Shaheeds of 1978--------------Shaheed Bhai Keval Singh jee H

[singh khalistan da]

Bhai Keval Singh, a beloved jewel of the Guru, was born on March 8, 1953 in Hoshiarpur's Prem Garh neighbourhood. Bhai Sahib's parents were Sd. Amar Singh and Mata Satya Kaur. After spending his first 7 years in Hoshiarpur, Bhai Keval Singh moved with his father to Calcutta in 1960. Sd. Amar Singh has a successful transport business in Calcutta.

Bhai Keval Singh was enrolled in school in Calcutta but completed only four grades before he left for Kishan Garh Bihar in 1966 to learn about electric motors. After one year of training, he returned to Calcutta. After returning, Bhai Keval Singh didn't start any job, but just did minor tasks with his family business.

Bhai Keval Singh slowly became attached to the Guru Ghar and Gurbaanee and in 1971/72, received amrit at a smaagam organised by the Akhand Keertanee Jatha.

It was the Guru's will that Bhai Keval Singh became very sick. He began to vomit blood and remained in a coma for 72 hours. 18 bottles of blood and 7 bottles of gulucose were administered and even then there was no improvement in his condition. The doctors too declared their helplessness. But, Vahiguru had yet to take a great service from his beloved one and he himself gave his hand and saved Bhai Keval Singh's life. Bhai Jeevan Singh Ragee of Ludhiana (then Patna Saahib) performed an ardaas for his health and he soon was cured. Bhai Keval Singh then moved back to Hoshiarpur where he met the Singhs and began to keep their company.

Bhai Keval Singh was a gurmukh who was filled with warrior spirit. The author ( Bhai Harminder Singh) and Bhai Sahib travelled seven miles every day to learn gatka from a Singh, and soon Satguru jee gave them this skill.

Because some of Bhai Keval Singh's hair had been removed during his sickness, he appeared before the punj pyaaray in 1973 at the Guru Nanak Gurpurab Smaagam in Jalandhar and again received amrit. After this point, he became intensely attached to the Gursikh way of life. Besides doing his nitnem from memory, Bhai Keval Singh would also daily do Sukhmani Saahib and Aasaa Dee Vaar along with many other baanees. He had deep faith in the power of the Guru's word. Once in his home in Hoshiarpur, Bhai Keval Singh again fell sick and felt intense pain in his stomach. His mother offered to call the doctor but he instead asked his younger sister to read Sukhmani Saahib by his bedside. Two or three hours passed while listening to baanee and then he fell asleep. When he woke in the morning, he was completely cured. Such was his deep love for and faith in, baanee.

At his father's request, Bhai Keval Singh returned to Calcutta and helped the family. There too he read baanee and kept the company of Gursikhs. But again according to the will of the guru, Bhai Keval Singh became gravely ill and began to vomit blood. His body became very weak and there appeared to be no hope for his survival. Bhai Keval Singh, recalling this time told us "When my condition had deteriorated to that point, I could see death before me and I begged Guru jee 'True King! I know I must die one day, but father, don't let me die this death. This is the death of alley cats and dogs. Father, in the heat of battle give me martyrdom so I may be liberated from this cycle of life and death! May my body be used in your service'" For a long time he was lost in his vairaag filled ardaas, and Satguru jee then returned him to health.

Bhai Keval Singh was a great fan of weapons and gatka. Whenever he would see a good weapon, no mater what the price, he would purchase it. He would sing the dohra "As Kirpaaan Khando kharag? "

But where Bhai Sahib was filled with warrior spirit, he was also in love with naam and baanee. If he ever spoke in anger to any Singh, immediately he would with folded hands and deep humility ask for forgiveness. He had limitless love for gursikhs and only lived by seeing them. He didn't have any great attachment to his family, only what was required of him. Sometimes his family members would say "you always go about with the Singhs, don't you have any other work to do?" He would reply "These Singhs are mine own, and I am only for them. Don뭪 say anthying to me about it."

At his home, he had hundreds of thousands in property and money but he had no care for a ny of it. He lived the life of a fakeer. He had no greed for money at all. Once, I (the author) asked Bhai Keval Singh "You do no work, and you don't listen to your family. Because of this, they're not going to leave you any of their wealth." He replied, "What do I want with their wealth??? I'm going to spend all my life with Gursikhs and only live by seeing them." Bhai Keval Singh never spoke a lie and was very opposed to lying.

In November 1977 Bhai Keval Singh returned to Hoshiarpur and did some minor work for his family, but the Singhs said to him, "Bhai Keval Singh! Don't remain completely free, do some small job." So, two months before the Vaisakhi massacre, Bhai Keval Singh began to work at a store. He would say to the Singhs "with my first pay cheque, I'm going to give the Singhs a langar of ice cream". But before he could do this service with his own hands, he drank from the Shaheedee Battaa. After him, his family fulfilled his request and the Singhs took the langar with deep vairaag.

Bhai Keval Singh was an enthusiastic tabla player and also did some keertan. He would do keertan with profound love. Bhai Keval Singh had supreme faith in Vahiguru. Ten minutes before the massacre, I saw him in high spirits. Bhai Fauja Singh and Bhai Keval Singh were together and when Bhai Fauja Singh fell in a hail of bullets, Bhai Keval Singh lay down on top of him so the Narakdhaarees couldn't strike him with their sticks. But the evil Nirankari Narakdhaarees riddled Bhai Keval Singh with bullets as well and gave him martyrdom.

Bhai Keval Singh had one older brother, Bhai Jagjeet Singh, who is a complete Gursikh. He also had three sisters who are all married. Even though Bhai Keval Singh's death is unbearable for his family, his sacrifice is still unparalleled and is a guiding star for coming generations.

With these four lines, I close:

For the sake of the Faith, Keval Singh gave his martyrdom

He spilled his blood to wake the sleeping Kaum.

In this way is the respect of Sree Guru Granth Saahib preserved

By being cut to pieces, he left us with a glowing ideal.

http://www.tapoban.org/kewal.htm