Shaheed Bhai Khem Singh Babbar

Babbar Khalsa

 

Bhai Khem Singh was born in the year 15th June 1958 to the blessed womb of mother, Mata Hameer Kaur and father, Sardar Nachhattar Singh in the village of Badal Kalan, near Bhawanigarh, district Sangrur. Bhai Khem Singh was the eldest of five children, with one brother and three sisters – Bhai Kehm Singh, Bibi Harjit Kaur, Bibi Paramjit Kaur, Bibi Rajinder Kaur and Shaheed Bhai Rajinder Singh alias Raj Singh. The family was devoted Gursikhs and earned their livelihood from farming their family-owned land. Bhai Khem Singh studied upto tenth grade at his village school. From childhood Bhai Sahib was brave and courageous. As well as studying Bhai Sahib was also a wrestler and had won many prizes at state level by competing in wrestling tournaments.

 

In his early adult years, Bhai Sahib was very much influenced and part of the Naxalites movement. Along with many youths from his village, Bhai Sahib had established a Naxalites wing in the area. Bhai Sahib had become an active member of this group. Bhai Sahib was well respected amongst people for fearlessly putting his points across. Bhai Sahib had his Anand Karaj ceremony (Marriage) in the year 1975 with Bibi Santosh Kaur (village Kaithal, Haryana). They were blessed with two sons – Bhai Sandeep Singh and Bhai Ranbir Singh. Then on 26th August 1976, Bhai Sahib enrolled into the Indian army. But due to breaking his ribs, Bhai Sahib was released with pension and sent home by the army board on 20th March 1980. Bhai Sahib loved reading and listening to the writings of a revolutionary writer, Sant Ram Udasi.

 

In June 1984, when the Indian army attacked Sri Harimandir Sahib, Bhai Sahib was left in dismay. At the Sarbat Khalsa of 1986, Bhai Sahib had been blessed with Amrit from the Panj Pyare. After this Bhai Sahib became an active member of Bhai Simranjit Singh Mann’s Akali Dal party. Bhai Sahib’s younger brother, Bhai Rajinder Singh alias Raj Singh would attend the sermons of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale and after the attack, Bhai Rajinder Singh joined the Jhujaru Singhs of Khalistan Commando Force. The Punjab police came to know about this and started harassing Bhai Khem Singh. Once Bhai Sahib was arrested and taken to Ladda Kothi interrogation centre, where he was hung upside down and tortured for information of his younger brother. After this in January 1991, Bhai Khem Singh decided to join the Jhujaru Singhs and became part of the militia group known as Babbar Khalsa under the command of Bhai Balwinder Singh Ganga.

 

On 9th September 1991, Bhai Khem Singh along with two other Jhujaru Singhs – Bhai Gurmail Singh Secretary (village Raipur, Mansa) and Bhai Paramjit Singh Fullewal attained Shaheedi (martyrdom). These 3 Jhujaru Singhs fought against thousands of Indian security personnel for continuous 36 hours in the village of Moujiya. They had destroyed 2 police Gypsy vehicles and 3 bullet proof tractors in this encounter. Bhai Khem Singh Babbar was the last one to attain Shaheedi in this encounter. The Indian soldiers were so scared to go closer to the fighting Jhujaru Singhs, they did not know that 2 of the Jhujaru Singhs had attained martyrdom because the way Bhai Sahib handled his firing rate, it seemed like there were more than one fighter. In the end, when all ammunition of Bhai Sahib had finished, Bhai Sahib decided to swallow a capsule of cyanide and not be captured alive by the enemy. Bhai Sahib then attained martyrdom. The police cremated all three Jhujaru Singhs without informing the families. The family of Bhai Khem Singh were given his ashes.

 

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Khem Singh Babbar