Shaheed Bhai Gursahib Singh Fridewala
Shaheed Bhai Gursahib Singh Fridewala
Khalistan Commando Force
One name comes in the ranks of heroes who were martyred in battlefield for the freedom of the Sikh nation and for the safety of the Bani (Sikh scriptures) and the Bana (Sikh attire), the name of Shaheed Bhai Gursahib Singh of Fridewala. This valiant warrior picked up an assault rifle at a young age and fought fiercely with the cruel Indian government, and shook its security forces. The police forces of the Hindu empire trembled when hearing the name of this warrior. Bhai Gursahib Singh performed such great fighting feats at a young age that even the intelligence agencies of the government were stunned. This warrior of the Sikh nation received the blessings of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale and Sant Baba Thakur Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale.
Shaheed Bhai Gursahib Singh, Area Commander of Khalistan Commando Force was born in 1975, in the house of Sardar Amrik Singh and from the blessed womb of Mata Balveer Kaur in village Fridewala, near Mallanwala, district Ferozepur. Bhai Sahib had 2 older brothers, Bhai Darbara Singh, Bhai Pratap Singh and 2 elder sisters Bibi Simarjit Kaur and Bibi Ninder Kaur. Bhai Sahib was the youngest. At his childhood, he had many knots in his head which were very difficult to open even after making many efforts. One day, Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale was doing Gurmat Smagam in the village and came to Bhai Sahib’s house and at that time the family requested Sant Ji to bless Bhai Sahib, saying, “Sant Ji, we are unable to use Kanga (wooden comb) in this child’s hair because he has so many knots.” Sant Ji smiled as he sat Bhai Sahib in his lap and said, “O’ Bhujangia, you want to be a Saadhu or a fearless Jhujaru Singh in Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj’s army?” Bhai Sahib straight away replied, “I want to be a Singh!” Then the parents of Bhai Sahib also requested, “Sant Ji, please make a Singh of Kalgidhar Patshah (10th Sikh Guru).” Sant Ji then advised the family to follow these steps, “Put sweet soda in hot water and as you recite Sri Jap Ji Sahib, wash his hair five times, the knots will open, and the hair will separate.” The family followed the advice of Sant Ji and had only washed the hair 3 times before all the knots opened, and the clean hair began to shine. Bhai Sahib was about 5 years old then.
After that, Bhai Sahib studied worldly education for a few years up to the 5th grade, and then went to Damdami Taksal Chownk Mehta for religious studies at the Damdami Taksal headquarters. Soon as Bhai Sahib came to Damdami Taksal, he took Amrit from the Panj Pyare and became the bearer of Gurbani and Sikh attire. He acquired pure knowledge of the verses of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, acquired proficiency in Sikh martial arts and served Baba Thakur Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale with great devotion. Bhai Sahib was a very beautiful, handsome and lion-hearted brave young man. When Bhai Sahib use to wear a beautiful round turban on his head and a Damdami Taksal chola on his body, everyone’s soul would be happy as they have seen a true Khalsa. Whenever Baba Thakur Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale went out for any event or program, he would take Bhai Sahib with him. Bhai Gursahib Singh served in the Langar Hall of Damdami Taksal headquarters with Bhai Ratan Singh Langari and accepted his every order. Bhai Ratan Singh also considered Bhai Sahib as his own son.
After staying in Damdami Taksal for 3 years, he returned home. In those days, the armed struggle for the freedom of Khalistan was in full swing. Bhai Sahib also joined with the Jhujaru Singhs and abandoned the attachment of family to join the armed struggle. He served the Sikh nation under Khalistan Commando Force and Fauj-E-Khalsa of Khalistan Jhujaru groups, which were under the command of Khalistani generals such as Bhai Anokh Singh Ubhoke, Bhai Nishan Singh Makhu, Bhai Waryam Singh Bure Nangal and Bhai Gurjant Singh Rajasthani. Bhai Sahib had many encounters with the Hindustani forces, and while fighting vigorously, they broke the siege and escaped. Bhai Sahib made his own fort in the border area of Khemkaran. At the houses or hideouts, where Bhai Sahib used to stay, no one would have believed that he was also one of the Jhujaru Singhs. Although his body was thin, he was quite strong, and even in hand-to-hand combat, Bhai Sahib would destroy the enemy. Bhai Gursahib Singh punished many police cats, traitors, informers, cruel police officers and Hindustani forces. The name of Khalistan Commando Force started echoing in the newspapers, there were echoes of Khalistan everywhere. Bhai Sahib’s Jhujaru group had very good weapons, which were used to blow away the challenges of the Hindustani forces. All his Jhujaru brothers were Nitnemi and before going into every action, they used to pray at the feet of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj and after achieving victory, they used to thank Akaal Purakh by reciting 5 verses of Sri Jaap Sahib and Chandi Di Vaar.
Once, Bhai Gursahib Singh along with one of his Jhujaru brothers attacked the police checkpoint Sursingh village and spread the dead bodies of the policemen, the surviving police officers and severely were blindfolded and their hands were tied behind their backs. The Singhs told the police offers to shout ‘Khalistan Zindabad, and as they shouted the Singhs grabbed all their weapons and escaped.
There was a fierce battle between Bhai Sahib and fellow Jhujaru Singhs against the CRPF, which continued for 32 hours. People sing the songs of the bravery that Bhai Sahib showed in this battle. In this encounter, 3 of Bhai Sahib’s Jhujaru brothers attained martyrdom fighting, meanwhile Bhai Sahib and another 4 Jhujaru Singhs broke the curfew and managed to escape killing many Indian soldiers in the process. The next day Bhai Sahib attacked the Bhikhiwind police station and killed six policemen, avenging the martyrdom of his fellow Jhujaru Singhs.
Near the village of Kamale Wala, there was also a fierce encounter of Bhai Sahib with Indian security forces. He was alone at that time but had enough weapons and ammunition. The enemies had planned that Bhai Gursahib Singh would be surrounded and killed today. But when this son of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj opened fire upon the Indian soldiers, the sky also trembled with the thunder of bullets and the enemy ranks were shattered and Bhai Sahib marched towards his escape.
When Bhai Sahib was involved in the Sikh struggle, the police unleashed a lot of fury on his family. Once, the police arrested his elderly mother, Mata Balveer Kaur and a harassed at the police station. The Punjab police also tortured his father and brother, Bhai Darbara Singh inhumanely and even his sisters were not spared. Every day there were raids at Bhai Sahib’s family house, but the police could not break Bhai Sahib’s courage by oppressing his family like this and he continued to take steps towards his target with full confidence and determination.
Police forces used to roam around like hyenas to capture Bhai Sahib. There was a large cash reward on his head. To trap the Jhujaru Singhs, the government had spread a net of bock cat and police informers all over Punjab. While doing selfless service to the Sikh nation, Bhai Sahib went to village Viring, a nearby village of Sarhali Kalan in Tarn Taran, to arrange a wedding of a girl from a poor family. a police informer had spotted Bhai Sahib and straight away reported this to the local police station. Within an hour, the Indian security forces had surrounded the Viring village under the supervision of SD Khubi Ram and Thanedar Balkar Singh. Bhai Sahib was unarmed and arrested from here. Then the cruel police officers tortured Bhai Sahib for two days at the Sarhali police station in a very cruel way, the butchers broke Bhai Sahib’s bones and legs, burned the flesh with hot presses, then tied him to the back of a jeep and dragged him, but Bhai Gursahib Singh did not tell a single secret of the Jhujaru Singhs or even his own name and address to the police. Till his last breath, on 11th April 1991, Bhai Gursahib Singh along with two other Singhs were shot and martyred in a false police encounter on the bridge of village Khara near Sarhali Kalan. Bhai Sahib’s martyred body was not handed over to the family, and the police silently cremated him somewhere.
In the name of Shaheed Bhai Gursahib Singh, the Bhog of Sri Akhand Paath Sahib was held at his home at village Fridewala and a martyrdom ceremony was also held at Damdami Taksal Chownk Mehta in his memory. Thousands of Sikh devotees offered flowers of devotion to this martyred warrior of Khalistan.
Tavareekh Shaheed-E-Khalistan – Bhai Ranjit Singh Damdami Taksal