Shaheed Bhai Ranjit Singh Bhilowal

Babbar Khalsa

 

Shaheed Bhai Ranjit Singh Babbar was born in 1955 in the house of Sardar Kundan Singh and from the blessed womb of Mata Gurbachan Kaur in village Bhilowal, Tehsil Majitha, Police Station Kathunangal, District Sri Amritsar. Bhai Sahib had two brothers, Bhai Jaswant Singh, Bhai Satnam Singh, and sisters Bibi Kashmir Kaur and Bibi Kulwant Kaur. Sardar Kundan Singh was a farmer, with little land. Bhai Sahib studied up to 8th grade at the government school in village Chogwan. Bhai Sahib had taken Amrit from the Panj Pyare at a young age. At the age of eighteen, Bhai Sahib went to Damdami Taksal’s headquarters, Gurdwara Gurdarshan Prakash (Chownk Mehta). Staying there, he received teachings of Gurbani. Bhai Sahib also had the good fortune to be with Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale for a long time. Bhai Sahib was also arrested during the Dharam Yudh Morcha and steadfastly guarded every word of the Sant Ji. Bhai Ranjit Singh Babbar’s Anand Karaj with Bibi Rashpal Kaur, daughter of Sardar Bhan Singh (resident of village Aulakh Kalan, district Gurdaspur) took place on 13th April 1984.

 

Bhai Sahib had come home just a few days before the Battle of Amritsar in June 1984. Sri Darbar Sahib was attacked with Indian tanks and cannons, which shook the soul of Bhai Sahib and after that he jumped into the armed struggle of the War of Independence of Khalistan under the leadership of Bhai Sukhjinder Singh Babbar (Jabowal). Renowned Jhujaru, Bhai Ranjit Singh Tarsikka and Bhai Keval Singh Sipahi Tarsikka were Bhai Sahib’s close companions.

 

When Bhai Sahib was involved in the Sikh struggle, the Punjab police non-stop harassed his family. His mother and brother, Bhai Satnam Singh were also kept in the police station for several days and his elder brother, Bhai Jaswant Singh was also imprisoned several times. The station in-charge of Kathunangal, Inspector Bachittar Singh, slapped his sister-in-law, Bibi Tasbir Kaur on the face and this station in-charge was later assassinated by the Jhujaru Singhs.

 

In 1987, the police arrested Bhai Sahib from Khadur Sahib as he travelled on a bus. Bhai Sahib was taken to Vairowal police station and hung upside down, beaten with bamboo sticks. Bhai Sahib was severely tortured for four days. But Bhai Ranjit Singh kept chanting, “Waheguru-Waheguru” and he did not tell the police even the name of one of his companions and the location of weapons. Then under the leadership of Station House Officer Onkar Singh, the cruel policemen tied Bhai Sahib’s hair to the jeep at Vairowal Canal and dragged him for two kilometres and then shot him dead and threw his body in the Beas River near Goindwal. This is the story of Bhai Sahib’s martyrdom. According to Bibi Rashpal Kaur, the news of Bhai Sahib’s martyrdom was told to the family by two Jhujaru Singhs on 27th October 1987 and said that “Bhai Ranjit Singh Babbar has drunk the nectar of martyrdom two months ago, for which Jhujaru organisations have organised Sri Akhand Paath Sahib.” After his martyrdom, Jhujaru Singhs blew up the station in-charge Onkar Singh and also punished police officer Suri for his sins.

 

Tavareekh Shaheed-E-Khalistan 2 – Ranjit Singh Damdami Taksal