LUDHIANA: Bhai Gurjant Singh Budh singhwala 27, chief general of Khalistan Liberation Force, was killed at the hands of Indian security forces. His death came as a big blow to the Khalistan movement. Sikhs observed a two-day general strike all over Punjab to mourn the death.
While the Punjab police chief K-P.S. Gill claimed at a Press conference that Bhai Budhsinghwala died in an encounter with the police, independent investigations by reporters showed that no such encounter took place.
He lived in house No95 of Mode! Town Extension “A” as a tenant of the house owner Kaur Singh. The latter, a former Indian army official, was away at the time. The police arrested Kaur Singh’s wife and three daughters.
Bhai Budhsinghwala had just finished his dinner and was about to go to bed. At about 10 p.m. he was on the verandah of the house when he saw his residence being encircled by police men. In his night suit he rushed to the staircase and reached the first floor, He then tried to jump to the backyard in an effort to slip out of the house but found the police in the rear. He was without any weapons. He picked up brickbats and threw them at the police but a rifle burst hit him killing him instantly.
The police next day had the post mortem on the body from the local civil hospital and cremated it at the taught at cremation grounds even as several local Sikhs met the deputy commissioner to claim the body for proper cremation in accordance with Sikh tenets. The police violation of elementary human behavior towards a dead body was resented by Sikhs. Akali leader, Simranjit Singh Mann, issued a press statement deploring the police action,
The police claimed that it had encircled Bhai Budh Singh wala’s house on a tip off from an informed source. But enquiries made by independent persons revealed that the K.L.F. chief’s whereabouts became known to the police through a wireless set was in his possession and which he used to speak to the district police chief, one Chatapadhaya from Bengal, in connection with certain excesses committed by the force. The Khalistan leader was evidently not aware of the police capability to locate the source of the talk through the wireless set.
Bhai Budhsinghwala was born at Budhsinghwala village in Faridkot district in 1967. The name of his father is Bhai Nachhattar Singh. His mother is Bibi Surjit Kaur. He studied up to the third standard at the village school and dropped out. He started helping his parents in their agricultural operations on the family’s 10-acre farm. The family’s house is located on the outskirts of the village and gives the look of a small farmer’s house.
Although Bhai Budhsinghwala handled, as chief of K.L.F., crores of rupees, the condition of his house-hold showed that he was not cut out to perform a traditional Akali politician’s role. He was above worldly allurements. His dedication to the cause of Khalistan was complete and total.
Bhai Budhsinghwala’s childhood, according to his brother Jagrup Singh, was marked by his commitment to work at his family farm. He would also take part in social and religious activities at the local Sikh gurdwara. His first contact with the Indian state came in April 1984 when Bhai Budhsinghwala lost the brother of his grand-father, Bhai Karnail Singh, in a police firing at Bibi Kahn Kaur gurdwara at Moga. Bhai Budhsinghwala loved Bhai Kamail Singh and the death came as a shock that he would continue gazing at the clothes and other remains of Bhai Karnail Singh.
Soon after the Moga incident, Bhai Budhsinghwala went to attend a bhog ceremony on the deaths of eight militants Sikh activists in a nearby village. He was picked up by the police along with 15 other young men, The police tortured Bhai Budhsinghwala and other young Sikhs, framed them in a case and sent them to jail for two years.
After his release, the police raided Bhai Budsinghwala’s house with a view to arrest him again. Away at the time he preferred to go underground rather than get tortured by the Indian police. He was hardly 20 at the time, Bhai Budhsinghwala never looked back. He rose to be the head of the Khalistan Liberation Force on the death of Bhai Avtar Singh Brahma.
Bibi Surjit Kaur said that her son was a monument of serenity and sincerity. His traist subsequently made him popular among all militant groups despite their mutual bickering. He supplied arms to most of the underground groups provided such supplies promoted the cause of Khalistan, according to pro-militant circles.
Bhai Budhsinghwala was known by several names. Many called him “Navildar.” some others addressed him as Jathedar while a few others named him Bhola. He spoke little as a matter of habit. He listened to others with respect. He was not after his personal glory. He worked in anonymity. Bhai Budhsinghwala, in short, had humility as one of his greatest trails, While the Indian authorities held Bhai Budhsinghwala responsible for more than 1000 deaths and dubbed him as one of the most dangerous terrorists, Sikhs who came in contact with him respected and praised him as a gentleman who would not harm any innocent individual, Militants close to him considered him a politically sensitive and an action-oriented man who protected Punjab’s and Sikhs” interests in several ways.
A moving tribute to Bhai Budhsinghwala came from his close associates in the five-member panthic committee, In a statement issued at Amritsar, the committee members said that,” it would take sometime for Sikhs to correctly appreciate the unique services rendered to the community by this man. He was the most alive spirit behind the militant movement,” the committee added.
Moments came in the militant struggle when this unique general fought with storms almost singlehanded. His will-power exceeded the collective might and willpower of the enemy. He was silent and brave, This silence and bravery was matched by Bhai Budhsinghwala’s saintliness. It will take long for Khalsa Panth to know that it had lost a priceless jewel.
The panthic committee feels as if it had once again been deprived of the spirit of Sant Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindranwalla.”
Article extracted from this publication >> Aug 14, 1992
