Shaheed Bhai Mehar Singh Valtoha

Khalistan Liberation Force

 

Shaheed Bhai Mehar Singh was born on 9th November 1968 in the house of father, Sardar

Pal Singh and from the blessed womb of Mata Jasbir Kaur in village Valtoha, Tehsil Patti, District Sri Amritsar (now Tarn Taran Sahib). Bhai Sahib was the 4th eldest of five siblings: Bhai Harjinder Singh, Bibi Paramjit Kaur, Bibi Charanjit Kaur, Bhai Mehar Singh (Shaheed) and Bhai Raj Singh. He studied till 5th grade and then continued farming with his father. Bhai Sahib was very young when his mother, Mata Jasbir Kaur passed away. It was during the Dharam Yudh Morcha, Bhai Sahib met the great Sikh of the 20th century and 14th leader of Damdami Taksal, Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale and had the privilege of spending time with him. Bhai Mehar Singh and Bhai Virsa Singh Valtoha together were active in the All India Sikh Students Federation. 

 

Before the Indian army attacked Sri Darbar Sahib in June 1984, Sant Bhindranwale sent many Jhujaru Singhs home to continue the Sikh struggle after the attack, amongst these Singhs was Bhai Mehar Singh Valtoha. After the battle of Amritsar, Jhujaru Singhs started establishing contacts across Punjab and many locations were used for meetings. Bhai Sahib’s house was also a hub for Jhujaru Singhs to hold meetings, have Langar and rest. Bhai Sahib used to read a lot of Gurbani and would do an Ardas for the gift of martyrdom in his daily prayers. It was during those days that Bhai Sahib met General Labh Singh of Panjwar, Chief General of Khalistan Commando Force. Bhai Sahib secretly started performing Jhujaru actions while staying at home. When the police got wind of Bhai Sahib’s Jhujaru activities, they started raiding the family house. The police arrested Bhai Mehar Singh and sent him to jail with several false cases. He spent 9 months in Patiala and two and a half years in Gumtala (Amritsar) jail from where he was released on bail.

 

After this, Bhai Sahib left home and joined the Jhujaru Singhs. Bhai Sahib started serving in the armed struggle for the freedom of Khalistan. Bhai Sahib’s brother, Bhai Raj Singh was also picked up by the police and subjected to a lot of atrocities. Another brother, Bhai Harjinder Singh, who was mentally disabled, was also beaten by the police. Even the elderly, Sardar Pal Singh was not spared by the police, he was quite ill, but the police would still arrest him and torture him. Due to the regular police raids at home, Bhai Sahib’s sisters were spending their days living in the homes of relatives. Bhai Mehar Singh joined the Khalistan Liberation Force under the commands of Jathedar Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala, Bhai Pipal Singh Dholewal and Bhai Anoop Singh Fauji (Sursingh). Bhai Sahib killed many enemies of the Sikh nation and carried out many other Jhujaru actions:

 

  • Bhai Sahib attacked the police station of Toot Bhangala village. 
  • Broke the siege in the police encounter of village Sursingh and escaped. 
  • The tout of village Khairdin, who had survived many assassination attempts, Bhai Sahib killed him in broad daylight. Bhai Chatur Singh Toofan (Deobath) was also with you in this action. 
  • Bhai Sahib stopped the unfair treatment of the commission agents. 
  • Bhai Sahib saved the lives of the Khatris-Brahmins of Amarkot. 

 

The information received from Bhai Sahib’s brother, Bhai Raj Singh is that Bhai Sahib was travelling in a Maruti car and the car suddenly got stuck near Patiala, which Bhai Sahib started fixing on the roadside. A police tout, Tari, a resident of village Khudda in Patiala got Bhai Sahib surrounded by police. Soon as Bhai Sahib realised, he had been surrounded, he along with Bhai Gogi of Patiala opened fire on the police. This battle lasted 2/3 hours. Bhai Sahib’s companion, Bhai Gogi attained martyrdom and when Bhai Sahib ran out of ammunition, the police arrested him. Bhai Sahib was taken to Marinda (Ropar) police station where he was severely tortured. The police gouged out his eyes, pulled out his nails, broke his legs and burnt his flesh off by applying hot presses. Despite enduring so much torture, Bhai Mehar Singh of Valtoha did not even tell the police the name of even one of his fellow Jhujaru Singhs. Then on 27th March 1990, the police martyred Bhai Sahib in a false encounter. Then the police called his family for identification and the entire village brought his body from Marinda police station to Valtoha and cremated the Shaheed Bhai Mehar Singh’s body in his fields according to Sikh customs. 

 

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