Sukhdev Singh Jalwehra

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Sukhdev receiving Saropa for dedication to Panth.

Sukhdev Singh Jalwehra, born April 1st, 1955 in Daroli Khurd, Punjab, is a Sikh separatist and writer. He belongs to a Doad Rajput Sikh family of Punjab. Originally his parents were from a little village in Punjab, Jalwehra. He passed matriculation from Public High School, Panchhat-Narur, district Kapurthala under the auspices of the Panjab University, Chandigarh. At the age of 18 , he joined the army as an electro-mechanical engineer (core EME, electrician trade). He was Electrician Class One, Map reading Class One, Driver Class Three, English class three and Hindi class three, etc. His rank, trade and army number were CFN/elect. 7111631. And after 6 years, he was discharged. At the age of 27, he joined the Delhi Police. In 1978, he passed diploma of television from Nitma institute, Karnat Place, New Delhi. In 1979 he was stationed at Delhi Police's 3rd Batalions B company Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar as a constable and was having the belt number 2394C. In 1979 he toured the world visiting: Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Holland and Germany, where he stayed from 1980 'till 1982. After that he returned to India where he joined the Babbar Khalsa International (Parmar faction).

Relations

He was related to top-militants such as Manjeet Singh Babbar (his cousin brother) and Talwinder Singh Babbar (whose wife is Manjeet Singh's wife's niece).

Migration to Belgium and problems he faced

In May 1985, Sukhdev migrated to Belgium where he got the help of Amnesty International in fighting his case, which he won, for political asylum. He was the first Sikh to win a stay as a political refugee, anywhere in the world, vis a vis the crackdown in Punjab on Sikhs militants fighting for Khalistan. He took permission from Jagjit Singh Chauhan, and opened an International Council of Khalistan Branch in Belgium (and also the Khalistan House) serving as its General Secretary. Going for a drivers license he ran up against the country's policies regarding picture IDs (Driver licenses or Passports) which allowed no head coverings, hats or turbans. Sikhs had to remove their turban and then be photographed. Being the first Sikh in Belgium who wore his turban in keeping with the tenants of Guru Gobind Singh, Sahib he fought a case against the rules and won, after which Sikhs where allowed to wear a turban on photos for the driving licences and passports.

Actions in Belgium

He organized demonstrations each year on Februay 21, beginning in 1986, along with 70 other Belgian Sikhs, which continued for another 19 years. The demonstrations included raising slogans against the atrocities committed by the Indian government and in favour of Khalistan and its militants. At the end of the demonstartions the Indian flag - the Tiranga was burnt in front of the Indian Embassy. Each year it he had got the permission to do a demonstration before the Indian Embassy in Belgium.

Hijacker Manjeet Singh Babbar was his cousin-brother. Manjeet asked Sukhdev to to re-join Babbar Khalsa many times. Finally in 1990, Sukhdev re-joined Babbar Khalsa Parmar faction. On 15th August 1990, he opened a BKI office in Belgium and became its president. In 1993, when the Belgian King Baudouin I of Belgium died, Jalwehra went to the palace of the King along with some other Sikhs as the represenative of the whole Belgian Sikh community.

In November 1992, Ajaib Singh Bagri visited Belgium. He swore Sukhdev in as the leader of the whole Babbar Khalsa wing of Europe; a post which he held until 1996. Then he and the other members of Babbar Khalsa had differences, which lead to his quitting the BKI. He opened his own Khalistan House, independently, and started working for a Khalistan. He has a good friend in President Council of Khalistan - Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh and was close to Jagjit Singh Chauhan. In 2005, he published a map of Khalistan that is believed to be the most complete map of Khalistan (according to Sikh history) ever. He runs the Khalistan House, Brussels.

Presently

Currently Sukhdev Singh Jalwerha is busy writing a Punjabi book about Sikhism: History of Sikh Motherland.