Tuesday 28 February 2012

Shaheed Bhai Harjeet Singh Dhillon

Following the collapse of the Sikh Kingdom and subsequent British occupation of their homeland, the thirst for freedom and prosperity had not yet evaded the Sikhs. Whereas the people of Hindustan had been enslaved for hundreds of years under the evaders and rulers of Ghajni, Khilji, Lodi, the Mughal Empire, France and Britain, the Sikhs had only been under occupation for a total of 98 years, and that too amidst an ongoing struggle for freedom. During the British Raj, the Sikhs were the first to fly the flag of freedom and led many agitations and campaigns to free themselves from the shackles of slavery. Whether it was the farmer’s revolt, the Gaddar Party revolution, the Komagata Maru killings, the Guru ka Bagh Morcha or the Jaito Morcha amongst many others, the brave Sikh warriors where at the forefront.

Throughout history, in such struggles the foreign based Sikh’s have also played their part, and in the current ongoing struggle for Sikh Freedom it is no different. Jathedar Talwinder Singh Babbar, Bhai Anar Singh Paahra, Bhai Bhupinder Singh Kooner, Bhai Hardev Singh ‘Bapu’, Bhai Davinder Singh ‘Singapore’ & Bhai Harjeet Singh ‘Dhillon’ are just to mention a few whom have attained Shaheedi for this goal. 

Bhai Harjeet Singh Dhillon Shaheed Bhai Harjeet Singh Dhillon
Shaheed Bhai Harjeet Singh Dhillon
Bhai Harjeet Singh Dhillon was born on July 30, 1967 into household of Sardar Joginder Singh and Mata Tarvinder Kaur of village Dhilwan. Bhai Sahib was from a humble and deeply religious family; the entire family had been blessed with Amrit and led a Gursikh lifestyle. Bhai Sahib’s grandfather Subedar Major Ujhagar Singh was a saintly figure who regularly accompanied Sant Jawala Singh Harkhovale. Bhai Sahib’s uncle Sardar Mohinderpal Singh Dhillon was a well known and very successful businessman settled in England. Bhai Sahib’s grandmother Bibi Harnam Kaur was of a very caring and loving nature. Each family member’s individual attributes and the household atmosphere contributed to Bhai Sahib’s strong belief in the Sikh faith and desire to be of service to the Panth.

Bhai Sahib was an intelligent student who excelled in sports, particularly in Kabbadi. Bhai Sahib completed his higher education at the local village Government Senior Secondary school then did prep at DAV College, Jalandhar in 1983, before being granted admission at Mehar Chand Polytechnic College, Jalandhar.

Like many of Punjab’s students Bhai Sahib visited Sri Darbar Sahib several times and with great interest would listen to the speeches of Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale. The June 1984 attack on Sri Darbar Sahib by the Indian Army deeply hurt and saddened Bhai Sahib and invoked the courage within Bhai Sahib to step forward in service of the Panth. Bhai Sahib continued with his higher education and received his diploma in civil engineering in 1987. During this time Bhai Sahib had become an active member of the Sikh Students Federation and had been blessed with Amrit at Mehta Chowk. Bhai Sahib was a very humble Sikh and serene individual, despite having contributed immensely to the SSF Jathebandi Bhai Sahib kept his actions anonymous.

Bhia Harjeet Singh first came into the view of the police when his close associate Bhai Kuldeep Singh Dhillon was arrested. The local villagers along with members of the Sikh Students Federation held a protest on Dhilwan’s GT Road where traffic was brought to a halt for 8 hours. During this incident the police took special notice of Bhai Harjeet Singh, as it was he who quickly gathered hundreds of protestors onto the streets.

Bhai Harjeet Singh was then also arrested and taken into custody. Bhai Sahib was ruthlessly tortured for several days and only after pressure from the local villagers was released. Being inhumanely tortured by the police did not dampen Bhai Sahib’s spirits, instead it made him more determined to take part in the Sikh struggle for Independence.

Bhai Kanwarjit Singh Sultanwind Shaheed Bhai Harjeet Singh Dhillon
Shaheed Bhai Kanwarjeet Singh Sultanwind - Khalistan Commando Force


Bhai Sahib’s worked very closely with Bhai Kanwarjeet Singh Sultanwind (KCF), Bhai Nirmal Singh, Bhai Kuldeep Singh Dhillon, Bhai Balwinder Singh Dhillon, Bhai Balbir Singh Khasan, Bhai Nirmal Singh Chotu and Bhai Surjeet Singh Sandhu. Together, this group punished many oppressors and perpetrators of crimes carried out against the Sikh nation.

As Bhai Sahib was being watched closely by the Punjab Police, he gained employment as an engineer at Hussainpur coach factory, Kapurthala. This allowed Bhai Harjeet Singh to easily leave his village without arousing suspicion and continue with his Panthic duties.

In April 1989, after being reported by a local police tout Bhai Sahib was once again arrested. Bhai Sahib was moved from jail to jail and the process of torture continued for a whole month however Bhai Sahib did not reveal a single shred of information relating to the whereabouts of his fellow Singhs. The police were once again forced to release Bhai Sahib after the local villagers along with local leaders protested against Bhai Sahib’s unlawful arrest. Bhai Sahib was tortured to such extent that he was left unable to walk for days. Once again despite the torture, Bhai Sahib remained in high spirits. Upon witnessing Bhai Sahib’s dedication to serving the Sikh Panth, he was held in high esteem by the locals.

Once Bhai Sahib was fully fit, the police made attempts to arrest him again but Bhai Sahib managed to escape and forced to go underground. In 1990, through an agent Bhai Sahib reached Germany and a few months later moved to America. Even whilst living abroad Bhai Sahib continued with his Panthic obligations. Bhai Sahib assisted families of Shaheed Jujharoos, raised awareness of the ongoing struggle and kept in touch with the Jujharoos on the battlefields.

Bhai Sahib’s 2 sisters and younger brother were all settled abroad and Bhai Sahib’s relatives wished he do the same, but Bhai Sahib’s priorities lay with the Panth and not self-progress. Bhai Sahib rejected the opportunity to live a life of luxury and returned back to Punjab in order to free the Sikh nation from the shackles of slavery.


Bhai Harjeet Singh Dhillon 2 Shaheed Bhai Harjeet Singh Dhillon
Shaheed Bhai Harjeet Singh Dhillon
Bhai Harjeet Singh returned to Punjab in April 1992 and began working closely with Bhai Parmjeet Singh Panjwar, Bhai Daljit Singh Bittu, Shaheed Baba Davinder Singh ‘Singapore’ and Shaheed Bhai Rashpal Singh Pandra. Bhai Sahib’s actions where again completed in an anonymous manner whereby he punished many enemies of the Sikhs under the alias of Jagdeep Singh.

Bhai Harjeet Singh’s aim was to strengthen the movement from all fronts, politically as well as martially and spread the movement to all 4 corners of Hindustan. Due to Bhai Harjeet Singh & Bhai Parmjeet Singh Panjwar’s efforts the movement extended itself across the borders of Panjab into neighbouring states and internationally via the contacts Bhai Sahib had established whilst living abroad. 

Bhai Sahib having eliminated a number of high level targets was on the radar of the Govt. Ultimately the fateful day arrived which each warrior awaits. On July 15, 1994 in a raid conducted by the Jalandhar police on a safe house where Bhai Sahib and his associate had setup camp, Bhai Harjeet Singh attained Shaheedi. Bhai Sahib’s body was removed and taken to village Dakhla, Jalandhar the following day and presented as a death resulting from a fire fight.

Bhai Sahib was officially identified as Jagdeep Singh ‘Jaggi’. Thus Bhai Harjeet Singh Dhillon aka Jagdeep Singh ‘Amreeka’ departed from this world, but his vision and message remain intact which the Sikh Nation shall continue to protect until the final goal of a Sikh homeland has been accomplished.

Friday 24 February 2012

Yogis of Tibet

This is an amazing documentary. One that is very inspirational. Please watch with an open mind and try apply this discipline to our lives. We can apply a lot of this within simran.


rwj mih rwju jog mih jogI ] raaj mehi raaj jog mehi jogee ||
Among kings, He is the King; among yogis, He is the Yogi.

Saturday 18 February 2012

Conversation with Waheguru


Me: Waheguru Ji, can I ask You a question?
Waheguru Ji: Sure

Me: Promise You won't get mad
Waheguru Ji: I promise

Me: Why did You let so much stuff happen to me today?
Waheguru Ji: What do u mean?

Me: Well, I woke up late

Waheguru Ji: Yes

Me: My car took forever to start

Waheguru Ji: Okay

Me: at lunch they made my sandwich wrong & I had to wait

Waheguru Ji: Huummm

Me: On the way home, my phone went DEAD, just as I picked up a call

Waheguru Ji: All right

Me: And on top of it all off, when I got home ~I just want to soak my feet in my new foot massager & relax. BUT it wouldn't work!!! Nothing went right today! Why did You do that?
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Waheguru Ji: Let me see, the death angel was at your bed this morning & I had to send one of My Angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that: ਮੰਨੈ ਜਮ ਕੈ ਸਾਥਿ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥ Mannai Jam Kai Saathh N Jaae || The faithful do not have to go with the Messenger of death.

Me (humbled): OH

Waheguru Ji: I didn't let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road. ਅਉਖੀ ਘੜੀ ਨ ਦੇਖਣ ਦੇਈ ਅਪਨਾ ਬਿਰਦੁ ਸਮਾਲੇ ॥ Aoukhee Gharree N Dhaekhan Dhaeee Apanaa Biradh Samaalae || I do not let My devotees see the difficult times; this is My innate nature.

Me: (ashamed)

Waheguru Ji: The first person who made your sandwich today was sick & I didn't want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn't afford to miss work. ਰੋਗ ਸੋਗ ਸਭਿ ਮਿਟਿ ਗਏ ਨਿਤ ਨਵਾ ਨਿਰੋਆ ॥ Rog Sog Sabh Mitt Geae Nith Navaa Niroaa || All sorrows and sicknesses are eradicated, and you become ever-fresh and rejuvenated.

Me (embarrassed):Okay Ji

Waheguru Ji: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give false witness about what you said on that call, I didn't even let you talk to them so you would be covered. ਹੋਇ ਸਹਾਈ ਜਿਸੁ ਤੂੰ ਰਾਖਹਿ ਤਿਸੁ ਕਹਾ ਕਰੇ ਸੰਸਾਰੁ ॥੨॥੧੪॥੨੩॥ Hoe Sehaaee Jis Thoon Raakhehi This Kehaa Karae Sansaar ||2||14||23|| He who is protected by Me, The Helper Lord Waheguru Ji - what can the world do to him?

Me (softly): I see Waheguru Ji

Waheguru Ji: Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortage that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn't think you wanted to be in the dark. ਅਗਿਆਨੁ ਅੰਧੇਰਾ ਕਟਿਆ ਜੋਤਿ ਪਰਗਟਿਆਈ ਰਾਮ ॥ Agiaan Andhhaeraa Kattiaa Joth Paragattiaaee Raam || The darkness of ignorance is dispelled, and the Divine light radiantly shines forth.

Me: I'm Sorry Waheguru Ji

Waheguru Ji: Don't be sorry, just learn to Trust Me.... in All things, the Good & the bad. ਘਰਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਤੇਰਾ ਭਰਵਾਸਾ ਤੂ ਜਨ ਕੈ ਹੈ ਸੰਗਿ ॥ Ghar Baahar Thaeraa Bharavaasaa Thoo Jan Kai Hai Sang || At home, and outside, Trust in me; I am always with My humble servant.

Me: I will trust You. ਮਾਣੁ ਨਿਮਾਣੇ ਤੂੰ ਧਣੀ ਤੇਰਾ ਭਰਵਾਸਾ ॥ Maan Nimaanae Thoon Dhhanee Thaeraa Bharavaasaa || You are the honor of the dishonored. O Master Waheguru Ji, in You I place my trust.

Waheguru Ji: And don't doubt that My plan for your day is Always Better than your plan. ਰਬ ਕੀ ਰਜਾਇ ਮੰਨੇ ਸਿਰ ਉਪਰਿ ਕਰਤਾ ਮੰਨੇ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਵੈ ॥ Rab Kee Rajaae Mannae Sir Oupar Karathaa Mannae Aap Gavaavai || As you submit to My will, and surrender to Me, the Creator, you get rid of selfishness and conceit.

Me: I won't doubt your plan for me, Waheguru Ji. And let me just tell you Waheguru Ji, Thank You for Everything today. ਸੇਵਕ ਕੈ ਭਰਪੂਰ ਜੁਗੁ ਜੁਗੁ ਵਾਹਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਰਾ ਸਭੁ ਸਦਕਾ ॥ Saevak Kai Bharapoor Jug Jug Vaahaguroo Thaeraa Sabh Sadhakaa || Your servants are totally fulfilled, throughout the ages; O Waheguru Ji, it is all You, forever.

Waheguru Ji: You're welcome child. It was just another day being your Waheguru Ji and I Love looking after My Children... ਅਪੁਨੇ ਜੀਅ ਜੰਤ ਪ੍ਰਤਿਪਾਰੇ ॥ ਜਿਉ ਬਾਰਿਕ ਮਾਤਾ ਸੰਮਾਰੇ ॥ Apunae Jeea Janth Prathipaarae || Jio Baarik Maathaa Sanmaarae || I cherishe all My beings and creatures, As the mother cares for her children.

Friday 17 February 2012

Shaheed Bhai Subeg Singh & Bhai Shahbaz Singh




Sardar Subeg Singh was an influential zamindar of Jambar, in the district of Lahore. He was also a government contractor. He was great scholar of Persian, a wise and upright man. He proved useful to Zakriya Khan on a number of occasions. For many years the Mughal government pursued a policy of persecuting the Sikhs. It was determined to root them out completely. Thousands and thousands were murdered in cold blood. But the Sikhs just continued to grow. They never thought of giving up their faith to save their lives. The martyrdom of persons like Bhai Taru Singh produced a wave of indignation among Sikhs of the Majha. They decided to retaliate. They resolved to take revenge. They began to fall on government treasuries and caravans. Parties coming with chests of revenue meant for Lahore were waylaid and looted. As a result for some years no money from revenue could reach the government treasury. The forces of government tried to punish the offenders. But they were unable to contact them; for the Sikhs did not live in houses or forts. After each attack, they used to run away to their camps in the forests. The story of persecution and revenge went on for some time. The government, at last, felt tired of this method of dealing with rebels. It decided to pacify and conciliate them. Accordingly, in 1733 Zakriya Khan represented his difficulties to the Delhi government. He suggested that a policy of conciliation should be given in a trial. with that end in view, he proposed that a grant be made to the Sikhs and a title be conferred on their leader. The proposal was accepted. The next thing needed was to persuade the Sikhs to agree to the proposal. Zakriya Khan felt that to persuade them would not be an easy task. He turned to Sardar Subeg Singh for help. He said to him, 'If you succeed in bringing them round, you will receive good service to me and my government. It will be remembered, appreciated and duly rewarded.'


    Sardar Subeg Singh agreed to do his best. He agreed to meet the Sikhs and try his skill. At that time the Khalsa had assembled at the Akal Takhat, Amritsar. He went there and held discussion with them. He informed them of the offer made by the government. He offered them the title of 'Nawab' for their leader, along with a Jagir of about one lakh rupees. They would not accept the offer. They were about to reject it outright. But Sardar Subeg Singh succeeded in overcoming their objections. Then they accepted the offer. In this way, some sort of peace was made between Mughal government and the Sikhs. Zakriya Khan felt relived a good deal. He appreciated the part played by Sardar Subeg Singh in bringing about the reconciliation. But after some time, the campaign of persecution was started once again. In the heat of that campaign even Sardar Subeg Singh was not spared. He was arrested along with his son, Sardar Shahbaz Singh. This is how it happened. Sardar Subeg Singh had a son named Sardar Shahbaz Singh. He used to read in a Muhammadan school under a qazi. The boy was usually handsome, bright and promising. The qazi took a fancy to him. He wished to convert him to Islam. He wanted to marry his daughter to him. The qazi tried his utmost. He used all his skills. But Sardar Shahbaz Singh was firm in his faith. Neither threats nor tempting offers could make him change his resolve. Because of this, the qazi's fondness for the bright, handsome boy diminished. He became determined to finish him. He reported unfavorably to the government against him. He said, 'The boy has used disrespectful words against his prophet. He has said foul thing against Islam. This kafir deserves no mercy. He deserves death.'

    On the basis of this report, Sardar Shahbaz Singh was arrested and taken to Lahore. He was to stand trial before the governor. At the same time, his father, Sardar Subeg Singh, was also arrested and imprisoned. It was said against him that he supplied information to the Sikhs. But Zakriya Khan died before he could see the end of his victims. He was succeeded by his son, Yahiya Khan. This person was more cruel than his father. He had no soft corner in his heart for Sardar Subeg Singh. He took up his case and pursued it to the bitter end. Sardar Subeg Singh was asked to give up his religion or suffer death at the wheel. He refused to give up his religion. Thereupon, he was put on the wheel and turned on it. The pain was sharp and intense. But it did not break his spirit. Then his son, Shahbaz Singh, was told, 'You can save your life by accepting Islam.' He refused to give up his faith. Thereupon, he was bound to the wheel. He was turned on it before his father's eyes. Both bore the torture with great patience. They went on shouting, 'Akal' all the time. At intervals, the wheels were stopped and the two were asked, 'Do you agree to embrace Islam ?' Every time they shook their heads and shouted, 'NO'. The wheels were set in motion again. The two kept on shouting 'Akal' ! 'Akal'. The wheels had sharp knives arranged around them. They went on working mercilessly. The shouts of Akal grew feebler and feebler. Then they ceased altogether. Both left their bodies. They went away to join the ranks of illustration Sikh martyrs.
This occurred in the year 1745.