Bhai Surjit Singh Behla

Attain Shaheedi on 9 June 1992

Male, age 25-30

Demographics

Residence

Behla, Tarn Taran (Tehsil), Tarn Taran

Father Name

Bapu Tarlok Singh

Mother Name

Mata Joginder Kaur

Siblings (including Shaheed)

4 Brothers; and 4 Sisters; Shaheed Bhai Surjit Singh Behla, Shaheed Bhai Dilbag Singh Behla, Bhai Guljar Singh, Bhai Jaswinder Singh, Bibi Prabhjit Kaur, Bibi Ranjit Kaur, Bibi Harpreet Kaur, and Bibi Amarjit Kaur

Married

Yes

Husband/Wife Name

Bibi ---- Kaur

Children

Bibi Rajbir Kaur

Education

Metric Pass

Employment

Farmer

Kharku Sangarsh

Kharku Status

Active Kharku

Jathebandi Name

BTFK - Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan

Jathebandi Titles

Deputy Chief of BTFK - Manochahal Group

Kharku Group

BTFK Manochahal group

Jathedar

Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal

Sathi Singh (fellow Singhs)

Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, Bhai Surjit Singh Painta, Harnam Singh Sanghna, Bhai Sukhdev Singh Laddi aka Maddi aka Chotta Behla, Bhai Harbans Singh Sarhali,

Shaheedi Details

Shaheedi Date

09 June 1992

Encounter type

Real Encounter

Place of Shaheedi

Rataul village Encounter, Rataul , Tarn Taran, Tarn Taran

Name of Sathi Singh who got Shaheed together

Bhai Sukhdev Singh Laddi aka Maddi aka Chotta Behla and Bhai Harbans Singh Sarhali and 6 other innocent residence of village Behla

Family Reflections

Other Member Shaheed in Family

His brother, Shaheed Bhai Dilbag Singh, was martyred at Darbar Sahib during Operation Blue Star in June 1984

Jiwni/Biographic Information

The Behla Encounter: A Tale of Bravery and Martyrdom

Around June 6, 1992, the Police and CRPF set up a checkpoint in the Tarn Taran area and stopped a truck. Upon searching the truck’s cabin, they discovered a Mauser gun. The police arrested the driver and tortured him at the station, demanding to know how he came into possession of such an important weapon. Under duress, the driver revealed that he had given a lift to some Kharkus, dropped them off at Village Behla, and that they had forgotten their Mauser in the truck. Acting on this information, the police confirmed through their informants that Kharkus were indeed hiding in Village Behla, possibly within a bunker.

On June 7, 1992, police forces discovered a hidden bunker, mistakenly believing it only contained weapons. Unbeknownst to them, Surjeet Singh Behla, his companion Bhai Sukhdev Singh Laddi (also known as Maddi or Chotta Behla), and a third Singh, Bhai Harbans Singh Sarhali (a close associate of Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal), were inside. Bhai Harbans Singh Sarhali had been providing them with food. Terrified, the police coerced the Village Head and innocent villagers to act as human shields while they searched the building. As the mason began to break into the bunker, Behla and his companions understood their grim situation. Resolving to become martyrs, they performed an internal prayer (Ardaas), armed themselves, and prepared for a final stand. They burst out of the bunker, firing at the advancing forces, which caused the police to retreat to the highest roof of the building, where they were stranded as the intense encounter unfolded.

Once the police fled, Behla and his companions searched the ground floor and found the Village Head. Surprised and concerned, Behla learned that the police had forced the villagers into the building as shields. Behla then took it upon himself to protect the villagers, offering them cover fire so they could escape safely. Before sending them out, Behla entrusted the Village Head (Sarpanch) with a final letter for his family, conveying three key messages: his father should not leave Behla village, his wife should obey his parents, and a sum of Rs. 20,000 should be used to arrange Akhand Paaths for them. After ensuring the villagers’ safe escape, Behla and his companions resumed their fight, inspired by the historical battle of Chamkaur Sahib.

The Punjab Police and Indian Army, hiding behind the innocent villagers, unleashed a barrage of bullets at the building. The villagers recount with emotion how the security forces fired while lying between their legs, using them as human shields. Despite the overwhelming odds, Behla’s bullets miraculously avoided the villagers, striking only the police officers. The encounter lasted 36 hours, during which Behla and his companions, though exhausted and hungry, bravely resisted the heavily armed forces equipped with bulletproof tractors, armored vehicles, and mortar guns. Eventually, the three Singhs were martyred, their sacrifice immortalized by the ruins of the building that still stand today, bearing witness to the intense battle that took place.

After the encounter, when it was discovered that only three Singhs had fought the forces, the police, in a desperate attempt to cover up their failure, killed six innocent villagers who had been wounded, falsely claiming that nine militants had been killed. This brutal act drew widespread criticism, and the bravery of Surjeet Singh Behla became a subject of discussion in villages across Punjab. Baba Gurbachan Singh Manochahal, deeply moved by Behla’s martyrdom, lamented, “Today my right arm has been broken.” He penned an emotional poem in Behla’s honor, often shedding tears while reciting it. Though today their martyrdom may not be widely spoken of, a time will come when the tales of their bravery will be sung openly once more.

The names of the six innocent Sikhs who were killed by the police, who used them as human shields, were as follows: Narinjan Singh Dhodhi (son of Boorha Singh), his son Dr. Sakatar Singh (an RMP doctor), their relative Lakhwinder Singh (son of Channan Singh), Kartar Singh Parjapat, Ajit Singh Parjapat, and Tara Singh.

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