Shaheed Bhai Sarabjit Singh Mini Baba

Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan 

 

Khalistani fighter, Amar Shaheed Bhai Sarabjit Singh Tera alias Mini Baba was born on 4th February 1968 from the blessed womb of mother Kashmir Kaur and in the house of Sardar Partap Singh in village Tera Kalan, Tehsil Ajnala, District Sri Amritsar.  The details of the six siblings are as follows, eldest was Bhai Sarabjit Singh (Shaheed), Bhai Kanwaljit Singh, Bibi Manjit Kaur, Bibi Gurmeet Kaur, Bibi Harinder Kaur and Bhai Paramjit Singh. He did his schooling up to 10th class from Government High School (Kiampura). While in the school, Giani Kulwant Singh Mallunangal gave him a rich education in Sikh religion. It was due to their inspiration that Bhai Sahib took up Sikhism, and took Amrit from the Panj Pyare at Damdami Taksal. After that, Bhai Sahib started receiving Gurbani Santhya from Giani Balwinder Singh Khalsa and had memorised all the Sikh prayers from the Nitnem. He also completed his Santhaya in Panj Granthi Pothi, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj, Sri Dasam Granth Sahib Ji, Sri Sarbloh Granth Sahib Ji and also studied the pure Santhya and Katha of Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth. Bhai Sahib spoke sweetly to everyone. He was never lax in his manners. The villagers used to call Bhai Sahib, ‘Baba Ji’ or ‘Jathedar Ji’ with respect. After acquiring worldly and religious education, he went to Delhi’s Gurdwara Sri Sis Ganj Sahib and started doing the duty of Granthi Singh, Bhai Sahib served here for two years.

 

In the year 1988, Bhai Sahib returned home and while staying here, he was continuously involved in the activities of Sikhism, doing Rauls at Sri Akhand Paath Sahibs and religious events in the surrounding villages. In January 1989, Bhai Sarabjit Singh was reading Gurbani in the evening in the speaker during the service of Sri Akhand Paath Sahib at someone’s house. His voice was very loud and melodious. When the Jhujaru Singhs in that village heard his voice, they came to the house and it was here Bhai Sahib met the top Jhujaru Singhs of Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan, Bhai Satnam Singh Satta Changiara and he expressed his desire to join the Jhujaru group. In this way, Bhai Sahib happily jumped into the armed conflict, and said his final farewell to the family. 

 

In April 1989, Bhai Sahib went to Pakistan with the Jhujaru Singhs and there he met Jathedar Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, Jathedar Bhai Wadhawa Singh Babbar and Bhai Wassan Singh Zaffarwal. Bhai Sahib was very beautiful and short in stature, due to which the fellow Jhujaru Singhs named him ‘Mini Baba’. Bhai Sahib had been in Pakistan for six months, when Bhai Satnam Singh Changiara returned back to Punjab. While staying in Pakistan, Bhai Sahib taught the Jhujaru Singhs Santhaya of Gurbani and carried out deep discussions about history. Jathedar Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal had great amount of live and respect for Bhai Sahib and used to say, “Mini Baba Ji! There is a lot of power in Gurbani and it is on this basis that we are fighting against the government of India.” 

 

In November 1989, Bhai Sahib returned from Pakistan, and met his brother, Bhai Kanwaljit Singh and told him that, “I have come to do Darshan of Sri Darbar Sahib and collect series of Larivar Gurbani Pothis to recite Sehaj Paath for the Jhujaru Singhs.” When Bhai Sahib went to Amritsar, the police raided his house and tried to arrest him, but he was not found at home. The police officer started asking his family, “Where is Sarabjit…?” The family replied, “He does the duties of Granthi Singh in Delhi and does not come to the village…!” But the police had got a definite tip about his return from Pakistan. Even before this, the police had visited his house several times. When the police could not capture Bhai Sahib, they angrily arrested his father Sardar Pratap Singh. SHO Suri took the elderly man to Ajnala police station and said that, “He will only be released if you produce Sarabjit Singh…!” Bhai Sahib’s family were linked to Chanchal Singh Thanedar, the family explained what was happening and Thanedar advised the family to present Bhai Sahib to him and he will go all investigations against Bhai Sahib looked into and closed. The family reached out to Bhai Sahib and strongly insisted to appear in front of the police for his father’s release. Eventually, Bhai Sahib was presented to Thanedar Chanchal Singh and after a lengthy interrogation, both father and son were released on bail. 

 

There were roughly 25 to 30 Singhs from Bhai Sahib’s village that were Amritdhari and were related to the Sikh Students Federation, whenever any program was held by the organisation, Bhai Sahib and the Singhs of his village would participate. After being released on bail, Bhai Sarabjit Singh went to Delhi for some time and from there again went to visit Takht Sri Hazur Sahib and continued doing Sewa there. Bhai Sahib came in touch with Baba Balwinder Singh, he appointed Bhai Sahib as the Granthi Singh at Gurdwara Baba Nidhan Singh Langar Sahib and Bhai Sahib stayed there for three months before returning home to Punjab. Upon returning, Bhai Sahib tried to contact the Bhai Satnam Singh Chhina but was unable to do so and later in April 1990, Bhai Sahib came in contact with the Bhai Paramjit Singh Sensra, Bhai Sahib requested, “I don’t want a small weapon, I want AK47.” The Jhujaru Singhs handed over an AK47 assault rifle and from her Bhai Sahib started serving in the freedom struggle of Khalistan. Later on, Bhai Sahib joined the Jhujaru Singhs of Khalistan Commando Force, under the command of Bhai Kulwinder Singh Kinda and continued doing Jhujaru actions. 

 

Some of the Jhujaru actions Bhai Sahib out with bravery and courage are listed below:

 

  • CRPF were based in Ajnala’s Government College. This was the same CRPF soldiers that killed many innocent Sikh youths-working in the fields in the nearby villages of Ajnala with bullets and the next day in the newspapers it was written that those Sikhs were killed in staged encounters. Bhai Sahib wanted avenge this and one day ambushed the college CRPF post and killed 13 CRPF soldiers in this attack. Bhai Satnam Singh Chhina and Bhai Satnam Singh Changiara were also involved in this joint action. After this daring act, the police became Bhai Sahib’s worse enemy and the reward for his head was set in Lakhs, but due to the grace of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj, Bhai Sahib continued to move forward. 

 

  • Balwant Singh, a hypocrite of Ramdas village, used to sit on a throne in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj and used to have servant doing Chaur over his head. He had declared himself a reincarnation of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj and carried out many anti-Sikh rituals. Bhai Sahib had sent him a warning to stop, but due to the support of Indian political leaders, Balwant Singh continued with his activities. Finally, Bhai Sahib along with the Jhujaru Singhs went to Ramdas village and shot him with bullets, stopping his hypocrisy forever.

 

  • A butcher police officer of Batala was assassinated by Bhai Sahib by blowing up his police jeep. 

 

  • Congress sarpanch, Ram Lal of village Johal was also assassinated by Bhai Sahib. 

 

While serving in the Sikh struggle, Bhai Sahib did not punish any innocent or weak person but he did not spare the enemies of the Sikh faith and Sikhs either. Bhai Sahib provided financial support for the marriages of girls from poor backgrounds, he also banned taking and giving of dowry, stopped liquor sales in villages and implemented Punjabi language in schools, colleges and offices. He also supported the establishment of Khalsa Panchayats in villages. Bhai Sahib also stopped obscene songs playing in buses and public places.  

 

Bhai Sahib again tried to cross the border with Bhai Kulwinder Singh Kinda into Pakistan, but they failed to do so after trying for 3 consecutive days, but perhaps God did not have this as part of the plan for Bhai Sahib. During this period, many Jhujaru Singhs considered cutting their hair to carry out actions in disguise, but Bhai Sahib kept his hair and continued fighting against the enemy. Bhai Sahib openly opposed the fake militants who were derailing the struggle and expelled them from the organisation. 

 

The names of Bhai Sahib’s fellow Jhujaru Singhs are as follows:- Bhai Satnam Singh Chhina, Bhai Satnam Singh Changiara, Bhai Kulwinder Singh Kinda, Bhai Sarwan Singh Jahaj, Bhai Paramjit Singh Sensra, Bhai Sukhdev Singh Lalli, Bhai Hardev Singh Kalia, Bhai Himmat Singh Dhotian, Bhai Gurmeet Singh Gurdaspuri, Bhai Mehtab Singh Negi, Bhai Sukhdev Singh Anandpuri, Bhai Sohan Singh Fauji, Bhai Nirvair Singh Deep Singh Wala, Bhai Major Singh, Bhai Surinder Singh Rocket, Bhai Jarnail Singh Ajnala, Bhai Jagga Singh Kukkaranwala, Bhai Sher Singh Gabba etc.

 

On 3rd February 1991, Bhai Sarabjit Singh and Bhai Kulwinder Singh Kinda had to go towards Chandigarh at night and were staying at someone’s house at Chak Dogran, a village near Fatehgarh Churian. Bhai Kulwinder Singh Kinda said, “Today at midnight we have to leave for Chandigarh by car and there may be a search checkpoint on the way, so we should stash the weapons in the room near the farms here and when we come back, we will get them.” Bhai Sarabjit Singh replied, “You sit here and I will go stash the weapons and come back.” The police had already received the information about the 2 Jhujaru Singhs staying here, and they had taken positions around the village to ambush Bhai Sahib and Bhai Kinda. As Bhai Sahib was walking to the farms to stash the weapons, the Indian security forces ambushed him by firing shots at him. Bhai Sahib was shot, but he laid down and fought back bravely for some time. Bhai Sahib had been shot more than 6 times in his lower body after which he had attained martyrdom. 

 

When the news of his martyrdom reached the family the next day, his brother, Bhai Kanwaljit Singh shouted 5 slogans of ‘Bole So Nihal Sat Sri Akaal’ and felt proud of his brother, Shaheed Bhai Sarabjit Singh alias Mini Baba. The villagers of Chak Dogran said that, “Bhai Sarabjit Singh fought bravely and even though he was injured, he continued to fight with the police and even after his martyrdom, the police did not approach his dead body because of fear.”

 

On 4th February, the news of Bhai Sahib’s martyrdom had spread like wild fire. Thousands of Sikhs from surrounding villages reached the Fatehgarh Churian police station and demanded Bhai Sahib’s body, but the police said that, “His body has been cremated.” The locals then rushed to the Batala crematorium, there the cremation had already been completed. After protesting and raising slogans against the police, the family were given some belongings of Bhai Sahib, which included his thick iron Kara, his shawl, turban, Kirpan and his ashes were also given to the family. The family held Sri Akhand Paath Sahib in the memory of Shaheed Bhai Sarabjit Singh and Smagam was also attended by Jhujaru Singhs of Bhindranwala Tigers Force of Khalistan and Khalistan Commando Force, who were in disguises. The Jhujaru groups also gave financial support to the family. Baba Thakur Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale of Damdami Taksal and Sant Baba Lakha Singh Ji Kar Sewa Wale also arrived with their group. On the day of the event Bhog, the police surrounded the entire village and they were harassing the devotees who wanted to attend to pay their final respects to a fallen soldier of Khalistan. About 1,500 devotees also attained attended Sri Kiratpur Sahib to flow the ashes of Bhai Sahib. 

 

The fellow Jhujaru Singhs of Bhai Sahib took an oath that they will take revenge for the martyrdom of Shaheed Bhai Sarabjit Singh alias Mini Baba and after a few days, the Jhujaru Singhs blew up the police vehicles near Batala with bombs. Bhai Satnam Singh Chhina, Bhai Kulwinder Singh Kinda and Bhai Paramjit Singh Sensra were involved in this action. 

 

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