Bhai Balwinder Singh Chamyari

On the morning of June 1, 1984, the Indian Army launched unprovoked firing on the sacred complex of Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) from multiple directions. The assault, which began in the early hours, lasted for several hours. Despite being under intense attack, the Singhs inside the complex, under the disciplined command of General Shahbeg Singh Ji, followed orders and did not return fire, showing immense restraint and reverence for the sanctity of the holy site.

Among those present that day was Bhai Balwinder Singh Chamyari, a devoted Sikh from the village of Chamiari. That day, he and other sangat members had brought a man accused of misusing the name of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale for personal gain to Sri Darbar Sahib. Upon entering the complex, Bhai Harminder Singh Sandhu, a key spokesperson and activist, warned Bhai Balwinder Singh of the imminent possibility of military action.

“Billaya, the army could attack Sri Darbar Sahib any moment. Go to your assigned bunker immediately, don’t stay here,” Bhai Sandhu urgently instructed.

Following this command, Bhai Balwinder Singh rushed toward his designated bunker with the other Singhs. As he moved, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel opened indiscriminate fire towards Sri Darbar Sahib. In this barrage, Bhai Balwinder Singh was struck multiple times in the waist and attained shaheedi (martyrdom) on the spot. His blood mixed with the sacred waters of the Sarovar, sanctifying his final sacrifice.

At the same time, far from Amritsar, Mata Gurmeet Kaur, his mother, felt a deep, instinctive pain. She told her daughters, “I feel like your brother will not return now.” One of them tried to reassure her, saying, “No, Mother, he’ll be back by evening.” But the mother’s intuition proved heartbreakingly accurate.

Later that day, members of Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Bhindranwale’s jatha asked the Chamiari sangat for a phone number to reach Bhai Balwinder Singh’s family. A message was sent via the STD booth in Chamiari, informing the family of his shaheedi.

By evening, the news reached his home, and the family was asked to retrieve his body from the Amritsar hospital. However, due to a strict curfew imposed across Amritsar, the Sikh Student Federation and the local sangat were prevented from holding a protest or marching to claim the body. The police initially denied the family access to Bhai Balwinder Singh’s body, but after persistent pressure from the Sikh community, authorities finally released his shaheedi saroop (martyr’s remains).

Bhai Balwinder Singh Chamyari was among the first Sikh martyrs of the June 1984 attack on Sri Darbar Sahib. Alongside him, several others gave their lives that day:

• Bhai Mehnga Singh Babbar, martyred on the rooftop of Gurdwara Baba Atal Sahib.
• Bhai Baj Singh, a tabla player associated with Damdami Taksal, attained shaheedi near the Darshani Deori of the Langar Hall.
• Bhai Ram Singh Degia, also from Damdami Taksal, fell alongside him. He belongs to Uttar Pradesh, was in Damdami Taksal since early childhood, as his family donates him to the Taksal Jatha.
• Bhai Arjinderpal Singh, just 20 years old, was martyred on the rooftop of his home, located close to Sri Darbar Sahib.

These early martyrs stood on the frontlines of what would soon escalate into the full-scale assault known as Operation Blue Star. Their unwavering commitment, restraint, and sacrifice remain etched in Sikh history as profound examples of courage and faith.