai Amir Singh continued to keep his close connections with Damdami Taksal. He would often attend the institutional centre at Chownk Mehta and meet Baba Thakur Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. Bhai Amir Singh and his wife Bibi Balwinder Kaur met for the last time in October 1988 in Pakhopura, Jaintipur. They exchanged a heart-felt Fateh (Sikh greeting) and spoke about their children and rest of the family. Bibi Balwinder Kaur was able to stay by his side that night. In the village of Pakhopura. The entire night Bhai Ameer Singh remained busy with the Singhs discussing further plans of action. He was well respected by the Singhs and all agreed with obedience to take on their designated tasks. The next morning, Bhai Amir Singh allocated a Singh to safely return Bibi Balwinder Kaur back to their family home.

 

Bhai Amir Singh and rest of the Singhs continued with their Jhujaru activities and began to make their way towards main Jaintipur. From this day forward, Bhai Amir Singh was never to be seen or heard of again. There has never been any news on how he disappeared or how the police caught him. His fellow Jhujaru Singhs Bhai Gurcharan Singh Chardikala and Bhai Bawa Singh Raju Bela both attained martyrdom in 1987.

 

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Amir Singh Bhaini Bhaswal