Shaheed Bhai Jermanjit Singh Chananke

Khalistan Armed Force

 

Bhai Jermanjit Singh was born to the blessed womb of mother, Mata Dalip Kaur and in the house of father, Sardar Dhanna Singh, in the village of Ghanshampur, near Nath Di Khui, district Amritsar. He was one of seven children, with four sisters and three brothers – eldest being Bhai Gopal Singh, Bhai Dyal Singh, Bhai Sarwan Singh, Bhai Jermanjit Singh, Bibi Kulwant Kaur, Bibi Kulwinder Kaur, Bibi Joginder Kaur and the youngest, Bibi Sukhwinder Kaur. Bhai Jermanjit Singh’s father was a tailor who earned the family’s livelihood by sewing traditional garments for both men and women. Within their tailoring workshop, they also sold groceries and cold drinks.

 

Bhai Jermanjit Singh was fortunate to receive a full education, studying up to the tenth grade at a state school in the town of Nangal. He then went on to complete his twelfth-grade studies at Khalsa School in Nava Pind. He began his college studies in 1984. This was also the year in which the Indian Government attacked the holiest site of the Sikhs, Sri Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, in June 1984, resulting in the killing of thousands of Sikh pilgrims.

 

This large-scale tragedy led to a widespread rise in agitation against the Indian Government, and an armed movement subsequently emerged. Many Jhujaru Singhs took refuge within the Sri Darbar Sahib complex. During the late 1980s, Bhai Jermanjit Singh began working as a bus conductor. It was during this period that he came into contact with Jhujaru Singhs from Bhai Surjit Singh Penta’s Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan militia group.

 

Bhai Jermanjit Singh would secretly and anonymously serve alongside the Jhujaru Singhs, supporting their travel and movements wherever he was able to assist through his role in transport. After Operation Black Thunder, in which Bhai Surjit Singh Penta and Bhai Karaj Singh Thande attained martyrdom, Bhai Jermanjit Singh joined forces with Khalistan Armed Force under the command of Bhai Chanchal Singh Udhoke.

 

Not much is known of Bhai Sahib’s lead up to his martyrdom. It was the newspapers that made his family aware that Bhai Jermanjit Singh Chananke had attained martyrdom on 28th July 1991.

 

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Jerman Singh Chananke