Bhai Baljinder Singh Chookiman

Aman Singh

Introduction

In 1984 Bhai Baljinder Singh Chookiman attained martyrdom by fighting the forces of the Hindustani Governement. He was the youngest Singh in the Jatha to be blessed with martyrdom at Sach Khand Sri Darbar Sahib during Operation Bluestar.

When Bhai Sahib attained Shaheedi he was just 17 years old. Bhai Baljinder Singh Ji’s mother told someone that Bhai Sahib was only in the 9th grade when he began taking an active role in Sri Maan Sant Gyani Baba Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa’s Dharam Yudh Morcha.

Bhai Chookiman used to always follow Sant Ji’s bachan like no one else. Whenever Sant Ji used to give Bhai Sahib Seva, Bhai Sahib would always perform the Seva with full dedication to the best of his abilities and with complete Chardeekala.

At Bhai Chookiman’s house Gurbani was played 24 hours a day. During the Dharam Yudh Morcha Bhai Sahib would read about all those singhs and singhnis who attained matrydom, such as Bhai Kulwant Singh Nagoke and others like Bhai Jasdev Singh and Bhai Sukhdev Singh.

 

Bhai Kulwant Singh Nagoke

Bhai Sahib Ji was a student who was very active doing Gursikhi Parchaar in Universities. Disillusioned by the way the Government had let the Nirankaris go unpunished for the murder of Gursikhs, he organised sikh youth who punished the guilty Nirankaris. After many successful operations, the police caught him.

Bhai Kulwant Singh Nagoke was killed in a fake encounter on June 11th 1982. This murder marked the beginning of the era of fake encounters.

His body was taken to the hospital for postmortem. It was then the police began an era of fake encounter murders of Sikhs. In all these cases the police did not hand over the bodies of the dead persons because from the postmortem reports of the reality would have come before the world.

 

Bhai Jasdev Singh and Bhai Sukhdev Singh

Some of these have been disclosed by police officials themselves: Jasdev Singh and Sukhdev Singh, both of the village of Kot Isse Khan (near Moga), were arrested and taken to the police station to extract some information from them. They were stripped and their stomachs were cut open by pincers and their intestines were taken out while they were still alive. Later, their eyes were gouged out with a knife. Both of them were killed in a fake encounter and their bodies were quietly cremated by the police so that no evidence of torture could be traced.

Sant Jarnail Singh Ji’s Speeches

From the beginning Bhai Sahib was a very quiet and peaceful minded person. He could not bear to see the harassment of innocent people. He was a complete saint soldier.

Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale used to make many speeches regarding the injustices which were happening to the Sikh Kaum in India. Many of these speeches were recorded by sangat and distributed to other sangat who couldn’t attend Sant Ji’s speeches.
In this way Sant Ji’s speeches made their way to Bhai Baljinder Singh Ji and he used to listen to them over and over again. Bhai Sahib used to get upset listening to these speeches as he wondered how these injustices could be made right.
 

The Challenge

In one speech Sant Ji made a direct challenge to the whole Sikh Nation. He said, ‘You are not the father of your son if you do not avenge the injustices done to your people.’

Bhai Chookiman Ji took this to heart and from that moment on he was determined to answer the challenge of Sant Ji by giving his head to Guru Sahib.

Going to Darbar Sahib

Bhai Sahib would always be talking to his friends about the Dharam Yudh Morcha and about Sri Maan Sant Gyani Baba Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa. When people heard what Bhai Sahib was saying they used to talk about him, and some people would say bad things about him and Sant Ji. Bhai Sahib then left his home and headed to Sri Darbar Sahib Ji. At Sri Darbar Sahib Bhai Chookiman met some Singhs from Babbar Khalsa, but after some time he then met Singhs belonging to Jatha Bhindra and he began to stay with them.

Meeting Sant Ji and the Letter home
When Sant Ji saw Bhai Chookiman, who wasn’t even 18 yet and had left his home because of his love for the panth, Sant Ji called him over. When Bhai Sahib came, Sant Ji told him that he should go back to his family. But Bhai Sahib said he had done an ardas that once he came to Sant Ji and the Jatha he would never leave. As a result of this ardas Bhai Sahib had done Sant Ji kept him in the Jatha. However, Sant Ji asked Bhai Sahib to write a letter to his parents to let them know where he was. Bhai Sahib did so and in that letter he told his parents that he was in chardeekala and in the company of many gursikhs, so they did not have to worry about him as Guru Sahib and Guru Sahib’s sangat would take care of him. Bhai Sahib also told his parents that he had found a very nice place to stay and that he had a very good job. 10-15 days before the attack on SachKhand Sri Darbar Sahib, Bhai Chookiman Ji went home to visit his family. He stayed at his house for two days and then he returned to the place where Sant Ji and the rest of the Singhs were staying.

The Attack on Sach Khand Sri Darbar Sahib

Finally the day arrived when Akaal Purakh was going to test all the Singhs who had assembled at Sri Darbar Sahib for their sikhi sidak. Bhai Sahib like the rest of the Singhs had been preparing for this very test not only in this life but also in the ones before this. Maharaj had carefully selected 200 Singhs who Guru Sahib knew were of a very high jeevan, and he blessed these 200 Singhs with the seva of attaining Shaheedi in defence of Sachkhand Sri Darbar Sahib.

Jad Tuwahda Baap Da Ghar Tabah Ho Riya Ha Teh Tusi Pajj Raha Ho, Jeh Guru Gobind Singh Deh Soorma Ho Ta Data Raho

One Singh who was with Bhai Chookiman at Sri Darbar Sahib Ji told Bhai Sahib’s mother that when the army was arresting some Singhs who were also fighting along Bhai Sahib, but were caught and handcuffed Bhai Sahib shouted loudly, ‘Jad Tuwahda Baap Da Ghar Tabah Ho Riya Ha Teh Tusi Pajj Raha Ho, Jeh Guru Gobind Singh Deh Soorma Ho Ta Data Raho"

Which means, "When our father's house is being destroyed and desecrated then why are you running away like cowards, if you are a son of Guru Gobind Singh Ji keep fighting till u attain Shaheedi.’

Bhai Sahib’s Shaheedi

On the night of June 5th Bhai Sahib fulfilled his wish of giving his head for the panth, but he did not turn his back and leave his morcha.

Bhai Sahib’s mother told some people that their family members are facing many physical and financial problems and some human rights group gave them 10,000 rupees. Bhai Sahib’s mother said that instead of helping them out financially the Sikh Kaum should remember her son as a Shaheed. That is all she desires, she doesn’t want any Maya.
 

Bhai Sahib’s parents Bhai Gurmail Singh Ji and Bibi Dalbir Kaur Ji
 

Taken from ikonkaar.blogspot.com