Shaheed Bhai Surjit Singh Painta

Sikh Student Federation/ Bhindranwale Tigers Force of Khalistan

 

To the west of Amritsar city, in the heart of Amritsar district and twenty-five kilometres on the Jalandhar Road is Chhajjalwadi, the ancestral village of Bhai Surjit Singh Penta. Bhai Surjit Singh Penta was born on 10 August 1968 at Mohalla Madangir (Gobindpuri) New Delhi at the house of Sardar Swaran Singh Bal to Mata Mahinder Kaur. Bhai Surjit Singh Painta was one of five brothers and sisters. The eldest of them was Amar Shaheed Bhai Paramjeet Singh Ji Kala who obtained martyrdom in the fight for Sikh sovereignty. Second eldest was Bhai Surjit Singh Painta himself.  Third was Sister Sarabjit Kaur. Fourth in line was Bhai Harcharan Singh Ji Giani who was imprisoned at Moradabad Jail in Utter Pradesh under TADA laws. The youngest of the siblings was Amar Shaheed Rajwinder Singh Raja who also obtained martyrdom in the fight for Sikh sovereignty.

 

Bhai Surjit Singh Painta was educated at the SS Khalsa Senior Secondary School, New Delhi. Alongside his education, he was an excellent athlete winning several awards in the running categories. He would always finish in first place. From his youth, Bhai Sahib was a religious minded and honourable person. He would always look after the females at his college as if they were his own sisters and daughters, and did not allow any mischievous activities to take place at his college. Such was his character, the people of Gobindpuri, New Delhi remember Bhai Surjit Singh Painta with affection to this day.

Bhai Surjit Singh Painta lived at his home in Delhi, from where he secretly conducted service for the Sikh nation. From Punjab had arrived Bhai Harjinder Singh Ji Jinda, Bhai Sukhdev Singh Ji Sukha and Bhai Nirmal Singh Ji Nimma who stayed at his home. From here they based themselves and prepared to punish the enemies of the Sikhs. After conducting investigations in Delhi, they eliminated those directly responsible for the holocaust of Sikhs in Delhi (1984) such as Lalit Makkan and Arjan Dass (both Congress Leaders were reported by eye witnesses to have been leading and equipping the Hindu mobs which massacred thousands of Sikhs in Delhi November, 1984.) The Delhi Police were alerted to the team very quickly after one of their main enemies, General Aran Kumar Vaidya (led the Indian Army on the attack on Sri Darbar Sahib), was assassinated in Pune, Maharashtra.

 

The police arrested Bhai Sahib’s Father, Sardar Swaran Singh, mother, Mata Mahinder Kaur, maternal grandfather, Sardar Darshan Singh, maternal uncle, Bhai Ranjit Singh Rania and charged with Bhai Jinda, Bhai Sukha, Bhai Harinder Singh alias Bhai Mathra Singh, Bhai Nirmal Singh Nimma and Bhai Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi alias Bhai KC Sharma. The family was imprisoned at Tihar Jail for four years under the inhuman TADA laws.

 

Taking his three brothers and sister, Bhai Surjit Singh Painta arrived in Punjab. He took his elder brother Bhai Paramjeet Singh Kala with him to Sri Darbar Sahib, and after taking prayers they joined the Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan under the command of Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji Manochahal. Vowing to punish those responsible for the sacrilege of the Sikh faith, people and places of worship, they began their service for the Sikh nation.

 

Bhai Surjit Singh Painta, working under Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan acting head Bhai Swaranjit Singh Ji Khalsa Aladinpur, armed himself and then turned his attention towards Delhi to track enemies of the Sikhs there. Bhai Surjit Singh Penta was devastated by the treatment of Sikhs by those in Delhi, where thousands were slaughtered indiscriminately by Government led mobs, and he was determined to seek revenge. After arming himself from Bhai Swaranjit Singh Ji Khalsa, Bhai Sahib Ji along with Bhai Avtar Singh Patvari, Bhai Surjit Singh Gadli and his own older brother, Bhai Paramjeet Singh Kala they travelled to Delhi. They were given the task of punishing those enemies in Delhi, responsible for the Sikh Genocide in Delhi.

 

Bhai Surjit Singh Ji’s actions became very famous in Delhi. At an army officer’s house in the Greater Kailash area of Delhi, a party was taking place where several officers were in attendance. Bhai Surjit Singh opened fire on this army officer’s house killing up to fourteen enemies. All the Singh’s successfully escaped from this action. After this, Bhai Sahib along with his group was making their way when an encounter occurred with the Police, but the Singhs quickly despatched four Police officers, causing the remaining officers to flee. From there, Bhai Surjit Singh Painta and his brothers-in-arms left for in Punjab. After paying respects at Sri Harmandir Sahib Ji, they all met with their group. Following the success of their actions, Bhai Sahib Ji’s resolve became even stronger. They were now beyond fear. At this time in Punjab, thousands of Sikh Youth were being abducted, brutally tortured and killed. The BTFK (along with other Jathebandis) in retaliation targeted those who carried out the atrocities (security forces) and those who planned and sanctioned them (Members of Parliament and other Political Leaders).

 

After several actions in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, Bhai Surjit Singh Painta and his elder brother were sat at a hideout in village Pakhoke in Punjab when on the information of an informant, Tarn Taran City Inspector Sharma arrived with his entire police force to capture the brothers. The Singhs having seen the Police forces arriving, immediately armed themselves. A fierce gun battle commenced, and although outnumbered the Singhs shot Inspector Sharma dead and escaped with the action adding to their fame in Punjab.

 

These were dangerous times for Sikhs, especially the fighters. An illegal shoot to kill policy employed by the Security Forces meant certain death for any Fighter caught. Bhai Sahib had many lucky escapes, one day travelling on a bus some of his ammunition fell on his seat which caught the attention of a Thanedar from the Delhi Police and a soldier on the bus. It was one of the last things they saw, as before they could react, he immediately shot them dead and the Singhs escaped off the bust. The alarm had been raised, and the small group found themselves being surrounded. As bullets flew through the air, one struck Bhai Avtar Singh Patvari and he attained martyrdom. Bhai Surjit Singh Painta, Bhai Paramjeet Singh Kala and Bhai Surjit Singh Gadli managed to escape towards Punjab. Bhai Surjit Singh Penta had great love for Bhai Avtar Singh Patvari, yet he was not disheartened by his death. He said, “My beloved brother has been martyred whilst punishing the enemies. I am proud of my brother becoming martyred.” Such was his commitment to the Sikh struggle, he was prepared to lay down his life to liberate the Sikh Nation.

 

Following the Martyrdom of Bhai Swaranjit Singh Ji Khalsa after succumbing to horrific torture at the hands of the Punjab Police, Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan’s head Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji Manochahal assigned the responsibility of acting head of the group on Bhai Surjit Singh Painta’s shoulders. Obligated to follow this decision, he began by unifying the whole group, and became an even greater threat and headache to the Police. During his tenure as acting head, the group began to swell in numbers of freedom fighters vowing to fight the tyrant government forces until death.

 

Bhai Sahib Ji would firstly warn his enemies of their wrong doings and only afterwards punish them if they failed to change their ways. Bhai Sahib Ji punished both Pala Bhinder and Jhirmal as these two enemies had honoured Julio Francis Rebeiro (Director General of Punjab Police) with a Siropa. Rebeiro has the blood of thousands of Sikh youths on his hands from the time of his tenure in the Punjab Police. Rebeiro employed barbaric methods on the Punjabi people to deafen any uprising or revolt, he later wrote in his memoirs how he used “Black Cats” (police officers disguised as Sikhs) to rape and kill the Punjabi people to try and defame the reputation of the Freedom Fighters.

 

Following this, Bhai Sahib Ji, took his brother Bhai Paramjeet Singh Kala with him to Tarn Taran where they punished Tarn Taran Jagbani journalist and Sabka Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Dhavan by shooting him dead. This enemy was considered a traitor to his people who had continuously lied, reporting false information to discredit the Sikh fighters. One day, Bhai Sahib Ji was with his brothers in arms Bhai Bhupinder Singh Kamoke, Bhai Sukhjit Singh Gadli, Bhai Kabal Singh Nibberwind, Bhai Swaran Singh Saidpur, Bhai Vijaypal Singh Lidder and Bhai Harpreet Singh Cheemabad. They were sat on a truck on the way to village Kaleke when during the journey they encountered the SHO and DSP of Beas Police Station. Gunfire erupted from both parties. DSP Harnek Singh managed to hide in the fields and escape. It was no secret

When returning to Calcutta from Bombay, during the journey through district Bhusaval, Maharashtra, Bhai Paramjeet Singh (elder brother of Bhai Surjit Singh Painta) was surrounded by a Police party and in the ensuing encounter, attained martyrdom. On hearing of the martyrdom of his older brother, Bhai Sahib’s resolve did not drop but he thanked Satguru that his older brother was martyred on the battlefield. He would say that if any Singh was martyred, one should not become sad or disheartened, but instead Gurbani should be read as much as possible for those martyred Singhs.

 

So committed to the struggle for Sikh independence after the loss of his brother, Bhai Sahib Ji enrolled his other younger brothers, Bhai Harcharan Singh Ji Giani and Bhai Rajwinder Singh Raja in to the Khalistani brotherhood. He felt strongly that all must be sacrificed to protect the Punjabi people from being wiped out by the corrupt government forces.

 

Now Bhai Sahib Ji resumed taking a personal role in actions as well as from Singhs under his command. Bhai Surjit Singh, Bhai Vijaypal Singh Lidder and Bhai Harpreet Singh Cheemabad were sent to Jalandhar where five Shiv Sena members were murdered. Shiv Sena is a militant right wing political party, which promotes fundamental Hindu Ideology, has expressed admiration for Hitler and implicated numerously for its participation in anti-Muslim and Christian massacres.

 

Around that time Bhai Surjit Singh Painta was married according to full Gur Maryada at village Gagrewal to Bibi Paramjit Kaur. The sacred Lavan at Bhai Sahib Ji’s Anand Karaj were read by Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji Manochahal himself. Bhai Sahib Ji arranged the marriage of his younger sister Bibi Sarabjit Kaur to the Chief of the Khalistan Armed Force, Amar Shaheed Bhai Chanchal Singh Udhoke according to full Gur Maryada at Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar. Bhai Surjit Singh Painta would encourage Sikhs to become courageous heroes like Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale.

 

Bhai Surjit Singh Painta arrived at Sri Darbar Sahib Ji, Amritsar to meet other prominent Sikh Freedom Fighters. The Indian forces became aware, and under the guise of Operation Black Thunder had surrounded Sri Darbar Sahib Ji and were attempting to enter. With the memory of the sacrilege and atrocities committed by the Indian Forces only four years ago still ingrained within the psyche of the Fighters, they were determined to fight until their last breath to protect the sanctity of Sri Darbar Sahib Ji.

 

Bhai Surjit Singh Painta fought from 9th May 1988 at one o clock fought with the Indian security forces. Many CRPF soldiers were killed and even DIG Virk was severely wounded. From 9th May 1988 to 18th May 1988 the Government Forces continued firing and attacking Sri Darbar Sahib complex. Bhai Sahib continued to fight with dedication. On 15th May 1988 at four o’clock in the afternoon, with his comrades Bhai Karaj Singh Thande, Bhai Dilbagh Singh Bagga, Bhai Jagir Singh Nangal Lubana, Bhai Amrik Singh Mukhatsar, Bhai Dalbir Singh Dhardeo, Bhai Kulwant Singh, Bhai Amrik Singh Chatiwind and other Singhs protecting the Gurudwara became martyrs leaving us with the unforgettable memory of their sacrifices and how they lived by the Guru’s words:

 

An interview of Bhai Surjit Sigh Painta, while staying at Sri Harimandir Sahib complex:

 

Question: Why did you indulge in these murderous acts? 

Answer: No one wants to walk the path of killing. He who is compelled to do something follows this path. My parents were arrested and interrogated by the police because our famous relative Harjinder Singh Jinda had stayed at our house, who was accused of many murders. But no one arrested or interrogated the killers of Sikhs from November 1984. A driver of the Panja Sahib Tourist Bus Service, who worked with my father, was tied to his son and burnt alive. This is not the only case, thousands of Sikhs were burnt in Delhi. No one asked those who burned them. I don’t know if Jinda has committed any murders or not, but because he had stayed at our house, not only my parents but also my 70-year-old grandfather was arrested by the police. We, the whole family became homeless. The Gurdwara is the refuge of the homeless. We were forced to come here.

 

Question: How did you start these activities after coming here? 

Answer: After coming here, I got in touch with Khalistan Commando Force and Bhindranwala Tiger Force. They asked whether you will not take revenge? I was already burning with the feeling of revenge, if I could take revenge, what else did I need, so I started to punishing the enemies of the Sikh nation along with them and slowly formed my own separate group. I was only doing actions, which I should have done and what I could do.

 

Question: Can you tell how many actions you have done and how many killings you have done?

Answer: I was involved in all the murders in Delhi. Greater Kailash and Chatranjan Park bombings, I had a hand in the murders of some important people. I know the ins and outs of Delhi. I had a great input into the planning of these actions. Our group has punished over 160 anti-Sikh elements, and now we don’t even remember the count, but it is very close the 160 figure. 

 

Question: How do you prepare your actions and who approves it? 

Answer: Making a plan is our secret and we cannot tell anyone about it. Let me tell you this much, we have our own way of doing Jhujaru actions. We do not carry weapons ourselves to the location of the actions, they are delivered to us at the scene of the action. Then there is a point where we have to deliver the weapons after the action is done. It is not our job to take the weapon and bring it back. I can’t tell you anything else about all this.

 

Question: I heard that one of your brothers, Bhai Paramjit Singh Kala has been killed, would you like to say something about him.

Answer: Yes, when he was surrounded by the police, he had swallowed a cyanide capsule. There is one thing that it is better than to be beaten by the police than to give up information and betray his Jhujaru brothers, that he thought it was better to die. Things like this happen, luckily for him, he gave his life up for the Sikh nation. No need to feel sorry for this.

 

Question: Many people say that you have collected a lot of rupees? 

Answer: Yes, money has been collected and also spent. We need money for our struggle,

if people give us money themselves, then we should not collect forcefully. People do not give money themselves, so we have to collect money. After all, such struggles cannot go on without money. I have not built any house with this money nor have I invested money elsewhere for earning. All this money is invested in the Sikh struggle. The things I own have, cost only a few rupees. I distribute money to the poor with a generous heart, there is no sin in taking money from the rich and distributing it to the poor. Which rich person has earned money by working honesty and genuinely. Even they have earned money through manipulation, so if some money is taken from them at gunpoint and distributed amongst the poor, then that is a good thing. It has only been 15 days since I have arranged marriages of many girls at my own expense. It is only the blessings of the poor that I am still alive, otherwise I could have been caught 14-15 times by the security forces. But due to the blessings of the poor and the grace of the Guru, I have been getting out of these encounters.

 

Question: It may also be that you are surrounded by Indian security forces, that you cannot escape from there, then what will you do?

Answer: Of course, that can happen. How long will we celebrate the breath given to us, eventually we will get stuck somewhere. So what? We always have potassium cyanide to swallow. My elder brother, Bhai Paramjeet Singh Kala also swallowed that rather than come into the hands of the police alive. How hard can it be to die? Don’t worry, I will never come in the hands of the police, the police can kill me, they cannot catch me.

 

Question: What is your next program?

Answer: We will have to fight our battle outside Punjab, for which a plan has been made. We will do big actions outside Punjab, our entire focus is now outside Punjab. Everything will come in front of you soon. Wait for a while. My only goal is to spread dead bodies all over the country, so I will do that all over Hindustan. But no one can accuse me of using young children for my actions.

 

Question: Don’t you become a part of innocent bloodshed like this?

Answer: Who is innocent, who voted for Rajiv Gandhi, the murderer of Sikhs. How did they become innocent? They have given political power to Rajiv Gandhi. Because of this no Hindu is innocent. What was the fault of the 10,000 Sikhs who were killed in November 1984? They used to vote for Indira Gandhi. If they can be killed innocently then even killing a guilty Hindu cannot be said to be wrong.

 

Question: Killing innocents is contrary to Sikh principles and Sikh traditions?

Answer: We do not kill any innocent, mostly all Hindus are criminals and they are enemies of Sikhs.

 

Question: All Hindus can’t be guilty?

Answer: You have your own opinion and we have our own, we have to go according to our program.

 

Question: Do you think all Hindus are bad? 

Answer: No, it is not like that, I have lived in Delhi, many of my friends were Hindus. Even in November 1984, many Hindus saved the Sikhs. We had good relations with our Hindu neighbours. But now their minds have changed, Hindus look at us with a curmudgeonly eye. 

 

Question: The Jhujaru organizations living in Darbar Sahib have tensions with each other, will they not get confused?

Answer: Actually, some government agents have infiltrated us.

 

Questions: Is it not that some of you men have been bought by the government?

Answer: You may say it like that, the point is the same. These government men want to make us fight among ourselves. The real men are Bhai Jagir Singh and Bhai Nirvair Singh, they are the pillars of Khalistan. Those who have entered into alliances with the government do not like them and they continue to make statements against them, but there is no more determined Khalistani than these two. If the government agents try to create hostility amongst Jhujaru Singhs then we rather die at the hands of the police by shooting them inside the Darbar Sahib. What was Singh Sahib Bhai Jasveer Singh trying to do by gathering all the Jhujaru Singhs, it has torn even those who were together. Now the whole family goes around looking for ministries. But we will not give them a chance either. We will not let anyone gain political status on the dead bodies of the Jhujaru Singhs.

 

Singh Soorme Mag – Issue 1 June 2010