Shaheed Bhai Aroor Singh Manochahal

 

Bhai Aroor Singh was born on 8th September 1950, to the blessed womb of Mata Kesar Kaur and in the house of Sardar Ghumma Singh, at their home village of Manochahal, district Tarn Taran. Bhai Sahib was from a very poor family and had studied till 10th class. Bhai Aroor Singh had one younger sibling, his sister Bibi Amarjit Kaur. Before Bhai Sahib’s birth, Mata Kasar Kaur gave birth to 4 sons, who passed away at a very young age. Bhai Aroor Singh’s mother prayed and called for Waheguru’s blessing to give her a child who would survive. Then came Bhai Aroor Singh and their prayer was answered. Sadly, when Bhai Aroor Singh was only five years old, his father passed away. Five months post his demise, their daughter Bibi Amarjit Kaur was born.

 

This dramatically changed their family condition. Their dear mother, now a single mother, was left in a distraught situation and they struggled financially. Their mother worked many labour jobs to make ends meet and put food on her family’s table. Bhai Aroor Singh still managed to study up to tenth grade. Following this, Bhai Aroor Singh worked in farming. Soon after, his marriage was arranged to Bibi Jasbir Kaur and had their Anand Karaj happened in 1970. They were blessed with six children, four daughters and two sons. Despite their financial struggles, Bhai Aroor Singh and his family remained humble with gratitude and were grateful to Waheguru. Their Gursikh values brought them closer to Sikhi.

 

Bhai Aroor Singh also became positively influenced by the Dharam Yudh Morcha and the speeches of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. He was blessed and baptised with Amrit in April 1984. Shortly after in June 1984, the Indian army attacked Sri Darbar Sahib and killed many Sikh pilgrims who had come to worship on the occasion of the martyrdom of Sri Guru Arjun Dev Ji Maharaj. All Sikhs around the world were hurt by the events of June 1984, and many Sikhs of Punjab stood up against the Indian government and started fighting for complete freedom. The Jhujaru Singhs formed localised militia groups all working in collaboration across Punjab for the establishment of Khalistan. Bhai Aroor Singh was already very aware of the armed struggle and its activities.

 

One of the greatest Jhujaru Singhs, Shaheed Bhai Gurbachan Singh Ji Manochahal (Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan) was Bhai Aroor Singh’s cousin (maternal uncle’s son). In 1987, Bhai Aroor Singh got a job at the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (Amritsar) as a helper. In tandem, Bhai Aroor Singh would help to gather information from the nearby cities for Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji Manochahal’s group. Whilst at the same time carrying out his own job.

 

One day the police from the Khalra police station showed up at Bhai Sahib’s home and began to interrogate and question his family. Bhai Aroor Singh was not home at the time of this visit by the police. The police ordered his family for Bhai Aroor Singh to present himself at the police station as soon as possible. With a clear conscious, Bhai Aroor Singh had no reason to not present himself, so he made his way to the police station and arrived there. As soon as he arrived at the police station, he was immediately arrested without no warning nor questioning. The heinous police began to brutally torture Bhai Aroor Singh. The interrogation was to find out if he knew the whereabouts of Bhai Gurbachan Singh Ji Manochahal. But Bhai Aroor Singh remained steadfast and loyal to the Jhujaru Singhs. He did not say a word and bravely continued to bear the pain of extreme torture. He was kept by the police for up to thirteen days. On 25th December 1992, Bhai Aroor Singh, along with three other unknown Singhs were taken to a river side near the village of Dodhiyan and killed in a fake encounter. Bhai Aroor Singh attained Shaheedi (martyrdom). His deceased body was never returned to the family and secretly cremated by the police at Tarn Taran.

 

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Aroor Singh Manochahal