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Shaheed Jathedar Manveer Singh Chaheru Courtesy Of www.neverforget84.com
Bhai Manveer Singh aka Iqbal Singh aka Hari Singh was born in 1959 at village Chaheru of Kapurthala District in Panjab. His father Sardar Mohinder Singh was a well to do farmer and had lived in the village for generations. Manveer Singh completed his primary education at his village school and at Kala Bakra, village of his maternal aunt; he completed the 10th grade and then started to assist his father in farming along with his two brothers and continued to do so for next six years. During these six years Manveer Singh continuously use to visit her maternal aunt, Niranjan Kaur, at Kala Bakra village and that is where he came in contact Giani Joginder Singh of Chak Raju Singh village who was a retired army officer and son-in-law of Niranjan Kaur. Giani Joginder Singh encouraged Manveer Singh to take up the baptism, Amrit, and become a True Sikh of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Manveer Singh was 19 years of age when the Nirankari Saka took place in which 13 Sikh's were shot and killed on April 13th, 1978. This incident left a deep mark on Manveer Singh's thoughts; he was later married with Bibi Ranjit Kaur. In 1979 at Sodal Gurdwara in Jalandhar, Manveer Singh along with his wife and his father's younger brother, Karnail Singh, took the baptism from Sant Nihal Singh Harian wale. After baptism Manveer Singh started to attend religious classed being provided by Damdami Taksal at Gurdwara Gurdarshan Parkash, Mehta Chowk and that is where he met Bhai Mohkam Singh, Bhai Gurbant Singh, Bhai Prem Singh and Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. In 1981 a police car followed his motorcycle as he left the grain market towards his home. The police car caught up to him, pulled him over and then the SSP of Jalandhar, GurIqbal Singh Bhular questioned Manveer Singh on his actions and where he was going. After a heated argument Manveer Singh was arrested but was released on bail by his uncle Karnail Singh who said that Manveer Singh will show up at Police station tomorrow. After this incident Manveer Singh left for Sri Harmandar Sahib and met with Sant Bhindranwale, Manveer Singh told Sant Ji about the Police incident Sant Ji then told Manveer Singh to stay with them were he would have a duty to serve in the Langar, after some time Manveer Singh became Sant Ji's bodyguard. Meanwhile, the Police arrested his uncle Karnail Singh for not bringing Manveer Singh to police station as promised.
Manveer Singh started staying in room 53 of Guru Nanak Niwas along with Giani Joginder Singh, Bhai Sant Singh, Bhai Malagar Singh and Bhai Gurtej Singh. He also came in contact with Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sukha of village Fatu Dinga, Major Singh Nagoke, Balwinder Singh Khojkipur, Joginder Singh Rode, and Kabal Singh. During Operation Bluestar in 1984, Bhai Manveer Singh was not at Sri Harmandar Sahib. In 1984 he visited the Damdami Taksal headquarters located at Gurdwara Gurdarshan Parkash and met Bhai Bachan Singh, Sant Singh, Balbir Singh, Dalbir Singh and Bhai Mohkam Singh. Here he was told that Sant Ji is alive and so decided to leave for Pakistan. On 26 January 1986 a Sarbat Khalsa was held under the guidance of the Damdami Taksal at Sri Akal Takhat Sahib and a number of resolutions where passed. The main resolution broke all ties with India and it was announced that it was the goal of the Sikh nation to establish a sovereign Sikh homeland as envisaged by Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. The Panthic Committee was formed to overlook the Sikh struggle and the Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) was instigated to lead the armed struggle for the liberation of the Sikhs from Indian rule. The KCF's first Chief General was Bhai Manveer Singh Chaheru who was a member of the Damdami Taksal and had been a bodyguard of Sant Bhindranwale.
It was General Manveer Singh who planned an audacious rescue to free his colleagues including Labh Singh from the clutches of the Indian Armed forces. On 6 April 1986 General Labh Singh was being escorted by the Indian Police on his way to a court appearance in Jallandhar when General Manveer Singh and two other commando's from his unit attacked the police convoy, killing six security men. This was a real encounter with the Khalsa forces, not the fictional accounts Indian government dreams up to camouflage its brutal regime in which only the Singh's are killed and the police don't even receive a scratch. Thus Labh Singh was rescued from the clutches of the Indian authorities and became even more determined to fight to free his nation from the chains of slavery. During this time Manveer Singh came in contact with many other youth workers, including Harjinder Singh Jinda, like him who was hurt by the Indian Government for attacking Sri Harmandar Sahib. In 1986 Manveer Singh and Bhai Balbir Singh Raipur planned to release Sukhdev Singh Sukha and Sawarnjit Singh from Police custody. Balbir Singh arranged a car and Bhai Jarnail Singh arranged a jeep as a get away vehicle. They planned to execute their plan to free both Singh's from police custody on the day when Sukhdev Singh and Sawarnjit Singh were brought to court for their monthly hearings. Manveer Singh, Ajitpal Singh, Balbir Singh Raipur, Rashpal Singh, Jarnail Singh met outside the courts. Manveer Singh was carrying a sten gun and all other Singh's had revolvers. When Sukhdev Singh and Sawarnjit Singh arrived under heavy police protection, Manveer Singh signalled them to go to the washrooms and once they went Manveer Singh and his partners opened fire on the policemen, six policemen died on the spot. They were able to free Sukhdev Singh Sukha, Sawarnjit Singh and Gurinder Singh Bhola. During this time Manveer Singh also came in contact with a retired army officer, Major Baldev Singh Ghuman, at Sri Harmandar Sahib and Mehta Chowk. Major Baldev Singh Ghuman was saddened by the Operation Bluestar Massacre and wanted to do something to improve the Sikh turmoil in Panjab.
Manveer Singh and Baldev Singh Ghuman became good friends and they both respected and trusted each other. During 1986 Baldev Singh Ghuman became the middle man and united the AISSF (Ropar Group) and KCF (Chaheru group). But Sarabjit Singh Ropar, president of AISSF, who was son of a DSP, became a Police informer and called a meeting at Baldev Singh's house were Manveer Singh was also invited and on August 8 1986, Manveer Singh was arrested by Police at the residence of Major Baldev Singh Ghuman in Jalandhar. The Police also arrested Major Baldev Singh Ghuman, and Charanjit Singh. The raid was conducted by DSP Sawarn Singh "Ghotna", a well renowned 'butcher' police officer. After Manveer Singh's arrest Bhai Sukhdev Singh Sukha took over the command of KCF.
Manveer Singh Chaheru was kept in various jails in Panjab and later moved to a jail in Bihar. Manveer Singh always stayed in Chardi Kala during his jail time and would continuously read Sri Japji Sahib and constantly pray that one day he would be able to give his life for the Sikh Faith. In December of 1987 Police announced that Manveer Singh escaped from the Police custody while Police were transporting him back to Panjab from Bihar, but in fact the police had killed him and had disregarded his body into Beas River. In Chandigarh the Panjab Police Chief J. F. Rebiero told news reporters that they don't need to worry as Manveer Singh will not come back. |
