MOHALI: Shouting “Khalistan Zindabad” atop Punjab Khalistan activist Bhai Gurjant Singh Rajasthan laid down his life on Saturday morning after a brief chance encounter with the police. Accompanied by his wife Sukhwinder Kaur and three-yr-old son Gurpinder Singh the militant leader was staying in a house rented by Inderjit Kaur a former secretary of Bimal Kaur Khalsa in Phase VII of Mohali A local police party came for a routine check at the house belonging to Harminder Singh Dhillon to find out whether someone had stayed there on the eve of the Anandpur Saheb Sikh conclave of September 1. A constable mistakenly pushed the bell button for the upper storey rather than the ground floor to see a suspecting man looking out. Bhai Rajasthani evidently over-reacted tried to jump off the backyard wall shouted aloud to tell his identity and challenge the police to confront him.

This provided the police with an opportunity to call for reinforcements and give chase and in the process he got shot in his leg But the militant leader consumed cyanide rather than be caught by the police. He shouted “Khalistan Zindabad” before breathing his last according to eyewitnesses

Bhai Rajasthani’s body was later cremated by the police under tight security. His wife who had earlier been arrested together with Inderjit Kaur was allowed to attend the rites.

Bhai Rajasthani belonged to a Ramgarhia family of Ganganagar district in Rajasthan. He was first associated with Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal’s militant group but crossed over to the panthic committee associated with Dr.Sohan Singh and others as differences arose on the question of fighting elections Bhai Rajasthani was opposed to electoral politics until the achievement of Khalistan. He was appointed deputy chief of Khalistan Commando Force headed by Bhai Paramjit Singh Panjwar.

Bhai Rajasthani carried out hundreds of guerilla actions and kept the Indian security forces on their toes in these parts. His more important actions included an attack on those executing the S.Y.L. canal in Ropar district. The authorities later abandoned the project in practice

Bhai Rajasthani’s death constitutes a serious setback to the Sikh Struggle. As a man of action he could be listed among such veteran Sikh fighters as Bhai Sukhdev Singh “Sukha” and Bhai Charanjit Singh “Channi”.

While it was a chance encounter the police authorities appear keen to make it out as a big planned catch evidently to sow seeds of Suspicion among militants on the one hand and to share generous rewards on the other hand

Article extracted from this publication >> September 6, 1991