Shaheed Bhai Avtar Singh Aahlan

Khalistan Liberation Force

 

Bhai Avtar Singh was born on 19th May 1967, to the blessed womb of mother, Mata Pritam Kaur and in the house of father, Sardar Partap Singh, in the village of Behk Walayat Shah, near Makhu. Bhai Sahib was the youngest of ten children and had four elder brothers with six elder sisters. A Gursikh family, were very devote and dedicated to their faith. They were close relatives of Sant Baba Thakur Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. Both Sant Baba Thakur Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale and Bhai Avtar Singh’s grandfather were brothers. Bhai Avtar Singh’s grandfather was also a freedom fighter against the British and participated in many protests which led to India’s independence from British Colonialism. Bhai Avtar Singh studied up to eighth grade at Behk Gujran local village school, then tenth grade at Malsian Kalan. He studied up to twelfth grade at Guru Gobind Singh Ji Sarhali College and further studied his BA degree here. He aspired to study even further and enrolled to do his MA Masters here. Bhai Sahib was a great volleyball player and represented his schools in competitions. Bhai Sahib was so academic that he would often come first in his exams and a topper of the year.

 

During the time he studied his 11th grade, his love for Sikhi had become stronger and wished to take the next step and be baptised. So, he was blessed with Amrit at Gurdwara Gurdarshan Parkash Chownk Mehta and became a Gursikh. Bhai Sahib was very punctual with his daily prayers especially Nitnem (early morning prayers) and never failed to miss it. His love for Gurbani was unmatched as he had memorised much by heart. Bhai Sahib excelled in all areas of life and had great discipline. If that wasn’t enough to be active in, he also took on the responsibility to drive the refurbishment work of their local village Gurdwara. Bhai Sahib had great love for Baba Thakur Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale and Baba Daya Singh Ji Sursingh.

Bhai Sahib had just enrolled to pursue his MA in Political Science when he came into contact with Bhai Nishan Singh Makhu of Khalistan Liberation Force. Bhai Nishan Singh Makhu was very impressed by Bhai Avtar Singh level of intelligence and purpose for doing good in life, that he held him in high regard and gave a lot of respect. Bhai Avtar Singh too connected well with Bhai Nishan Singh Makhu. The armed struggle and fight for Khalistan was a direct response to and the events of June 1984 and November 1984, respectfully. Bhai Avtar Singh decided to drop out from his MA studies and university to officially join Bhai Nishan Singh Makhu and dedicate his life to the Khalistan movement. Not only did he drop out of university, he left his family home to go completely underground. Bhai Avtar Singh served with great bravery and dedication. He was appointed the commander for his area and was smart in strategically planning many Jhujaru actions.

The police got to know of Bhai Sahib’s involvement in the Sikh struggle. So, the police began to harass and torture his family members in a bid to find out his whereabouts and who he was serving with. It was around mid-December 1987, Bhai Avtar Singh was travelling alone on a cycle from Zira village towards Mallanwala. Bhai Sahib was stopped at an unexpected checkpoint setup by the police. The police began to question him. Unfortunately, the interrogation got him caught out and he was identified as the real Bhai Avtar Singh Aahlan. The local DSP Ghuman immediately arrested him.

At the police station, Bhai Avtar Singh was brutally tortured. Not once did he disclose any information about his fellow Jhujaru Singhs nor details of the missions they undertook. The only one word he uttered continuously, throughout the whole time he was being tortured, was “Waheguru”. The police would utilise the most brutal torture methods. Thousands of Jhujaru Singhs were heinously tortured in this way by whom we would only call the butchers (so-called police). Bhai Avtar Singh had his nails pulled out, his wrists broken, then his arms broken. He was also electrocuted in his private parts and had his eyes pulled out of their sockets. All this was happening, while the only word he uttered was Waheguru. In the end, on 27th December 1987, Bhai Sahib was taken to the village of Jagowal, tied to a tree and shot to death, where he attained Shaheedi (martyrdom). At first, the police refused to give the body to the family. However, after much pressure and protest by the family and all the village supporters, Bhai Avtar Singhs body was reluctantly given to the family.

 

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Avtar Singh Aahlan