Shaheed Bhai Amrik Singh Bhalowali

Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan 

 

Area Commander of Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan, Shaheed Bhai Amrik Singh Bhalowali was born in 1968, in the house of father, Sardar Karnail Singh and from the blessed womb of mother, Mata Kuldeep Kaur in village Bhalowali, Tehsil Batala, Post Office Fatehgarh Churian, District Gurdaspur. Bhai Sahib had 2 sisters, Bibi Manjit Kaur, Bibi Paramjit Kaur and 2 brothers, Bhai Balwinder Singh, Bhai Surjit Singh. Bhai Sahib received his education up to 8th grade from the government school of village Fatehgarh Churian. When the Jatha of Damdami Taksal came to his village to preach Sikhi, at that time, Bhai Sahib took Amrit from Panj Pyara in his childhood. Bhai Sahib followed the Sikh code of conduct, living a very pure life. He would wash his hair daily and was always seen reciting Gurbani. After studying, you started working as a carpenter. 

 

When the Sikh nation suffered the June 1984 holocaust, Bhai Sahib was 16 years old. Hearing the news of the attack on Sri Darbar Sahib, like every Sikh, affected Bhai Sahib very deeply. Bhai Sahib had made his mind up to teach the government of India a lesson. Then in 1986, he met Bhai Satnam Singh Satta Chhina, a Jhujaru of Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan. Bhai Chhina introduced Bhai Sahib to Jathedar Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal and after that, Bhai Sahib secretly started serving in the armed struggle of Khalistan. Soon the police got wind of his Jhujaru activities and Bhai Sahib was arrested from Amritsar. During this time, the police inflicted a spine-chilling torture on him. Bhai Sahib was taken to the interrogation centre of Mal Mandi in Amritsar, here the policemen electrocuted him 25 times and made him unconscious, they tore his groin, broke his legs and arms, etc. Even during the torture, Bhai Sahib continuously recited ‘Satnam-Waheguru’, Chandi Ki Var and other words of Gurbani. Then, after filing a pistol case, Bhai Sahib was sent to Gumtala (Amritsar) jail, from where he was released on bail after three months.

 

As soon as Bhai Sahib came out of jail, he went into hiding and crossed the border into Pakistan with Bhai Satnam Singh Chhina. At first, the family searched for Bhai Sahib a lot and then they thought that he had been martyred somewhere. But then in 1987, after taking weapons training, Bhai Sahib returned and attended his brother, Bhai Balwinder Singh Fauji’s wedding. As soon as Bhai Sahib returned from Pakistan, he wreaked havoc and made the police forces sleepless by carrying out Jhujaru actions. Seeing his services, Lieutenant General Bhai Satnam Singh Chhina appointed Bhai Sahib as the Area Commander of Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan and a group of twenty armed Singhs became active under his leadership.

 

Bhai Amrik Singh Bhalowali shot and killed Brahman Raj Kad, who was spewing poison against Sikhi and Sikhs, and gave him a one-way ticket to hell. Bhai Sahib also carried out a bomb blast in Batala. He also carried out attacks on police stations and CRPF cantonments. The anti-Sikh elements, police informers, black cats, traitors and comrades were challenged and punished. Once Bhai Sahib had gone to a Singh’s wedding near Bhogpur, district Jalandhar and there the police surrounded him but he changed his disguise and escaped from there with great cleverness. The power that was working behind Bhai Sahib was the Gurbani that he recited and the Amrit from the Panj Pyare that he had taken. Before going to every action, Bhai Sahib would do an Ardas and after a successful mission, he would do 11 Chaupai Sahibs and Chandi Ki Var. People happily kept the doors of their houses open to give shelter to Bhai Sahib’s Jhujaru group. He settled the homes of many daughters and sisters who were suffering from dowry. Bhai Sahib closed alcohol shops and stopped the distribution of drugs in the area. He also warned the Granthi Singhs to improve and follow Gurmat and also contributed to the promotion of Sikhi. Bhai Sahib showed the people of the area the model of Khalistan in practical form.

 

When Bhai Amrik Singh was fighting in the struggle, the police inflicted immense atrocities on his family. His parents were regularly arrested and taken to the police station. His younger brother, Bhai Surjit Singh, who was studying in 6th grade, was also severely tortured by the cruel policemen. The villagers gave a lot of support to his family. Bhai Satnam Singh Chhina and Bhai Amrik Singh would occasionally come to meet his mother and always said, “Bibi Ji! Pray for me that I may never falter and fight till my last breath for the freedom of the Panth and Khalistan.”

 

Finally, on 30th November 1988, when Bhai Amrik Singh Bhalowali along with his Jhujaru brothers, Bhai Baghel Singh Bhakna and Bhai Harjinder Singh Manochahal were resting at a hideout in village Bihala (Taran Taran), an informant gave their location to the police. The police and CRPF surrounded the village and started closing in on the hideout house at roughly 6 o’clock in the morning. As soon as the Jhujaru Singhs knew of the encirclement, they raised slogans of ‘Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akal’ and opened fire from their AK47 assault rifles. While fighting for 2 hours in village Bihala, the Singhs moved towards the neighbouring village of Mughal Chak. SSP Sanjeev Gupta of Tran Taran Police District called for more forces and started searching every house in village Mughal Chak. All three Jhujaru Singhs started fighting by climbing on the roofs of different houses, causing chaos among the government forces. Then they came onto the streets and tried to move towards the sugarcane fields, but the Indian security forces were there also in heavy numbers. The Singhs fought fiercely for 8 hours till their last breath and last bullet despite being injured. The Jhujaru Singhs eliminated 4 policemen and 2 CRPF personnel before attaining martyrdom. 

 

The people of the area say that Bhai Amrik Singh Bhalowali was reciting Chandi Ki Var during the encounter and his face was glowing, there was no fear of death, he was roaring like a lion, wanting to attain martyrdom. His roar was louder than a real lion. The policemen were lying down trying to save their lives. Even after the martyrdom of Bhai Amrik Singh Bhalowali and his companions, the policemen were trembling to go near their martyred bodies. While violating human rights, the police did not hand over the martyred bodies of the Singhs to their families nor gave them their ashes. It was not even known where the police cremated them.

 

The next day, on 1st December 1988, an article was published in Ajit newspaper:

Bhindranwala Tiger Force of Khalistan’s chief Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal’s close associate and area commander, Bhai Amrik Singh Mika (Bhalowali), Bhai Harjinder Singh Manochahal and Bhai Baghel Singh Baggu (Bhakna) were killed in a fierce police encounter in village Mughal Chak. In the news, the police only mentioned 1 policeman being injured, but 6 men of the Indian security forces were killed and more than 13 were injured. The Punjab Police DGP KP Gill also said in a press conference in Chandigarh that this encounter lasted for more than five hours. The police used hand grenades and immense force to kill the militants. These militants were highly wanted by the government in several murder cases. After the encounter, two AK47 Chinese assault rifles, four magazines, one pistol, more than a hundred cartridges and a large amount of other ammunition was recovered.

 

Tavareekh Shaheed-E-Khalistan 3 – Ranjit Singh Damdami Taksal