Shaheed Bhai Balbir Singh Kolowal

Sikh Student Federation

 

The name of Bhai Balbir Singh Kolowal, a brave fighter of the Sikh Students Federation, comes in the list of those brave warriors who sacrificed their lives for the betterment of religion and faced the oppression of the Indian government upon their bodies. When Sri Darbar Sahib was attacked in June 1984, the blood of these Jhujaru Singhs boiled so much that they tied a shroud on their heads and came out into the battlefield for the freedom of Khalistan. 

 

Family Information

Shaheed Bhai Balbir Singh was born in 1962 in the village of Kolowal in the Tehsil of Ajnala, in Sri Amritsar district, in the house of his father, Sardar Anokh Singh and from the blessed womb of Mata Mahinder Kaur. Sardar Anokh Singh had six children, whose details are as follows, eldest Bibi Manjit Kaur, Bibi Jagdish Kaur, Bhai Balbir Singh (Shaheed), Bibi Rajbir Kaur, Bhai Dilraj Singh and the youngest, Bibi Karamjit Kaur. Bhai Balbir Singh received his fifth education from the government school in his village and tenth grade education was obtained from the school of village Khyala. Bhai Sahib’s father, Sardar Anokh Singh Ji was a very high-spirited Gursikh, deeply connected to Sikhi.

 

Sardar Anokh Singh

On 13th April 1978, the Singhs of Damdami Taksal went to stop the propaganda of the Narakhdhari cult. Sardar Anokh Singh was amongst the Singhs of Damdami Taksal and witnessed the bloody massacre of Amritsar. The police through tear gas canisters into the crowd of unarmed Sikhs, who were peacefully protesting. The police then allowed the cult’s gunmen to shoot at the Sikhs, after which the police charged at the Sikhs with batons. Seeing this, Sardar Anokh Singh filled with rage, he uprooted the hand of the water pump and attacked a police officer, hitting one on the head. Sardar Anokh Singh injured police officers. This incident was also widely discussed in the newspapers and Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale honoured him from the stage in Manji Sahib Diwan Hall.

 

Sardar Anokh Singh also gave voluntary arrests during the Dharam Yudh Morcha. He would also gather the Sikh youth from surrounding villages, handing them over to General Shabeg Singh to be taught the tactics of war. So that when the need arises, these young Sikh men can fearlessly protect their Sikhi.

 

Religious Services

Sardar Anokh Singh also filled his son, Bhai Balbir Singh with the desire to fight and die for Sikhi. Bhai Sahib was also active in Sikh activities like his father. During the Dharam Yudh Morcha, Bhai Balbir Singh gave his voluntary arrest several times and spent time in different jails. Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale had a lot of love for Bhai Sahib. After coming in contact with Bhai Amrik Singh, Bhai Sahib joined the Sikh Student Federation. Bhai Harminder Singh Sandhu, the general secretary of the Federation, used to perform whatever service he assigned to him with full dedication. At that time, if any incident happened in Punjab, the police would arrest Bhai Balbir Singh and release him only after a long interrogation. He was a known Sikh activist and always ready to serve his nation.

 

Torture & Jail Journey

When the Hindu empire attacked Sri Darbar Sahib and Sri Akaal Takht Sahib, the symbol of devotion and power, in June 1984, Bhai Balbir Singh’s heart was torn to pieces, and a rebellion arose in his heart against the Hindu government. To teach the Hindu government a lesson, Bhai Sahib started strategizing and he secretly started taking part in Jhujaru actions and put the government in a panic.

 

The police started raiding Bhai Sahib’s house to arrest him and in December 1985, the police arrested him from Amritsar and took him to the slaughterhouse and subjected him to untold and unbearable torture, but he took on the police torture and did not give in to the oppressors. When nothing was achieved, the police filed several false cases against him and sent him to Mirankot (Amritsar) jail. He was released three months later.

 

In 1986, when the Sikh nation called for a Punjab Bandh, Bhai Sahib closed down the entire Chogawan village and the police officer, SSP Harjinder Singh put him on the hit list, due to which the police teams of the area became even more hostile towards Bhai Sahib. The police started raiding the family house every other day, the police arrested him again and he remained in jail for six months. From his relatives, his uncle Bhai Major Singh Kolowal, also a Jhujaru Singh roamed with Bhai Sahib in every activity, they spent time together in jail and also remained together during the armed struggle.

 

Punishing Anti-Sikh Elements 

  • A hypocrite holy man of Boparai village used to put people in superstitions and extort money, breaking them away from Sikhi. Bhai Balbir Singh and Bhai Major Singh gave him a warning to stop conning the weak and vulnerable.

 

  • Ram Lal of Khyala village used to talk a lot against Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. Bhai Sahib and Bhai Major Singh assassinated him.

 

Bhai Balbir Singh, following the Khalsa traditions, carefully selected and eliminated many anti-Sikh elements, including black cats, informers, traitors and cruel policemen. Bhai Sahib made a valuable contribution to the struggle for the independence of Khalistan. He was a very agile, brave and visionary Jhujaru Singh.

 

Police Harassment of Family

When Bhai Sahib was fighting in the armed struggle, the police made his family a victim of their torture, the police picked up his father, Sardar Anokh Singh and took him to the police station and tore his groin muscles, hung him upside down and beat him. The whole body of Sardar Anokh Singh became useless, due to which he became unable to walk and then he remained on the bed for a long time but the police still picked him up and tortured him even in that condition.

 

Martyrdom

Bhai Balbir Singh was staying at the house of his companion, Bhai Major Singh (village Kolowal) one day. A Jhujaru Singh, Bhai Balkar Singh Kala of village Othian, who was very active in the Sikh struggle, came to Bhai Major Singh’s house also, but someone informed the local police. At that time the Singhs did not have weapons. The police and CRPF surrounded the village and the house of Bhai Major Singh Kolowal in large numbers.  It is said, the Indian security forces were combined of 2000 personnel in this mission. 

 

On that day, 25th October 1987, Bhai Balkar Singh swallowed a cyanide capsule and was martyred and did not come into the hands of the police alive. But from there the police arrested Bhai Balbir Singh, Bhai Major Singh and others (the police also fired at Bhai Dilbagh Singh, brother of Bhai Balbir Singh, but he broke through the siege and escaped). The police then took Bhai Balbir Singh and Bhai Major Singh to Lopoke police station and later took them to Ajnala College (where the CRPF camp was). The police brutally tortured Bhai Balbir Singh and Bhai Major Singh here. The police pulled out the nails of Bhai Balbir Singh’s hands and feet and also took out his eyes but Bhai Sahib did not reveal even secret of the organisation to the police and kept chanting, “Waheguru-Waheguru.” The police tortured him to the point of death.

 

On 27th October 1987, the police martyred Bhai Balbir Singh in a false encounter at village Kural and Bhai Major Singh’s encounter was shown at village Fattewal Khurd. The family came to know about the incident on 29th October through newspapers. The police did not give the family the body of Bhai Balbir Singh and cremated it as unclaimed body. 

 

Tavareekh Shaheed-E-Khalistan 2 – Ranjit Singh Damdami Taksal