Shaheed Bhai Surinder Singh Shinda Valtoha

Khalistan Commando Force

 

Bhai Surinder Singh was born in the year 1973 to the blessed womb of mother, Mata Harjinder Kaur and father, Jathedar Sardar Jagtar Singh in the village of Valtoha, Patti, district Tarn Taran. Bhai Surinder Singh was one of three children, with an older sister Bibi Daljit Kaur and a younger brother Satnam Singh. Bhai Surinder Singh studied up to seventh grade and then went on to work alongside his father in agriculture, farming and growing crops on their family-owned land.

 

At the time of Bhai Surinder Singh becoming a young adult, the armed struggle was in full force. Many young Sikh males from the village of Valtoha had already joined the Jhujaru Singhs. Bhai Surinder Singh looked up to these brave warriors and was inspired to join them. Bhai Surinder Singh began serving with the Khalistan Commando Force under the command of Lieutenant General Bhai Bakhshish Singh Shisha. Following Lieutenant General Bhai Bakhshish Singh’s Shaheedi, Bhai Surinder Singh served alongside Bhai Kulwant Singh Mehndipur.

 

One day whilst Bhai Surinder Singh and Bhai Kulwinder Singh Gharyala were on a mission together, an informant touted them out. Both Jhujaru Singhs were arrested by the Punjab police, charged under the NSA act and sent to Sangrur jail for two years. Upon release, Bhai Surinder Singh joined Lieutenant General Bhai Kashmir Singh Dul. Bhai Surinder Singh also served together with Bhai Pippal Sing Toofan Kalian Sakatran and carried out many Jhujaru actions. Like with most Jhujaru Singhs, their families would to have to endure immense harassment and torture. Bhai Surinder Singh’s brother and mother were tortured.

 

On 9th April 1991, Bhai Sahib was resting at someone’s house in his village of Bhai Ladhu. Bhai Sahib was with another five Jhujaru Singhs, Bhai Kashmir Singh Dul (Mastgarh), Bhai Major Singh Kala (Bhandal), Bhai Shamsher Singh Sher (Valtoha), Bhai Gurbaksh Singh Bitti alias Granthi and Bhai Dilbagh Singh Bagha Bhola (Chanchak). All the Jhujaru Singhs were fully kitted up with weapons and had not eaten since the night before. During this time, the police was informed of Bhai Sahib’s location and with a short time the Indian security forces surrounded Bhai Sahib and his fellow Jhujaru Singhs.

 

A battle had started between the sons of Dhan Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj and the paid soldiers of India, who were scared to go close to the Singhs. This battle started at 10 o’clock in the morning and it continued into the evening. Bhai Kashmir Singh Dul (Mastgarh) managed to escape from the battle. In this encounter the enemy had forces of six police stations and a big number of CRPF soldiers. The Jhujaru Singhs moved away from the house and were fighting from their positions in the wheat fields, this was done so no damage will be done to the locals of the village. The Indian security forces brought bulletproof tractors to get close to the Singhs but the Jhujaru Singhs damaged two of these tractors. According to the government records, it is written that 18 CRPF soldiers were killed and many more were wounded in this encounter. In the end, on the evening of 9th April 1991, all the Jhujaru Singhs had finished their ammunition and together, they decided to attain Shaheedi by swallowing a capsule of cyanide and not being captures or killed by the enemy. Five Jhujaru Singhs had attained Shaheedi for Khalistan in this encounter, including Bhai Sahib.

 

Bhai Surinder Singh was engaged to marry, but he openly said he was already set up to marry death. His family also mentioned that when his cousin sister got married, the police deliberately sabotage the marriage event and picked up a male cousin, Bhai Surjit Singh Kala and killed him in a fake encounter. As much as the family faced much suffering and pain, Bhai Surinder Singh’s mother is proud of her Shaheed Son that he laid his life for the Guru-Panth.

 

Information given by the family of Shaheed Bhai Surinder Singh Shinda Valtoha