30/11/2006

A True Nihang: Shahid Bhai Avtar Singh Brahma Part I
Based on Jujharu Yodhay by Maninder Singh Baja

















Introduction

One of the most famous and effective Khalsa generals to have taken part in the Sikh Liberation Movement was Bhai Avtar Singh Brahma. The name of “Brahma” used to strike terror into the hearts of Indian Security Forces. Bhai Brahma also had a very special relationship with Canadian and other Western Singhs who had gone to fight for Sikh Freedom. Bhai Avtar Singh was a true Nihang Singh of Guru Gobind Singh and when the Panth needed his head, he was prepared to make the sacrifice.

Early Life

Bhai Avtar Singh Brahma was born in 1951 in village Brahmpura, which falls in the Tarn Taran area of Amritsar district. Bhai Brahma’s parents were S. Sohan Singh and Mata Chanan Kaur. Bhai Avtar Singh was the youngest of four brothers. His three elder brothers, S. Balkar Singh, S. Sadha Singh and S. Hardev Singh continue to live in the village and farm for a living.

Bhai Avtar Singh completed his early education until the fifth grade in the village primary school. After this, he began to work in the family’s farm.

In 1966, Saint Baba Daya Singh jee from the Sursingh Nihang Jatha (Baba Bidhi Chand Dal) came to village Lohar along with his Singhs. There was a week long Gurmat Smagam in which there was an Akhand Paath Sahib, gatka demonstrations and finally at the end, an amrit sinchaar. Bhai Avtar Singh and his brother Bhai Sadha Singh worked until noon time one day and then decided to go to nearby village Lohar to see the gatka. Bhai Avtar Singh was so impressed that he decided to become amritdhari at the amrit sinchaar being held. After this, Bhai Avtar Singh began to live a strict Gursikhi jeevan and stayed with the Bidhi Chand Dal. He would only occasionally take a leave from the Dal to meet with his family and parents.

The Jathedar of Bhai Bidhi Chand Dal, Baba Daya Singh, saw the seva and simran of Bhai Avtar Singh and because he was also from village Brahmpura, began to call him Bhai Brahma Singh. After this Bhai Avtar Singh began to be called either Bhai Brahma Singh or Bhai Avtar Singh Brahma.

With the Nihang Singhs
Bhai Avtar Singh used to do seva in the langar and also took care of the Dal’s horses. Bhai Avtar Singh was a master of Shastar Vidiya. He could do a gatka demonstration for two hours straight, all by himself. Bhai Avtar Singh was also famous for being able to ride on two horses at once and then stand up, with one leg on each. He would even do a demonstration in which he would lie down on the backs of two horses and have them run at top speed. Bhai Avtar Singh was a master of all weapons including swords, spears, pistols and even rocket launchers.

Once, Baba Daya Singh was talking with Baba Bishan Singh, Jathedar of Tarna Dal (Baba Bakala) when they began to discuss an article in the newspaper which said that a French horse rider had such skill that he could race a horse at full speed and be able to spear a target on the ground with a lance at the same time. The Singhs began to discuss if this was even possible, when Bhai Avtar Singh entered the conversation. Bhai Brahma had been sitting quietly but then spoke up and said “If the Frenchman can do that, then a Guru ka Singh can ride TWO horses while standing and do the same thing.”



The Singhs were surprised by this claim and challenged Bhai Avtar Singh to prove it. Bhai Avtar Singh brought two horses and while riding one, held the reigns of the other. He began to race the horses and when they had reached top speed, he stood up on both. Bhai Brahma with his neja (spear) then pierced a stake in the ground, which was placed as his target, and threw it up into the air. Everyone watching was amazed at the skill and after this incident, Bhai Avtar Singh became very well known not just among the Nihang Dals, but also amongst the common villagers.



Meeting Baba Jarnail Singh











Saint Baba Daya Singh and Saint Baba Jarnail Singh

Saint Baba Daya Singh Sursinghvale and Saint Baba Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale were very close and the two used to meet quite often. Baba Jarnail Singh had begun the Dharam Yudh Morcha to fight for Sikh rights and this movement had become very popular amongst the Sikh youth. Baba Jarnail Singh’s words had spurred Sikh pride and revived the Sikh spirit in Punjab. Bhai Avtar Singh too heard Baba Jarnail Singh speak and felt the urge to help free the Sikh people from the clutches of the Brahmin government.

Sree Darbaar Sahib had been surrounded by now and it was clear that the government was preparing for a fight. On May 30, 1984, Bhai Avtar Singh Brahma and Bhai Amreek Singh JauRa decided that as Khalsa warriors, it was their duty to fight for Sikh freedom. They asked for leave from Baba Daya Singh and after saying their final Fateh to the other Singhs in the Jatha, left Sursingh for Sree Darbaar Sahib.

Bhai Avtar Singh and Bhai Amreek Singh went directly to Sree Akaal Takhat Sahib and presented themselves to Baba Jarnail Singh. With Baba jee were other Singhs such as Baba Thara Singh, Bhai Amrik Singh, Bhai Durga Sigh, Bhai Major Singh Nagoke, etc. Bhai Avtar Singh explained that they had come to defend Sree Darbaar Sahib and give their Shaheedee. After some discussion, Baba Jarnail Singh addressed the Singhs and said, “Your Shaheedee here will not be of as much value is it could be. The army has surrounded us and is ready to attack. Who knows what will happen in a few days? Go back to your villages and do simran. When the time is right, Singhs will come get you themselves. I am sending some other Singhs out of the complex today as well to continue the struggle after us. Jathedar Durga Singh will come get you when the time is right. You must go now so that the fight can continue…”

Bhai Avtar Singh and Bhai Amreek Singh returned to their villages and waited. Three days later, the Indian Government attacked Sree Darbaar Sahib along with 37 other Gurdwaras. Thousands of Sikhs were butchered and Sree Akaal Takhat Sahib was destroyed.

Above interesting article was found from naam vairaag veerje blog. Waheguru...Waheguru...
Source: http://naamvairaag.blogspot.com/

Labels: Saint Baba Daya Singh Ji Sursingh

Fateh,

I have been very busy recently coz Bhai Harjinder Singh Ji was in town. Photos as follows:



Mata Jee and Bhai Sahib...I am very close to Mata Jee, she always similes and very active in every samagan, Mata Jee had blessed jeevan which i am lucky enough to seek her blessing whenever meet her...Waheguru...

Bhai Sahib Doing Kirtan


Will post more photos shortly...Waheguru...Waheguru...

Labels: Ragi

The Sikh Gurus advocated equal status for women with men in all spheres of life. They also honoured women as the symbol of domestic harmony and happiness, social cohesion and unity, a helping hand to man in the achievement of salvation. Guru Nanak says:

In woman, man is conceived,
From a woman he is born,
With a woman he is betrothed and married,
With a woman he contracts friendship,
Why denounce her, from whom even Kings are born?
From a woman a woman is born, none may exist without a woman.
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib, p. 73)

The position of women in Indian society before the Sikh Gurus was very demeaning, derogatory and continually deteriorating. A woman was referred to as man's shoe, the root of all evil, a snare, a temptress, and having her intelligence in her heels. Women were also tied down in the shackles of cruel, inhuman and callous social customs.

Guru Nanak condemned this manmade notion of the inferiority of woman and protested against her long subjugation. He asserted that men and women shared the grace of God equally and were responsible for their deeds before Him. By denouncing renunciation of the world and by advocating family life, and by his own example, the Guru put woman on a par with man. Woman was not a hindrance if man needed to serve God but a helping hand in the achievement of salvation. The Guru says:

Living within family life, one obtains salvation. (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, p. 661)

The Sikh Gurus advocated marriage of two equal partners. The third Guru, Guru Amar Das, described the ideal marriage:

Only they are truly wedded who have one soul in two bodies (SGGS, p.788).

Guru Amar Das condemned the cruel custom of Sati, Purdah, and female infanticide and advocated the remarriage of widows. He wrote:

They are not Satis, who burn themselves with their husbands.
Rather they are Satis, who die with mere shock of separation from their Husband [God].
And they are Satis too, who abide in modesty and contentment (SGGS, p.787).

Whereas a woman had been contemptuously called a childbearing machine, the Guru respected her for her creativity and said:

Blessed is the mother who creates life (SGGS, p. 32).

The sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind, respected woman by saying:

"Woman is the conscience of man."

Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, gave Amrit (Sikh initiation) to men and women alike. At the time of Amrit a man is given the name Singh, meaning Lion, the woman is given the name Kaur, meaning Princess, to enhance the position of woman.

A woman in the Sikh faith is an individual in her own right and she does not have to take her husband's name and remains Kaur till her death.

As a result of Guru's teachings, men began to realise the worth of women as equal partners and women began to receive the respect and honour they deserved.

Source: http://www.panthic.org/news/130/ARTICLE/2885/2006-11-08.html

Shaheedi Baba Deep Singh Ji Nov 13th,2006

Baba Deep Singh was the saint soldier who weilded the holy sword and who called out the real man among the herds of humanity Deepa of Phuvin, a village in the district Amritsar, born as Bhai Bhagatu Ji's son in January 1682 A.D. (14 Marh, Samvant 1739) was the blessed son of Punjab, who became the defender of the national honour.

In a way his entire life had been a preparation for his ultimate martyrdom in 1765. Let us go back to 1699, the Baisakhi, when Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji gave us a new lease of life. The Khalsa Panth was founded with the holy Guru's invocation to the Singhs among men to step forward and sacrifice their lives, give Seesh in the service of God. The consecrated Amrit infused in the youth the lenging to dedicate themselves to the teaching of Dashmesh Pita, the preceptor and our father divine.

The ensuing Baisakhi witnessed throngs of Sikhs at Anandpur Sahib. Among them was the eighteen year old Deepa, accompanied by his parents. Once again the consecrated water was stirred accompanied by recitation of Gurbani by the Panj Pyaras and Dashmesh Pita, leading the five beloveds as their Jathedar, their leader. Deepa was blessed with this nector divine, the Amrit and intiated into the Khalsa Panth, known as Deep Singh.

The impact of community worship and community meal, partaken with the recitation of the holy hymns, the shabads, was so great that Deep Singh found himself drawn to the holy precints of Anandpur Sahib. With the permission of his parents, he implored Guru Maharaj to give him the privilege of staying there for some time and imbibe the tenets of Sikhism.

read more>>

Source: http://www.allaboutsikhs.com

Labels: Guru Sikhs_Baba Deep Singh Jee

GLakh Lakh Vadhai on the Prakash Utsav Dhan Dhan Guru Nanak Dev ji



When Guru Nanak came to this world, paths to enlightenment were devoid of divinity; they were completely distorted towards unholy goals of the exploiters of people. A class of religious leaders routinely concocted religious practices to thrust on people to serve many unholy interests. These interests were mutually supportive and were successful in designing a variety of concealed tricks to fool people who were seeking salvations.

The religious institutions had devised beauty shows with religious practices that were intended to attract innocent minds. For example, they invented deities with accompanying stories, idols with descriptions of their powers, recitations to invoke imaginary deities, and rituals that buttressed each other. They asked people to erect stunning buildings to house god and promised accessibility to gods at precise times and places opened only through expense of wealth, time, and inner energy. Altruism was perverted so that it only benefited clerics and clergy.

read more>>

Source: http://www.allaboutsikhs.com/sikh-gurus/sri-guru-nanak-dev-ji.html

Labels: Satguru

Our respected mahan uncle jee passed away on 27 Oct. 06. He suffered a heart attack in Amritsar, punjab.

I personally had joint sangat with Uncle jee almost every weekend and i cannot express the jeevan in words. Only by experiences the sangat one will knew the answers which i am refering to.


Bhai Gurbhej Singh ji of Hong Kong breathed his last on 27 October 2006. According to informations, Bhai Sahib suffered a heart attack in Amristar, Punjab.

Bhai Sahib was born in Dughri district Amristar, Punjab.

He moved to Hong Kong with his family for past 30 years. He was a devout Gursikh, who have influences many other Sikhs to baptise Guru jee Amrit. He always emphasis to believe in Dhan Dhan Guru Granth Sahib Ji; and he always do his best to respect Guru Ji’s command and emphasis in sewa and simran.

We cannot express the jeevan of Bhai Sahib in words and the sacrifice he did for us. He did lot of sewa for the Sikh community and practical preach many young generation of Sikhs in Hong Kong how to respect Dhan Dhan Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

He served as a private driver for past 25 years. He was keen in most Sikh affairs and always ensure justice is made. Bhai Sahib was very close to Baba Charan singh ji (who went to sachand kand on Sept 2005) and they both joint the peaceful protests during painful days of 1984 and shown light to the sangat. Akhand path bhog will be on Sunday morning, 5^th November 2006 at Bhai Sahib village in Dughri, Punjab.

Source:http://www.sikhsangat.org/publish/article_1489.shtml

Labels: Sach Kand