Shaheed Bhai Avtar Singh Mand alias Baba Bota

Khalistan Commando Force

 

Bhai Avtar Singh was born in the year 1962, to the blessed womb of mother, Mata Channan Kaur and father, Sardar Kundan Singh in the village of Kang, Naurangabad, district Tarn Taran. He was one of seven children, with four brothers and two sisters. Bhai Avtar Singh was the fifth eldest. They lived a traditional village life and farming was their main means of earning and livelihood. His father was a retired army sepoy from the British rule. He also served with his regiment in World War two and fought in Burma, where he sustained lifelong injuries. Bhai Avtar Singh studied up to tenth grade at his local village school. He was a very free-spirited soul. He did not mingle with others much and kept himself to himself as he enjoyed his own company. His entire family was a devoted Gursikh family and he was blessed with Amrit (baptised) from a very young age. Bhai Avtar Singh was very spiritual and this was one of the reasons he spent a lot of time alone, he would be known to be chanting Waheguru all day long. Following completion of his tenth grade, he went on to work at a steel mill in Faridabad, South of Delhi. Then few years later, he shifted to a paper mill in Goindwal.

 

Bhai Avtar Singh was well aware of the political situation in Punjab and was fully supportive of the armed struggle and the fight for Khalistan. The armed movement was now very much in control of Punjab and Bhai Avtar Singh had much respect for the Jhujaru Singhs. He came into contact with Bhai Major Singh Shaheed (village Shaheed, Patti) of Khalistan Commando Force. From this day on, Bhai Avtar Singh secretly began serving with the Jhujaru Singhs. Some days, whilst at his work place in Goindwal, he would take time out and meet the Jhujaru Singhs. Here he would be allocated tasks and duties to support the Jhujaru Singhs. Continuing his life in this way, he then had his Anand Karaj (marriage) with Bibi Jasbir Kaur, in the year 1991. Bhai Avtar Singh lived both his family life and Jhujaru life concurrently.

 

Bhai Avtar Singh served closely with Bhai Kulwant Singh Kanta alias Hathi (village Sangatpura, Chola Sahib), Bhai Sukha Singh Khara (village Khara, Chola Sahib), Bhai Major Singh Shaheed (village Shaheed, Patti), among many other brave lions of Khalistan Commando Force. Bhai Avtar Singh was a Jhujaru Singh who served his purpose and contribution for the movement but remained anonymous and never one to have had his name in public.

 

Having been so careful to keep his whereabouts anonymous, the police unexpectedly came to his home village in Kang and raided his house. Following which, he was arrested on 1st January 1992. He was brutally tortured and interrogated to speak up about the actions and whereabouts of certain Jhujaru Singhs. But Bhai Avtar Singh did not waiver and did not disclose any information despite the severe torture and pressure of interrogation. The police had no more need for him. So just like many others who were killed in fake encounters, Bhai Avtar Singh was delivered the same unfortunate fate. He was passed down the chain of police stations from Sarhali, Tarn Taran Sadar police and finally to Chabbal. Here he was taken with four other Sikh males, during the early hours of 2nd January 1992 where they were killed with firearm shots, all attaining Shaheedi (martyrdom).

 

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Avtar Singh Mand alias Baba Bota