Shaheed Bhai Anokh Singh Jee Babbar

Remember those men and women of the Khalsa Panth,
who sacrificed their life for the Dharam (Faith and Truth.)
Who suffered every limb of thier body being cut joint by joint.
Whose bodies were broken on the wheels,
and were tortured and skinned alive.
Remember those Great Martyrs,
who were sawn alive, from head to foot...
...yet remained unshakeable in thier Faith unto the last.
(from the Sikh Ardaas)


Martyrdom August 30th, 1987

Bhai Sahib Anokh Singh - while reading the extract of his life you will discover the true meaning of a Sant Siphai (Saint Soldier. We bow our heads to this Mahaan Shaheed of the Khalsa Panth

Bhai Sahib Ji served the Sikh Nation for many years under the forces of Jathedar Sukhdev Singh and the Babbar Khalsa. He was killed in the most ruthless manner on August 30th, 1987. Like his companion Shulkhan Singh "Babbar", Bhai Sahib's arms and legs were torn apart, his eyes guazed and his abdomen ripped. Even after so much torture, Bhai Sahib Ji remained calm and in High Spirits. With Akal's Hukam, he reached the the Highest State known to the Sikh Warrior

Bhai Anokh Singh Jee Babbar

Martyrdom August 30th, 1987

Bhai Anokh Singh Babbar was born in the home of bapoo Makhan Singh and
mother Niranjan Kaur in village Varing Sooba Singh in Amritsar district. Bhai
Sahib was one of four brothers: Bhai Joga Singh, Bhai Santokh Singh, Bhai
Anokh Singh and Bhai Hardeep Singh. The entire family was amritdhari and
Gursikh. Bhai Anokh Singh was from childhood of a quiet and spiritual
disposition. While working around the house he would recite Gurbaanee. Bhai
Sahib graduated and after his education, become an inspector in the Shiromani
Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee. According to his companions, where Bhai
Anokh Singh did his duty with integrity and commitment, he used to also
encourage those near him to do their jobs without greed (without embezzling or
taking bribes). Bhai Sahib believed that money from the Guru Ghar was like
poison for a Gursikh (and thus could never take it). It was meant for helping
society and serving the poor only.

While doing his job, Bhai Anokh Singh came into contact with Bhai Fauja Singh.
Bhai Fauja Singh’s personality had a major effect and Bhai Anokh Singh also
became a traveler on the Gurmukh path. He used to take training in gatka at Bhai
Fauja Singh's farmhouse (Khalsa Farm), along with other young Singhs. Bhai
Sahib had very strict amrit vela. He had a deep love for Bhai Sulakhan Singh and
other Singhs around. Before going underground, Bhai Surinder Singh Nagokay
had an akhand paath sahib at his home in which Bhai Anokh Singh sat for the
entirety in one position. He listened the paath from start to finish.
The bloody massacre of April 13, 1978 was like a storm that shook Bhai Anokh
Singh and his companions to the core. During the 1978 massacre, Bhai Sahib was
with Bhai Fauja Singh. The martyrdom of Bhai Fauja Singh and his companions
had a deep effect on the saintly Bhai Anokh Singh. After the 1978 massacre,
Nirankaris were punished in Patti and Tarn Taran in which the name of Bhai
Anokh Singh began to be mentioned.

One of Bhai Anokh Singh’s greatest qualities was that he never misused the
Panth’s money. Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sakheera’s sister was married to Bhai Anokh
Singh’s brother Bhai Santokh Singh. When Satguru jee gave Bhai Santokh Singh
the gift of a son, Bhai Anokh Singh went to see the newborn. He took two rupees
out of his pocket and gave it as a gift to the baby. Bhai Anokh Singh’s sister-inlaw
was surprised and said jokingly to Bhai Sahib, Brother Anokh Singh, you are
such a big Jujhaaroo Singh and at the birth of your brother’s son, all you are
giving is just two rupees? Bhai Anokh Singh recognizing his sister’s annoyance
replied, “Bhabee jee, even this money seems too much to me, these two rupees
are the Panth’s property and I do not want that my family’s newborn should use
any of the Panth’s money.”





When Bhai Anokh Singh was first arrested by the Daehlo(n) police, his brother
Bhai Santokh Singh came to meet him at his court appearance in Ludhiana. Bhai
Anokh Singh called him close and told him one thing: If the police make me a
shaheed, “don’t sell my blood don’t try to profit from my death”. Not only that, he
used to visit home to take the dasvandh from the family’s crops. If bapoo Makhan
Singh or another family complained of the family’s money-situation, and asked
that the dasvandh not be taken, Bhai Sahib would reply, always keep a full
account to every penny. Dasvandh is the Guru’s and you have no right to it. Bhai
Anokh Singh Babbar had a great desire to die for the Guru’s cause.

Bhai Anokh Singh used to say, if may I be a Shaheed and may the enemy even cut
me piece by piece, even then no cry of pain should come out from me. When Bhai
Sahib’s companions freed him from Ludhiana, Bhai Sahib used to say, after so
long Shaheedee came near and I had to run. I was tested and I failed Bhai Sahib
used to tell his father Bhai Makhan Singh, bapoo jee, when the Sikh Sangat does a
road block or surrounds a police station (called a Ghirao in Panjabi), you too
should go. If you are hit by a bullet, then you will achieve martyrdom, which only
comes with great luck.

Finally, this warrior who welcomed death was arrested while riding his bike by
the Jalandhar Police. After bringing him to Vairovaal Police Station (dist.
Amritsar), Bhai Sahib was unspeakably tortured. His hip was broken and using a
bayonet, his eyes were removed. While he was doing simran, Bhai Sahib’s tongue
was cut out. Two foot long bars were heated and then hammered from the soles
of his feet up to his knees. Heated rods were put through his chest and one was
put through his skull. But this brave son of Dashmesh Pita kept doing Ardaas that
his Kesh and Sikhi would remain intact till his final breath. Seeing Bhai Anokh
Singh’s avasthaa of doing simran with every breath, a well known butcher police
official [SSP Azhar Alam] was shocked. In the end, Bhai Sahib’s badly broken and
wounded body was shot. But the Shaheed’s soul had already, with the power of
naam, been liberated from the body.

Bhai Anokh Singh Babbar’s amazing Shaheedee proved that even today in the
Sikh community, there are still the souls of the shaheeds of the 18th century. His
Shaheedi was very similar to Bhai Mani Singh jee’s shaheedi. It should also be
noted that after Bhai Sahib’s Shaheedee, his father bapoo Makhan Singh was also
abducted by the police and martyred after heavy torture.


Different accounts on Bhai Sahib’s Shaheedi 1

Bhai Sahib was also very close to Bhai Sukhdev Singh Babbar and they often lived
together, surviving only on a diet of chick peas and Naam (God’s name). Bhai
Sahib was one of the Singhs defending Harmandir Sahib in 1984 and helped ferry
pilgrims and others out of the complex during the attack. Bhai Sahib’s story of
Shaheedi (martyrdom) is an awe-inspiring one. On August 20th 1987 Bhai Sahib
was arrested and taken into custody by the Panjab Police.

First his legs were torn open and hot metal rods were hammered into them from
the heel upwards. Red hot metal rods were also passed through his chest. Bhai
Sahib’s abdomen was ripped open and pins were put through his private area and
electric shocks were given here. Both his eyeballs were gouged out but still under
these immense tortures Bhai Sahib remained true to the legacy of thousands of
martyrs before him, not uttering a single word or sound of pain. He remained
silent only reciting “Waheguru”.

Left on the ground after a torture session the evening had come so he asked the
sentry for the time. Seeing it was time for Rehraas Sahib Paath, Bhai Anokh
Singh began reciting “Sodar tera kehaa…” in a sweet voice. Despite his physical
body vessel being shattered his soul was still attached to the Guru’s feet. This
deeply affected the sentry, and Bhai Sahib then began his personal prayer after
Ardas,

"Hay Akaal Purakh Sachay Patshah Guru Nanak dev Gareeb Nivaaj Satguru, the
day which rose in your bhaanaa has passed in happiness, meditating on your
Naam, Sachay Patshah, night has arrived, may it too pass while remembering
your Naam and in your Bhaanaa…Satguru, May I be a Shaheed…Sachay Patshah,
save me from becoming a traitor...Satguru, may the Sikhi and Kesh (hair) you
have given me last with me till my final breaths…Sachay Patshah, have mercy on
all…Bolay So Nihaal…Sat Sri Akaal!!!"

Hearing these words and the Jaikara echoing through the police station, seeing
all this guard became disturbed and handed his resignation to police station
immediately. The police then continued to remove Bhai Anokh Singh’s tongue
with a metal saw, however as streams of blood ran down Bhai Sahib’s dhari
(beard) he raised his hands in Ardas and thanked Waheguru. The police
eventually became tired of this and shot Bhai Anokh Singh, covering the noise of
the gunshot by starting a motorcycle. His body was then dumped in the River
Beas, as his soul ascended to meet Waheguru.

Different accounts on Bhai Sahib’s Shaheedi 2

For many days Bhai Sahib was kept hanging upside down in the police station.
Foot-long metal rods were heated up and hammered into his legs, from the heels
upward. A pin was put through his private parts and an electricity connection was
attached to it so that he could be shocked. Hot metal rods were also passed
through his chest. But the Guru's Singh took the tortures calmly. All the torturers
heard was "Waheguru". No cries of pain, no screams. After the torture, Bhai
Sahib was left on the ground, unable to move. The time for Rehraas arrived. Bhai
Sahib opened his eyelids but the sockets that held his eyes were hollow. His
beautiful beard was soaked with blood. Those eyes which were once lost in deep
meditation had been taken out by the dushts.

Bhai Sahib called out, "Santry! bhai sahib jee, what time is it?" He felt around
himself with his hands to find the guard. "It's 7:15 Babiyo. What? What has
happened to your eyes??" The Santry (guard) looked at Bhai Sahib's face and felt
frightened. After hearing about time Bhai Sahib said, “Oh it must be time for
Sodar then and started Sodar tera kehaa..." Bhai Anokh Singh began to recite
Rehraas Sahib lying on the ground. Even though his body was shattered, Bhai
Sahib recited the paath in a sweet voice. The Sentry too felt the vairaag.
After Sodar, Bhai Sahib, still lying on the ground began Ardaas. It was a daily part
of his routine. "Ten Gurus, Panj Piyaray, Chaar Sahibzaaday, the Guru's Jhanday
and Boongay..." Bhai Sahib then began his personal Ardaas: "Hay Akaal Purakh

Sachay Patshah Guru Nanak dev Gareeb Nivaaj Satguru, the day which rose in
your bhaaNaa has passed in happiness, meditating on your naam. Sachay
Patshah, night has arrived, may it too pass while remembering your Naam and in
your BhaaNaa....Satguru, May I be a Shaheed...Sachay Patshah, save me from
becoming a traitor...Satguru, may the Sikhi and Kesh you have given me last with
me till my final breaths...Such Patshah, have mercy on all....Bolay So Nihaal...Sat
Sree Akaal!!"

The Jaikara Bhai Sahib sounded echoed throughout the police station. The Sentry
ran to the station-head and surrendered his rifle and tabled his resignation. "I
can't do this job that forces people to kill saints...I can't..." He kept repeating
himself. The SSP cursed, "They are all magicians...another of our officers has left
the service because of this paath!!" And then another atrocity was committed.
Bhai Sahib's tongue was cut off using a metal cutting saw. Streams of blood
flowed from Bhai Sahib's mouth but the faithful Singh raised his hands in Ardaas
and thanked Waheguru.

In the end, the police became tired of all this and shot Bhai Sahib in the station.
When the shot was fired, a motor cycle was started so that the gun could not be
heard. Over night, Bhai Sahib's body was thrown into the river Beas.