Shaheed Bhai Baljit Singh Chhina

Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan 

 

In the Sikh struggle for freedom initiated by Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale, many Sikhs sacrificed their lives and amongst these martyrs is Bhai Baljit Singh Chhina alias Khalistani. Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan’s Bhai Baljit Singh Khalistani was born on 3rd August 1970 from the blessed womb of Mata Lakhwinder Kaur and in the house of Sardar Kunnan Singh in village Harsha Cheena, Tehsil Ajnala, District Sri Amritsar Sahib. He studied up to tenth grade. His entire family was connected to Sikhi. In childhood, Bhai Sahib had taken Amrit from the Panj Pyare. 

 

In June 1984, Indira Gandhi attacked Sri Darbar Sahib with the army and Sri Akaal Takht Sahib was destroyed with tanks and cannons. At that time, even though Bhai Sahib was only ten years old, his gentle heart was torn apart after hearing about this calamity from the villagers. After some time, he went to Sri Darbar Sahib with his mother and seeing the fallen Sri Akaal Takht Sahib, a fire of anger erupted in his heart. Bhai Baljit Singh, expressing Sikh sentiments, started writing soul-stirring poems. In every poem, the story of the holocaust that happened at Sri Darbar Sahib and the atrocities committed against the Sikhs was narrated and the praises of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale and other martyred Singhs were sung and the government of Hindustan was cursed.

 

When Bhai Baljit Singh recited a heart-wrenching, passionate poem at Gurdwara Baba Kulli on the occasion of Sangrand, the Sikh congregation were amazed and since then he became famous as Khalistani Poet. At a young age, Bhai Sahib challenged the Indian government by singing Khalistani poems at many gatherings where thousands would attend to pay respects to the martyrs of Khalistan.  In school too, Bhai Sahib created awareness among the youth about the Khalistan movement by singing praises of Khalistani Jhujaru Singh’s. Due to his Khalistani views, the police soon became his enemy.

 

In 1987, one day the police and CRPF surrounded his village at Amrit Vela and the police picked Bhai Sahib up from his house and took him to the police station. His mother and sister pleaded with the policemen, “He is still a child, he doesn’t know anything. He is not guilty, leave him alone, don’t kill him.” The evil policemen did not listen and took him to police station, where Bhai Sahib was mercilessly beaten and then took him to his house. Two policemen climbed on the roof of his house and the rest were standing with Bhai Sahib in the courtyard with handcuffs on him. The policemen from the roof threw a black bag into the house which contained two unlawful revolvers. The policeman with Bhai Sahib said, “We have recovered these two revolvers from your house and now we will file a case against you for possessing illegal weapons!” Bhai Baljit Singh and his mother pleaded to the police, “These revolvers did not come out of our house, these were thrown into our house by your own men to falsely implicate us.” 

 

The whole village gathered by now. The Sarpanch of the village also said, “These revolvers cannot belong to Baljit, he is still very young in his thoughts, what does he know about weapons!” But the SHO was now getting annoyed and said, “Sarpanch! If the revolver doesn’t belong to Baljit, then it must be yours?” The police had spread terror throughout the village. In front of the villagers, the police took Bhai Baljit Singh Khalistani to BR Model School (also known as the Police Butcher House) in Amritsar, where Bhai Sahib was subjected to immense torture for three days. Bhai Sahib was then moved to Mal Mandi, where he was subjected to severe torture for another month. Blood flowed from Bhai Sahib’s nose and ears. The Indian oppressors electrocuted him until he lost consciousness, tore the muscles in his groin, the policemen inflicted all sorts of barbaric tortures, after which they filed several cases and sent Bhai Sahib to Gumtala (Amritsar) jail. After a while, Bhai Sahib was transferred to Sangrur jail.

 

Bhai Baljit Singh Khalistani wrote a poem to his mother from inside the jail, which is as follows:

 

“This is a picture

Looking at it

Will you laugh or cry

Will you live or die

Tell me, my innocent mother

What will you do now?”

 

Bhai Baljit Singh Khalistani wrote another poem from Sangrur jail to his mother, which became quite famous, and every Sikh has it on their tongue:

 

“Stones are thrown at those berry trees,

Which have sweet berries.

Troubles are faced by those mothers,

Who have brave sons.

No one is scared of crows and dogs,

Only lions are caged.”

 

After being released from Sangrur jail, Bhai Baljit Singh Khalistani did not return home and joined the Jhujaru group of Bhai Satnam Singh Satta Chhina, the general of Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan, and became the right hand of Bhai Satta Chhina. While participating in the armed struggle, Bhai Baljit Singh Khalistani gave tickets to hell to many enemies of the Sikh nation and took the struggle to greater heights. Bhai Baljit Singh Khalistani mostly stayed in the Trai area of ​​Uttar Pardesh with Bhai Satta Cheena’s Jhujaru group, and sometimes he went to Delhi and Punjab to do a Jhujaru action or to meet his family. The police were searching every corner of Punjab and UP in search of Bhai Sahib, and a team of black cats was also fully active to catch him.

 

In 1991, on the way from Sheikh Fateh to Puranpur (Pilibhit UP) is village of Khatte Pur, Bhai Baljit Singh Khalistani along with another companion Bhai Salwinder Singh Chhidan stayed here at the Dera of a well-known Singh, Bhai Major Singh and waited for Bhai Satnam Singh Chhina. On the information of a police tout, the local police and CRPF surrounded both Jhujaru Singhs. At that time Bhai Baljit Singh was taking a bath, he quickly came out and started firing at the invading Indian security forces. There was a fierce encounter for six hours and in this encounter both Jhujaru Singhs fought both, Bhai Baljit Singh Khalistani and Bhai Salwinder Singh Chhidan attained martyrdom. The police thought that the martyred body of Bhai Baljit Singh Khalistani was that of Bhai Satnam Singh Satta Chhina. Bhai Sahib’s martyred body was brought from UP to Punjab and after eight days the villagers identified martyred body as of Bhai Baljit Singh Khalistani’s. After this, the police instead of handing over the martyred body to the family, cremated it themselves at the Durgiana Mandir of Amritsar.

 

Sometime after the martyrdom of Shaheed Bhai Baljit Singh Khalistani, the police arrested Bhai Sahib’s mother, Mata Lakhwinder Kaur and took her to Rajasansi police station and tortured severely. During the torture, a butcher police officer said, “This old woman will not give us information easily. Take off her clothes and do the same with her as we do with our wives in the bed at night!” The beasts made the condition of Mata Lakhwinder Kaur very bad, and continued to ask the same thing, “Tell me, where is Satta Chhina? When does he come to your house. How much money did he give you. Where have you hidden Baljit’s weapons?” Mata Ji replies with full determination, “Bastards! I don’t know anything. When my son was alive, you didn’t even look towards my house, and now what do you seek from me after killing my lion son?” All the days Mata Ji was kept at bay the police station, she did not even drink a sip of water from the hands of the police officers, and continued to chant, “Waheguru Waheguru.” Police officers drunk with alcohol would say, “Old woman! If you want to survive, give us 1 Lakh Rupees, otherwise we will kill you!” Mata Ji would reply, “To kill or spare my life is in the hands of that God, and everyone has to die one day, if not today, then tomorrow!” Eventually after the local Panchayat got involved and had Mata Lakhwinder Kaur released from the hands of the evil police. 

 

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