Shaheed Bhai Manjit Singh Sathiala

Dasmesh Regiment of Khalistan

 

Dasmesh Regiment of Khalistan, Lieutenant General and Press Secretary, Shaheed Bhai Manjit Singh Sathiala alias Pavittar Singh Gorilla Sipahi was born on 3rd February 1967, to father, Sardar Piara Singh and mother, Mata Harbans Kaur in village Sathiala, Tehsil Baba Bakala, Police Station Beas, Sri Amritsar Sahib district. Bhai Sahib had a younger sister, Bibi Kanwaljit Kaur and a brother, Bhai Sukhjit Singh. He passed his 12th grade from the government school in the village. While studying in school, Bhai Sahib used to go to Gurdwara Gurdarshan Prakash (Damdami Taksal, Chownk Mehta) with great enthusiasm. Sardar Piara Singh was a farmer and provided for his family. Bhai Sahib had his Anand Karaj with Bibi Mandeep Kaur alias Nirmal Kaur (daughter of Sardar Dalbir Singh, resident of village Suron Padda, near Mehta) in 1986 and three sons were born in the house, Gurpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh and Amrit Shahbaz Singh. 

 

Recruited in Police

On 15th March 1986, Bhai Sahib was recruited in Punjab Police and on 2nd July 1986 his duty started. Bhai Sahib stayed in Jalandhar PAP for one year. He was in the 13th Battalion. During the time Bhai Sahib was doing police service in 1987, Khalistan’s armed struggle was being fought by Jhujaru Singhs. To suppress the struggle and to put psychological pressure on the Jhujaru Singhs, Punjab police, CRPF and BSF were targeting the families of Jhujaru Singh, they were being subjected to immense atrocities. The honor of Sikh women snatched in the police stations across Punjab. Witnessing this, Bhai Sahib could not bear the injustice and during his police job, he joined the Jhujaru Singhs.

 

Arrest & Jail 

When the police got wind of the fact that Bhai Sahib was helping the Jhujaru Singhs, had sympathy for them and delivered weapons to them, Bhai Sahib was arrested. Bhai Sahib was sent to Nabha Jail and had NSA imposed on him, he stayed in jail for 3 years. Bhai Sahib’s family members came to know after several months that he was not on duty, and in fact in jail. After being released on bail, Bhai Sahib came home, but the police did not leave him alone and arrested him again. Bhai Sahib was taken to the interrogation centre in Mal Mandi, Amritsar. Here he was blindly tortured. Then for some time, Bhai Sahib was imprisoned in Amritsar Jail. After his release, he went into hiding permanently and joined the Jhujaru Singhs.

 

Armed Struggle

Bhai Sahib received the gift of Amrit from the Panj Pyare and he also received the blessings of Baba Thakur Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale of Damdami Taksal. Bhai Sahib was a firm believer in Nitnem, waking up at Amrit Vela, and always meditated on Waheguru. Bhai Sahib used to say that, “Reciting Gurbani gives us the strength to fight against the injustices.” Bhai Sahib had memorised the prayers of Nitnem, Chandi Di Var and Sukhmani Sahib. 

 

At times, Bhai Sahib would come home to see his family, he would be with his Jhujaru companions, who would be fully armed. Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan had a great amount love for Bhai Sahib. Bhai Sahib’s family had tried to stop him from joining the Jhujaru Singhs, but he would always say, “My father is Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj and Mata Sahib Kaur Ji and I have to serve the Sikh nation, not go back. I am no longer a soldier of the oppressive government of India, but a soldier of my country Khalistan.”

 

Bhai Sahib served the Sikh nation greatly under the leadership of Chief General Bhai Seetal Singh Mattewal of Dasmesh Regiment of Khalistan. His first encounter with the Indian security forces was in village Sathiala. He was shot in the left arm during this encounter. Bhai Sahib had 5 Jhujaru Singhs with him and killed many policemen, after which they broke the siege and escaped. Once in another village, Bhai Sahib had a fierce encounter with the police and in this encounter, he was shot in the right leg but again, he managed broke the siege and escape. 

 

Bhai Manjit Singh Sathiala became famous in the Jhujaru ranks for his bravery and dedication. He was named Bhai Pavittar Singh Gorilla alias Sipahi by Bhai Seetal Singh Mattewal because he was very skilled in fighting guerrilla warfare and after attacking the enemy, Bhai Sahib would disappear in the air. It was very difficult for the enemy to trace the Bhai Sahib’s footprints. Bhai Jugraj Singh Toofan, Bhai Balwinder Singh Shahpur and Bhai Harjit Singh Khojakpur were amongst the closet to Bhai Sahib and all of them were of great devotion to Waheguru. When Bhai Seetal Singh Mattewal attained martyrdom, in a fierce battle with the Indian security forces, it was Bhai Sahib who took Bhai Seetal Singh’s ashes and flowed them at Sri Kiratpur Sahib. 

 

Bhai Sahib did not allow any injustice or discrimination to take place in his area. Once upon a time, someone informed a Jhujaru group that a woman from this such and such family was informing the police about the Jhujaru Singhs. After which that Jhujaru group kidnapped that woman from her village. When Bhai Manjit Singh Sathiala came to know about this, he made sure that the Jhujaru group were made aware of the truth and safely delivered that woman to her home. In this way, Bhai Sahib helped many other people. Many girls were also resettled in their homes and Hindu families were protected, who still sing the praises of Bhai Sahib.

 

Martyrdom

A few days ago, the Anand Karaj of Bhai Sahib’s sister took place and she was to be taken from her in-laws’ house to visit her parents’ house, the whole family was waiting for Bhai Manjit Singh, he was also expected to go along. It was a few days ago that in a battle some Jhujaru Singhs had attained martyrdom near Bhai Sahib’s village. Bhai Sahib attended the Shaheedi Smagam which was held for the martyrs on behalf of the organisation to honor their families. From the Smagam, Bhai Sahib was going to go home. But someone the Smagam informed the police that Bhai Manjit Singh would definitely go to his village and that he would alone and unarmed. The police gave 10 Lakh Rupees to the informant and promised him a police job. Bhai Sahib was late coming home and the family went to the in-laws’ village after waiting for him.

 

The date was 12th July 1992, when Bhai Manjit Singh Sathiala and Bhai Balwinder Singh Khassan entered the village Sathiala, the entire village was surrounded by police, black commandos and CRPF from all sides. Due to no one at home, Bhai Sahib went and rested at the local Gurdwara (9th Patshahi). The police were watching his every move and surrounded the Gurdwara, within a few minutes, firing was heard. Locals told us that the Indian security forces started firing at the Gurdwara. Bhai Sahib thought that if he stayed in the Gurdwara and fought, the Indian soldiers could also fire at Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj, committing sacrilege. Bhai Sahib along with Bhai Balwinder Singh Khassan jumped over the back wall of the Gurdwara and came out into a street where they were surrounded, now a fierce battle started. The police force and Indian commandos were running around trying to save themselves as both Jhujaru Singhs fought with full bravery. 

 

This encounter lasted from 9 in to morning to 8 in the evening. The 2 Jhujaru Singhs made the Indian security forces so confused, as they report they had been that Bhai Sahib was alone and unarmed. The Jhujaru Singhs were changing positions, from ground they would quickly go onto a roof and then they would change locations, constantly moving and fighting. Even after being injured, Bhai Sahib was not caught by the police. While Bhai Sahib was fighting in the house, the police threw smoke grenades there and martyred him mercilessly. During the encounter, two bullets hit Bhai Sahib’s head and two bullets hit his thighs. Then the dead bodies of both Jhujaru Singhs was displayed under a tree in front of the government school of the village and it was announced from the Gurdwara speakers, “We have brought down the lion of Sathiala, come and see.” It had taken thousands of Indian hyenas 11 hours to capture 2 lions of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj. 

 

News of Martyrdom

The next day, on the front page of Ajit newspaper, there was a news which was according to the police reference:

 

Guerrilla, Khassan and 12 other militants including 23 killed.

“Chandigarh, July 12 (Agencies correspondents) – During the last 24 hours, in violent incidents in different places in Punjab, six members of two families, Lieutenant General and Press Secretary of Dasmesh Regiment Pavittar Singh Guerrilla alias Manjit Singh Sathiala, KCF Lieutenant General Balwinder Singh Khassan and 12 other militants along with 23 people have been killed.

 

Three militants were killed today due to a clash between police and militants in Sathiala village. According to the information received, today at 9am the police was going towards Sathiala when they saw three militants, when the police chased them, an encounter started between them. The two slain militants were identified as Bhai Manjit Singh Sathiala alias Bhai Pavitar Singh Guerrilla, Press Secretary of Dasmesh Regiment of Khalistan, Bhai Balwinder Singh village Khassan district Kapurthala, while the identity of the third killed militant cannot be confirmed. Police have recovered 2 AK47 assault rifles and Mauser from the scene.

 

Majitha Police SSP Paramjit Singh Gill told that Dasmesh Regiment’s Press Secretary and Lieutenant General Pavittar Singh Guerrilla alias Manjit Singh Sipahi alias Sathiala and Khalistan Commando Force (Panjwar) Lieutenant General Balwinder Singh Khassan’s group was very active in Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Majitha, and Tarn Taran police districts during the last four years. He said that they have killed more than 300 people in these 4 years, including the murder of 50 policemen. They were wanted in many other incidents. SSP said that Balwinder Singh Khassan, who was a resident of village Khassan in Kapurthala district and was the KCF commander of Kapurthala district.”

 

The third person mentioned in the news was first killed by the police in police custody, whose martyrdom was shown with these Jhujaru Singhs and in the news the police also made a lot of effort to discredit Bhai Sahib. On Doordarshan TV, Bhai Sahib’s martyred body and the news of the encounter were shown again and again. Advertisements of the Sri Akhand Paath Sahib in the memory of the martyred Jhujaru Singhs was printed in newspapers by Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar and Bhai Balwinder Singh Ramdiwali. On 21st July 1992, Sri Akhand Paath Sahib was held in village Sathiala and Khassan.

 

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