Shaheed Bhai Balwinder Singh Lalpura 

Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan 

 

Punjab and the Sikhs of independent India were actively involved in the armed struggle against the oppression, discrimination and injustices put upon them by their government. It was through this activism, the cause of Khalistan was established. Bhai Balwinder Singh, a brave warrior who sacrificed himself for freedom in his youth, was born in 1975 in the house of Sardar Bagga Singh and from the blessed womb of Mata Swaran Kaur in village Lalpura, Tehsil Khadur Sahib, District Tarn Taran. Bhai Sahib was the youngest of five siblings, he had three elder sisters, Bibi Darshan Kaur, Bibi Dalbir Kaur, Bibi Kashmir Kaur and one elder brother, Bhai Harjinder Singh. Sardar Bagga Singh was a farmer. Bhai Sahib was a good football player. He studied till tenth standard from the government school in village Lalpura. He had a very enthusiastic nature, the people of the village highly praised his courage.

 

The famous Jhujaru Singhs, Bhai Gurbhej Singh and Bhai Harbhej Singh Bheja alias Cyanide were also from Bhai Sahib’s village Lalpura. Bhai Balwinder Singh’s family had a deep love for these two Jhujaru Singhs. In those days, the police had taken a lot of extreme measures, the Sikh families were being subjected to immense oppression. Before this, the Indian government had attacked forty Gurdwaras, including the Sri Darbar Sahib and Sri Akaal Takht Sahib, with tanks and artillery. Bhai Balwinder Singh had barely stepped into his youthhood, he had not even grown a beard when he abandoned his home and family to fight for the creation of Khalistan. Bhai Sahib went underground and jumped into the armed struggle and started taking part in Jhujaru actions at a very young age. Under the leadership of Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan’s Generals, Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sangha and Bhai Harbhej Singh Bheja alias Cyanide, he did brave actions and shook the hearts of the cruel police. 

 

Bhai Sahib was an expert in dismantling, fitting and operating all kinds of weapons. His intelligence, fearlessness and foresight were well respected by fellow Jhujaru Singhs. He was known to disguise himself and escape from the huge encirclements of the police and CRPF safely. Once, Bhai Sahib single-handedly fought against 35 policemen of Valtoha police station, out of which he killed 17. He also came out of the police encirclement wearing a police uniform and took away the police guns with him. Seeing the courage Bhai Sahib showed in the encounters of villages Bhojjian, Bhullar and Lalpura, even the policemen were in awe. The police and CRPF were searching the Majha area of Punjab to arrest him. 

 

The brutal police officers, blinded by the rush to get stars on their shoulders, also wreaked havoc on his family. For six months, Bhai Sahib’s father, Sardar Bagga Singh and brother, Bhai Harjinder Singh remained in the police stations, they would sometimes be taken away by the other police forces and sometimes by the CIA staff. The Bhai Sahib’s family supported him a lot during the struggle. Bhai Sahib’s, Bhai Harjinder Singh would arrange the accommodation for Jhujaru Singhs. Bhai Balwinder Singh never harassed anyone, did not demand ransoms, did not kill innocent people, but he selectively punished the butcher police officers, black cats, informers, traitors and CRPF soldiers. Bhai Sahib was a very close and trusted companion of Bhai Harbhej Singh Bheja, he would sacrifice his life on Bhai Bheja’s word. Bhai Harbhej Singh killed 2 comrades in Tarn Taran, but Bhai Balwinder Singh had first warned them twice prior, but when the comrades did not stop talking nonsense against Sikh faith, the Jhujaru Singhs assassinated them. 

 

Once during his Jhujaru life, Bhai Balwinder Singh Lalpura, Bhai Harbhej Singh Bheja and Bhai Mukhtiar Singh Kad Gill were resting on the outskirts of Lalpura village. The local police were informed about this, surrounded the Jhujaru Singhs. As soon as the Jhujaru Singhs realised the police encirclement, a fierce battle ensued and there was heavy firing from both sides. While fighting the police, the 3 Jhujaru Singhs crossed the ravine and came on the road and got on a tractor, driving it to village Warana. The Indian security forces followed them and the encounter continued. There, the Jhujaru Singhs fought with the police for 12 hours. The CRPF also arrived as back up to join the battle against the 3 Jhujaru Singhs. Bhai Balwinder Singh was fighting and moving ahead showing his bravery, the Jhujaru Singhs killed 16 policemen. Due to the long encounter, the ammunition of the Jhujaru Singhs ran out, Bhai Balwinder Singh, Bhai Harbhej Singh and Bhai Mukhtar Singh placed cyanide capsules on their tongues, after which the they attained martyrdom on 10th April 1992. 

 

When the police came near the bodies of the martyred Singhs, they fired bullets at the bodies and then cremated the 3 Jhujaru Singhs at an undisclosed location. The family were not given the ashes of the Singhs or their belongings.

 

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