Shaheed Bhai Gurmeet Singh Tuggalwal

 

Shaheed Bhai Gurmeet Singh, associated to Damdami Taksal, was the first martyr from his area. His martyrdom was mentioned by Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale while having the historic conversation with Swami Vishnu Nand. The video of this conversation is present on the YouTube platform. When the religious leader of the Hindu religion Swami Vishnu Nand came to Sri Darbar Sahib, he met the great leader of the Sikh nation, Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale on the roof of the Langar Hall. There was a long discussion on the topics of welfare of Sikhs and Punjab. Swami Vishnu Nand had come thinking he could create harmony with nothing on the table for the Sikhs of India, but when Sant Ji exposed the double standards of the Indian government and its injustices towards the Sikhs, Swami had nothing to say, it was like the cat had bitten his tongue. The Swami then asked, “Please tell me, which Singh of yours has the police killed?” Then referring to the martyrdom of Shaheed Bhai Gurmeet Singh Tuggalwala, Sant Ji replied, “Only 2 days ago, the police of Harchowal killed one of our Singhs for no reason, and they didn’t even give us the body!” The martyrdom of Bhai Gurmeet Singh was much talked about at that time. The old Singhs remember this incident well, but the present generation is completely unaware of it, well, here is his biography. 

 

Shaheed Bhai Gurmeet Singh was born in 1950 in the house of his father, Sardar Darshan Singh and from the blessed womb of Mata Charan Kaur in village Tuggalwal, near Harchowal, district Gurdaspur. Bhai Sahib had 4 brothers and a sister. He studied till 10th standard. First, Bhai Sahib was in the army and then left that job and started farming in his village. Bhai Sahib was an Amritdhari and ascending Panth-loving Gursikh and was seen reciting Gurbani pretty much all the time. The entire area used to call him Jathedar Ji’ or ‘Baba Ji’. When Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale and Shiromani Akali Dal launched a Dharma Yudh Morcha for the rights of Sikhs and Punjab, Bhai Sahib also became active.

 

During the Morcha, Sant Bhindranwale had appointed two leaders in each area, who would bring the congregations for their voluntary arrest and make every responsibility given by the Morcha successful. Bhai Gurmeet Singh Tuggalwal and Bhai Jaswant Singh of the same village were appointed as leaders of Sri Hargobindpur area. Under Bhai Sahib’s leadership, countless congregations used to reach Sri Darbar Sahib and attended the Dharma Yudh Morcha gatherings in Diwan Hall Manji Sahib. Bhai Sahib gave his voluntary arrest 3 times and always preached Sikhi in the area, and administered Amrit to countless people. Sant Bhindranwale was very pleased with Bhai Sahib’s commitment to the cause because once Bhai Sahib had given his voluntary arrest along with 5100 Singhs of his area. The police were very disturbed by Bhai Sahib activism and he was like a thorn in the eyes of the Indian government. In those days, Giani Jaswant Singh (who was a Taksali Singh) used to recite Katha in the Gurdwara Sahib of village Thakkar Wala in the morning and evening. Bhai Sahib also used to go to him to learn Gurbani Santhaya and Katha.

 

On 7th February 1984, when Bhai Sahib was returning to village Tuggalwal from village Thakkar Wala on a bicycle at night, the police took him into custody near Harchowal bus station and martyred Bhai Sahib by shooting him on the spot. The next day, when the family came to know that Bhai Sahib had been martyred at the hands of the police, they immediately went to Sri Amritsar and told Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. The police took Shaheed Bhai Gurmeet Singh’s martyred body first to Batala and then to Gurdaspur. A large convoy of countless congregations reached Gurdaspur to collect Bhai Sahib’s martyred body, but the police had already cremated him. There was great anger and resentment among the congregations that day. Then, the family identified Bhai Sahib from his clothes. Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale often mentioned Bhai Sahib in his speeches and demanded an answer from the government as to why Shaheed Bhai Gurmeet Singh was martyred? 

 

When the 1984tribute.com team went to Bhai Sahib’s house in village Tuggalwal, we met his wife and son and during the conversation they told us that the Khalra Mission Organisation had also fought his case in the court, but no justice has been done till date. Shaheed Bhai Gurmeet Singh was married to Bibi Gurmeet Kaur. When he was martyred, his sons Vikrampal Singh was 6 years old, Sukhjinder Singh was 4 years old and Guramritpal Singh was only 2 years old. Bhai Sahib’s brother-in-law, Bhai Gurmej Singh (village Marhian Wala, Batala) was also martyred in the battle of Amritsar, June 1984. 

 

Tavareekh Shaheed-E-Khalistan 3 – Ranjit Singh Damdami Taksal