Gursikhs from the Past

Bhai Surinder Singh Sodhi

"Whenever Sant Ji gave somebody some responsibility whenever they went on some mission he used to dismiss all the people around him and go inside and pray for hours and hours. God was never far from his mind. Then sometime people would notice that when they got endangered in some way suddenly help would come from nowhere to save them. Singhs became quite confident that Sant Ji's mystic mind and his strong prayers were always with them. That is an important part of all this."

 

"Yes" Iqbal Singh agreed. "One of those who was martyred early in the struggle Surinder Singh Sodhi was a good friend of mine. We were like brothers. Wherever he would go he would have a tape of kirtan [Sikh hymns] with him. He used to listen to kirtan nothing else. Once I asked him 'Sodhi why are you driving your motorcycle listening to hymns on your Walkman?' He said 'No one knows what may happen when death will come. I want a peaceful death. If I get killed at least my ears will be filled with the sound of kirtan not the sound of bullets.' These people were really saints and soldiers. Not only soldiers. In fact saints first then soldiers. They never wasted a bullet on innocent people."

Amarjit added "Sant Ji said many times that Surinder Singh Sodhi was his right hand his right arm. On the day that he was killed Sant Ji that his right hand had been cut off. That Sodhi could handle thing—car truck airplaine—and if he had a rocket he could handle that too! And let me tell you one thing about Sodhi—he was an excellent marksman."

Bhai Surinder Singh Sodhi Ji was one of Sant Giani Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale’s closest Singhs. Bhai Sahib was skilled in using almost every weapon. Bhai Sahib completed many missions which will be written up in due time.

Dusht Bhajan Lal and Sant Ji’s orders

Bhajan Lal had committed so many gross human rights violations on the Sikhs living in Haryana. During the Asian Games of Novemeber 1982 which were being held in New Dehli Bhajan Lal ordered that all Sikhs should be interrogated prior to entering Delhi to ascertain if they were terrorists or not. They were treated very badly they were rigorously searched and questioned to the extent that Ex-Cabinet Minister Swaran Singh Retd. Air Chief Marshal Arjan Singh Retd. General Arora were even interrogated. Sikhs were given a strong message that they are 3rd class citizens and that they are unwanted residents of India. This disrespectful unwarranted treatment was not criticised by state or central government the press or intellectuals did not question this disgraceful treatment. No Sikh Congress Minister resigned in protest. Only one conclusion could be drawn from these events Sikhs are an oppressed minority in India. In addition to this Bhajan Lal also killed many Sikh youth during this time in fake encounters. To humiliate the Sikhs in his state he also ordered police and other officials to catch Sikhs and shave their beards on one side of their face. Dusht Bhajan Lala had a hand in attacking various Gurudwara Sahibs in the state of Haryana. Sant Giani Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale told Bhai Surinder Singh Sodhi to go and deliver justice to this enemy of the Panth. Sant Ji told Bhai Surinder Singh Sodhi Ji that he was only to kill Dusht Bhajan Lal if he could get away. Bhai Sahib immediately started to prepare for this mission. He dressed up as a naval officer and took a train to Haryana State. From here Bhai Surinder Singh Sodhi then arranged a meeting with Bhajan Lal. Bhajan Lal at this time had very tight security surrounding him but Bhai Sahib managed to get past all these obstacles. Bhai Sahib eventually met Dusht Bhajan Lal and both of them were sat down drinking tea. Even in the room Dusht Bhajan Lal was in there were many security personal. Bhai Sahib wanted to cut this Dusht’s head off there and then he didn’t care for the consequences of getting caught or getting shaheed all he cared about was the Panth. However Bhai Sahib was bound to Sant Ji’s hukam in that he must not kill Dusht Bhajan Lal if he could not get away. As a result Bhai Sahib wasn’t able to kill this Dusht such was his disciple as a Saint Soldier and such was his respect for Sant Ji.

Bhai Surinder Singh Sodhi was an amazing gursikh of a very high jeevan. Bhai Sahib was like Bhai Bidhi Chand the great Sikh of Satguru Sri Guru Har Gobind Sahib Ji Maharaj who was a master in disguise and who possessed nerves of Steel. Bhai Surinder Singh Sodhi in addition to being an amazing Soldier was also a Saint in every respect. Bhai Sahib had a very spiritual jeevan right from his childhood. He had so much love for the Sikh Kaum and for Guru Sahib. Even in the midst of battle Bhai Sahib would always have the name of Akaal Purakh on his lips. Bhai Sahib always remained in Chardeekala. He would always accept any seva he was given however difficult that seva was even if it meant certain death. Bhai Sahib would always say ‘Guru Ji has given us so much dedicating this one short life to him is not enough we should all give him millions of lifes only then can the debt be repaid.’

Bhai Sahib joined Guru Sahib’s Taksal from a young age and was a very good student. Through studying at Damdami Taksal Bhai Sahib’s knowledge of Bani was of a very high level. One time Bhai Surinder Singh Sodhi Ji went into Samadhi for three whole months without sleeping while he was at Sach Khand Sri Darbar Sahib Ji. Bhai Sahib was lost in naam simran at the feet of his beloved Guru Sri Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Ji. When Bhai Sahib came out of his Samadhi Singhs got very worried about him as they hadn’t seen him move in three months. He hadn’t eaten or slept for three whole months. A normal person would surely have died but Bhai Sahib was the son of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji Maharaj and the only food he needed to live was gurbani. Bhai Sahib told the Singhs with him that he was fine and that they shouldn’t worry. But Singhs couldn’t believe it and they took him to a doctor just to make sure that nothing was wrong with him. The Doctor asked Bhai Sahib how he was. Bhai Surinder Singh Ji told the Doctor he was in Chardeekala. The Doctor then did a medical examination of Bhai. Firstly he looked at his eyes and then his hands etc. Finally the Doctor put his stethoscope against Bhai Sahib’s body. When he did this he was trying to listen to Bhai Sahib’s heart but instead of hearing the typical sound he heard the constant resonance of Waheguru which was emitting from Bhai Sahib. The Doctor thought there was something wrong with his stethoscope so he went and got a spare one. When he listened to Bhai Sahib’s chest he heard the same thing. He then thought that perhaps there was something wrong with his ears. He went and got one of his colleagues to come and listen to Bhai Sahib’s chest. When his colleague did this he heard the same thing. His colleague then listened to other areas of Bhai Sahib and the same thing was heard everywhere. The Doctors both were amazed and told the Singhs that Bhai Sahib is perfectly fine and that he there was something special about him in that everywhere they listened all they could hear was the name of Waheguru.

One day Sant Giani Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale went up to Bhai Surinder Singh and told him that he needed him to deliver a message to a Singh in a far away pind (village). The message was very urgent. Sant Ji said that the military was scattered all over Punjab and that it will be hard to go through them. Bhai Surinder Singh Ji asked if they could do Ardas together in front of the Great Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj. Sant Ji and Bhai Sahib did Ardaas together asking for Bhai Sahib to be in Chardi Kala and to safely deliver the message as it was important for the safety of the Panth. After Ardas Bhai Sahib left for the village on his motorcycle. In order for Bhai Sahib to enter the village and to deliver the message he had to go through several other villages because they had no big roads. As Bhai Sahib was driving he noticed that the military was already there and they were blocking the road ahead. Then turned around and tried another road there too the military was blocking the road. He tried going back and trying to go through another village but there too the military was blocking the road.

Then Bhai Sahib got an idea he saw railway tracks. He knew the military wouldn't block the railway. So he went up to the railway tracks. He noticed the wood blocks between the rails were very large and hard and it was not possible to drive with the motorcycle over them. He would surely get a flat tire to say the least.

So Bhai Surinder Singh Ji then drove his motorcycle on one of the rails!!!!! He managed to balance the motorcycle on the rail and he even drove fast cause he had to deliver the message fast. Bhai Sahib safely delivered the message regardless of all of the obstacles he faced. All of this due to the KIRPA of GURU MAHARAJ. As Bhai Sahib was driving it's said that some people were farming in their fields and they saw him on his motorcycle driving on the rail. They were stunned as this was said to be impossible. It's hard for a person to even walk on the rail and keeping their balance without falling off. Driving a motorcycle on it is beyond thinking. It's all possible with KIRPA. This shows an example of the kind of Sharda Bhai Sahib had.

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