Shaheed Bhai Baljit Singh Lehra Bega

Khalistan Commando Force

 

Bhai Baljit Singh was born in the year 1967, to the blessed womb of mother, Mata Harbans Kaur and father, Sardar Gurcharan Singh, in the village of Lehra Bega, near to Bhucho Mandi, district Bathinda. He was one of two children, with an older brother Bhai Balbir Singh. Bhai Baljit Singh did not attend school and never gained an education. His family lived a very simple rural village life, where he helped his father in agriculture and cultivating their farm lands. Aside from farming and living a village life, Bhai Baljit Singh played Kabaddi (Punjabi grappling sport) in his spare time. This was his passion and he was an excellent player. He was so good that he would attend many tournaments and travel to distant villages to play at the Kabaddi games. In 1980, Bhai Baljit Singh got married to Bibi Jasmail Kaur, a resident of village Ubha (Mansa). They were blessed with two sons and led a fulfilling family life.

 

Bhai Baljit Singh used to go to distant villages to play Kabaddi, it was through these travels he came into contact with Jhujaru Singhs from their respected localities. Bhai Baljit Singh formed close relations with the Jhujaru Singhs and gained much knowledge on the movement and the fight for Khalistan. He understood the plight of the Sikh nation and the efforts by these Jhujaru Singhs. He too became dedicated and began serving in secret, he had also been arrested randomly on two occasions and was released with no further action.

 

In 1990, there had been reports of a murder at Bhai Baljit Singh’s village of Lehra Bega, in which his name was mentioned. Because of this Bhai Baljit Singh uprooted his entire family and left the village, to never return. In those days, 10-12 Singhs from Bhai Baljit Singh’s village were already known to have gone underground and who were serving in different militia organizations. Bhai Baljit Singh served for around two years.

 

Along with his fellow Jhujaru Singhs – Bhai Tejinder Singh Gora resident of Nathana, Bhai Manjit Singh village of Nathana, Bhai Dharam Singh resident of Dhilwan, Bhai Gurmail Singh Geli resident of Lehra Bega, Bhai Gurmel Singh Phoola, they served justice to numerous perpetrators.

 

On one such day, Bhai Baljit Singh was staying at his hide out location. He instructed one of the young boys of this family to go get some goods from the shop. Unintentionally, the young boy told the shop keeper, in conversation, that a Singh had ordered this shopping. The shop keeper was immediately suspicious and he informed the police. It took no time for the house to become completely surrounded by the Punjab police. On 2nd November 1992, during the late hours of the night, the police sneaked into the house and tried to grab Bhai Sahib whilst he was sleeping. Bhai Baljit Singh immediately came into action. Being a strong Kabaddi player he had great strength, so he was already fighting back and got hold of the DSP’s wrist so tight that there was no escape. No other soldier dared to come near, but cowardly police shot Bhai Baljit Singh from a distance and there he attained Shaheedi (martyrdom).

 

The police picked up Bhai Baljit Singh’s body and took him to the nearby village of Machhana (Sabo ki Talwandi) where Bhai Baljit Singh’s killing was staged as a fake police encounter. The police cremated Shaheed Bhai Baljit Singh Lehra Bega in the official cremation ground of Bathinda. The family secretly went to the cremation grounds to collect Bhai Baljit Singh’s ashes.

 

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Baljit Singh Lehra Bega