Baba Jugraaj Singh ji Shaheed

Baba Jugraj Singh ji alias Toofan Singh ji was born in 1972 in house of Baba Mohinder singh ji. Baba Jugraaj Singh was only brother of five sisters. His Father did sangat of Baba Gurbachan singh ji and Baba Kartar Singh ji Bhindranwale Mahapurakhs. In 1978, when he was just 6, he was present during Sikh- nirankari clash with his Father. That was the first day he had Darshan of Sant Jarnail Singh ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. When he saw Shaheed Singhs, he asked his father about them. Baba Mohinder singh ji said ‘Son, they are Shaheeds of our Panth’. He asked why they have been killed. Babaji replied they went to stop Guru’s beadbi, and for Guru and Panth’s honour, they have laid down their lives. Young Jugraj Singh went to Santji and said ‘Sant ji, I also want to die like them, for my Guru and Panth’. Santji smiled back and said ‘Son, its all in Guru’s hands.When he wishes some one to perform the sewa, he takes it himself. Each and every one of us has our own time. He will bless you also with sewa and Shaheedi’’. And after this he joined Damdami Taksal and became a dedicated soldier of Khalsa Panth. In 1984, after operation Blue star, Jugraj Singh, at age of 12 was arrested by police and lodged in Nabha jail. But next year, when he was just 13, he along with his friends escaped from Prison and became a part of Sikh resistance movement. He joined the ranks of Bhai Avtar Singh Brahma (KLF) and took part in several actions. SSP of Batala, Gobind Ram, was the one who started the campaign to humiliate Sikh fighters and their families. He used to urinate on faces of Singhs and say ‘’ you drank Amrit of Gobind Singh, now drink Gobind Ram’s Amrit’’. He killed thousands of Sikhs in fake encounters and Sikh women were raped, tortured and humiliated on his orders in Police stations. He was the mind behind ‘operation shudhikaran’ in which Sikh women were to to be raped in thousands and humiliated. Babaji challenged him several times, but he never accepted the challenge and never came in front of Khalsa Tigers. Babaji then planned to kill this butcher in his very rat-hole. He arranged for explosives to be fixed under his chair in his office. As Gobind Ram came and sat, Babaji pressed the button and dusht was blown to pieces. His body parts flew up to the roof, out of windows and walls of his office were smeared in his paapi blood. And all this took place in headquarters of Punjab armed police in Phillaur (Punjab).

People started calling him ‘Baba’ out of respect. He never looted any one, never killed any innocent, and protected innocent Hindus and their families. In his area, no incident of loot, rape or dacoity ever took place. He had a 6 hour nitnem, which included 5 Baanis, Chandi di vaar jaaps, Gurmantar abhyaas. He was a son to mothers, brother to sisters and father to daughters of Punjab. It was with Guru kirpa that he undertook some of the most daring actions of Sikh movement.

On 7th of April 1990, babaji was having heavy fever. He planned to move to his sister’s house for some days for recuperation. Punjab police had announced a reward of 2.5 million rupees on his head, for which police cats were always roaming around Babaji, looking for a chance to get him in. One of the Cats entered his group and started giving his information to police, but Police, CRPF and Army was too afraid to face Baba Jugraj Singh in an open encounter. As Babaji reached his Sister’s house in Village maari buchhian, night fell and Babaji after taking some food went to sleep. IN the night, the police tout took Babaji’s gun on pretext of cleaning it. It was a Russia made AK-94. He loved it very much. He had other weapons too but this was his priced possession. When babaji slept, he took out the pin of the gun, making it useless. Next early morning, babaji did his nitnem and as he was having fever, went to bed again. Around 8 in the morning, tout said to Babaji that he would go to Sri hargobind pur and bring him some medicine. Babaji allowed him to go. As he went, he informed the waiting Police force that the Lion is sleeping and his gun has been rendered useless. Thousands of Armymen, Police force and CRPF encircled the village. It was a big ‘ghera’ and babaji was with just 3 Singhs. Other with him were Bhai Bakshish Singh, bhai Gurpreet singh and bhai laal singh. When villagers saw police, they informed sister of Babaji, who went and woke him up and told him whole thing. Babaji, after listening to whole thing got ready to leave. Some villagers said babaji, we’ll not let you go and die. We’ll defend you with all out might, but please don’t go. But he refused, as he didn’t want any innocent Sikh to die in crossfire and he knew ruthless Punjab police will burn whole village just to get one Jugraj Singh. As Babaji took up position, his gun didn’t fire. Babaji smiled and said Singho, today my best friend has failed me, death is imminent,, you all should leave. But Singhs refused to leave their general. Bhai Laal Singh gave him his AK-47, after which a fierce encounter started. Police and Army were using villagers as human shields to get closer to babaji’s morcha, which was outside his sister’s house. But Babaji kept hitting them. As encounter ensued, Bhai Bakhshish singh brought a tractor from nearby house and they all got on it. Some people say they wanted to flee, but that’s not true, there was no chance they could have fled the scene. They just wanted to get out of Village so that innocent Sikhs don’t die. They planned to take on enemy in open fields. In this fierce encounter, on one hand were Thousands of enemies and on other side, fighting for their faith were 4 Sons of Guru Gobind Singh ji. Bullets were raining like rain, and as the tractor came near, Singh got on it and started driving towards fields. Army knew that if they reached in the fields, it’ll be difficult to finish them, so they launched a massive offensive. Scores of enemies had been killed and whole area was screaming with noises of Police ambulances which were being used to ferry dead and injured soldiers. News had spread far and wide that Baba Jugraj Singh was in Police ‘Ghera’! People from villages started moving to break police cordon. As situation was getting worse, Army used Rocket launchers to destroy the tractor. Tractor got stuck and singhs came down. They took up their positions at that site, which was in mid of Village and Fields. Babaji wanted all other singhs to leave, but no one was willing to leave their General. At last, Bhai Gurpreet Singh and Bhai Laal singh moved in different direction and escaped as all the attention of Army was on Babaji. Bhai Bakhshish singh refused to leave. After a 4 hour encounter, Babaji, unwell and injured, got hit by a volley of Bullets fired by enemies which hit him all over his body. Bhai Bakhshish singh also got Shaheedi that day, with Baba Jugraaj Singh ji, who took 28 bullets in his body. After Babaji got Shaheed, police and Armymen using villagers as Shields came near his body and confirmed that he was dead. News of babaji’s shaheedi spread far and wide, people were grief struck. They were not able to believe that Baba Jugraaj Singh had got Shaheed. Most sad were Hindus of Area, who cried and didn’t cook food in their houses that day, as they had lost their ‘’saviour’’ (as they called Babaji).
Next day Thousands of people reached police station of Sri Hargobind pur to get babaji’s body, which police had to give from fear of backlash.

On 18th of April 1990, Bhog ceremony was organised in native village of Babaji by his Family and Damdami Taksal. Baba Thakur singh ji reached there with his jatha. It was biggest bhog ceremony Punjab ever witnessed in its whole history of movement from 84-94. There was a gathering of 400,000 people despite police restrictions and 50 bags of money were filled by Sangat’s sewa. But Baba Mohinder singh ji refused to take even a penny for his Son’s sacrifice. His words were’’ My Son was born for Panth, he died for panth. He belonged to panth, I’m just his worldly father, he was son of Guru Gobind Singh ji, and I don’t want to insult his sacrifice by taking money over his Shaheedi. This is Panth’s money, it shall be used for Panth, and therefore I hand it over to Baba Thakur Singh ji, so that Sons and daughters of Panth can be given justice and freedom, so that those who are in jails can get freedom, those mothers who have lost their sons can be looked after, and children who have lost their fathers can be brought up’’. Salute to the father and the son.
This was a short note in memory of beloved Baba Jugraaj Singh ji alias Toofan Singh ji, who at the young age of 18 attained supreme shaheedi for Khalsa Panth. He’ll be forever alive in our hearts and sacrifice of brave Jujharoo singhs like Babaji will never be wasted. The Dream they had in their eyes has passed on in the eyes of new generation. Today people boasting and calling themselves Khalistanis have forgotten the sacrifice of those brave shaheeds, they just use their names to cash in on them and show-off themselves as Panthic, but no one is working anywhere to fulfil their dream. How many remembered Baba Jugraaj Singh ji on his Shahheedi? They can be counted on fingertips. Babaji;s father died two years ago. Only his sisters commemorate his Shaheedi with support of Some Panthic organisations. Isn’t it our Duty, the Youth of Khalsa Panth, to commemorate Shaheedis of those brave generals and warriors of Khalsa Panth, or are we also just good for t-shirts, posters, slogans in names of Shaheeds??

We have to wake up Khalsa ji and honour the Shaheeds of Panth.
Sri Akaal ji Sahai
Kamaljeet Singh Khalsa