On June 6, 2004 when Sikhs commemorate a dark tragedy of our present history, Operation Bluestar of June 1984, Sikhs in Kent (Washington, USA) mourned the loss of a respected community leader Nirmal Singh Thind (1960-2004).

It was the painful event of the Indian army massacre of Sikhs in Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) and thirty-seven other Gurdwars in Punjab that compelled Thind to join the freedom struggle for Sikhs before he immigrated to the United States about nine years after Operation Bluestar.

Nirmal Singh Thind

At least 2,000 people attended Marlatt's Funeral Home in Kent to remember and cremate Nirmal Singh Thind, a 44-year-old motel owner who was shot to death on May 2004 31, 2004 at around 16:00 hours while protecting his 10-year-old son Bikramdeep Singh Thind and his friend Jugraj Singh Sandhu from the armed robbers. Mourners filled the chapel and lobby and many more gathered in the parking lot. Nearly all of those attending the service at Marlatt's Funeral Home in downtown Kent were of the Sikh faith, including members of the Gurudwara Singh Sabha Temple in Renton, and two other temples in Kent. People came from Vancouver, California, Toronto and elsewhere. I went from Holland.

Bikramdeep Singh Thind (10) lays a rose on his father's chest. Alan Berner, The Seattle Times

Nirmal was cremated according to the tradition and an orange turban, a color signifying the sacrifices of the Khalsa, was tied on him. As the sangat (community) shouted the slogan bole so nihal, sat siri akaal, many had tears in their eyes as we finally bid farewell to our beloved friend – and brother.

Later kirtan (hymns), prayers, and tribute were paid at Sikh Gurdwara on Talbot Road in Renton by community leaders Bhajan Singh Bhinder, Ajit Singh Pannu, Gurtej Singh, Harbhajan Singh Bains, Talib, Jaswinder Singh Pannu, Karnail Singh Kail, Sukhwinder Singh Sandhu, Kulwant Singh Grewal, and myself. The three Gurdwaras of Seattle also participated.

Condolences were also paid by Jathedar Satinderpal Singh of Panthic Committee, Dr. Amarjit Singh of Khalistan Affairs Center Wahington D.C, Sikh Youth of America, United Sikh Federation of Canada, Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh President of Council of Khalistan, Sardar Ganga Singh Dhillon of Nankana Sahib Foundation, Dr. Awatar Singh Sekhon of Canada, Dr. Sukhmandar Singh of Shromani Akali Dal (USA), Dr. Rajwant Singh of Guru Gobind Singh Foundation (USA), Sardar Gurmit Singh, Sardar Avtar Singh Hundel (Federation, Germany), Sardar Jagdish Singh Bhura (Federation, Belgium), Sardar Pritpal Singh Khalsa (Federation, Switzerland), former mayor of Barking & Dagenham (U.K) Sardar Inder Singh Jamu, Sardar Jagroop Singh Jarkhar of Ajit (Jalandhar), Dr. Harjinder Singh Mangat of Sikh Shahadat (Ludhiana), Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, Navkiran Singh Advocate (Chandigarh), and other prominent Sikh leaders like Sardar Basant Singh Ramuwalia (Germany), Sardar Kesar Singh Dhaliwal (U.K), Sardar Perminder Singh Bal (U.K), the Chardikala News Group, Dr. Darshan Singh of Ajit Weekly (Canada), Sardar Daljit Singh of Amritsar Times, Sardar Ajmer Singh a Sikh writer and others.

Around 1870 the great grand fathers of Sardar Nirmal Singh, Sardar Burr Singh and Rurr Singh, left village Kakkaran near Malsian-Jallandhar district and settled in Amritsar city. The family owned 101 acres of land and were potato farmers of repute in the Amritsar district till the death of our hardworking, devoted gursikh grandfather Sardar Gurdit Singh in 1979. His two sons Sardar Isher Singh and (late) Kartar Singh , who owned orchards, are well known among the citizens of Amritsar. Sardar Isher Singh and his wife Sardarni (late) Surjit Kaur Bibi Ji were imprisoned for seven days during Punjabi Suba agitation and later went to jail twice in Dharm Yudh Morcha started by Shromani Akali Dal and martyr Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawala in 1982.

Nirmal Singh was born to the family of Sardar Isher Singh on 03-02-1960 at Amritsar and was youngest of the five brothers Sardar Arjan Singh (an agriculturist), Kuldip Singh (a manager at Reliance, Ahmedabad), Bhupinder Singh (accounts, IBM Holland), and Parmjeet Singh (professor, at Amritsar ). Two sisters Devinder Kaur wife of Pushwinder Singh (Ferozepur), Balwinder Kaur wife of Satwinder Singh Billa Dairywala (Amritsar) are older and Satnam Kaur wife of Mangat Singh (Toronto) is the youngest.

Nirmal graduated in 1976 from Gyan Ashram Higher Secondary School, Amritsar where he played football. Thereafter he joined Khalsa College (Amritsar) and graduated in 1980. He was an accomplished wrestler of Khalsa College and came runner-up both in college and at Guru Nanak Dev University. Being the Secretary of Khalsa College Amritsar unit of the Federation for two years, he was close to prominent federation leaders especially Harminder Singh Sandhu and Bhai Amrik Singh Ji. He took active part in protest demonstrations and other panthic causes organized by the Federation.

Nirmal Singh came to Holland on Febuary 8, 1983 and remained very active in panthic activities. Operation Bluestar caused great anguish in him and he wept through the night. When Sikhs organised a demonstration before the Indian Embassy at Den Haag, Nirmal Singh was there making his voice heard.

At the end of 1984, he went to Canada where he got to know Jathedar Talwinder Singh, Tejinder Singh Kahlon and other prominent freedom fighters of Sikh independence. After two months, in 1985, he was in the United States and started to live in San Francisco Bay area where he became friends with Gurtej Singh (former olympian), Gurdev Singh, Ajit Singh Pannu, Bhajan Singh Bhinder among others. He was one of the founder members of the Sikh Youth of America.

Nirmal Singh, Gurtej Singh and others exposed the real face of Lt. General Jaswant Singh Bhullar and his connections with the Indian government. Bhullar had managed to infiltrate the World Sikh Organisation as its Secretary General. Immediately after his exposure, Bhullar left for India via Holland.

Nirmal desired to free his country, Khalistan. He left America at the end of 1986 and reached Amritsar. There he got together his old friends and became the liasion between Sikh organizations and the community living abroad especially USA and Canada. I must admit that he performed his duty towards the Sikh nation with honesty and courage and even put his life in danger many times.

On November 11, 1987 he was arrested by the Central Reserve Police (CRP) after a raid at his house in Amritsar two days before his marriage to Rajwinder Kaur, the daughter of a well-respected and prominent farmer of Lohara Partapappura village on the Jalandhar Nakodhar road. He was brought to Maal Mandi torture center (Amritsar) and was brutally tortured for two days and nights. Our family was not told about his whereabouts. The police could not break his moral, and he was released. Later Nirmal got married. About this experience, Bhajan Singh Bhinder recalls,"Machines were used to turn his strapped legs 180 degrees. Every ligament in Nirmal’s body was torn due to torture and he could not walk properly for months and months."

A few days after his marriage, he was arrested again by Punjab Police from his home in Amritsar and was kept and tortured at Police Station D-Division Gilwali Gate (Amritsar) for several months, and during this period our father Sardar Isher Singh and older brother Sardar Arjan Singh were also arrested and detained at the same police station. The police searched our house many times. However, father and brother were released the same day after a strong protest by family members, local community, and many distinguished people. Member of Parliament Sardar (late) Kirpal Singh who was a close family friend and Nirmal’s father-in-law Sardar Inder Singh tried hard for his release and succeded in October 1988.

After his release, Nirmal stayed with his best friends and at our sister's house. The Black Cats, a government sponsored and controlled group, infiltrated the Sikh movement and by indulging in despicable acts gave it a bad name. Alam Sena is one of the example of many such groups who were raised by high-ranking police officers of that time.

On September 19, 1990, on the outskirts of his fields in Amritsar, called Rohi Wali Palie belonging to Sultanwind village, Nirmal was attacked by the Black Cats. After visiting his friends at Mulah Chak village he was returning to Rohi Wali Palie via Amritsar (small canal). Sardar Bhajan Singh Bhinder recalls,

"He was later beaten and left for dead on a major roadside by government sponsored black cats, while recovering from his torture at the hands of Punjab police. Nirmal was discovered by a person who happened to be from a nearby village. He was placed on desi manjee (straw bed) and taken to a hospital. At the hospital Nirmal, who had lost much blood by now, was miraculously saved by a doctor on duty who also happened to be Nirmal’s distant relative. The doctor even donated his own blood to sustain Nirmal. There were 37 scar marks on Nirmal's body as a result and were seen first time even by his own brother Sardar Bhupinder Singh when Nirmal came with his wife and two year old daughter Simrat Kaur to Holland in March 1991 and then went onward to USA."

Nirmal and his family lived with Sardar Gurtej Singh in the Bay area. After a short stay in California, he moved to Seattle at the end of 1991, where he drove a taxi. By 1997, his brother-in-law Sardar Avtar Singh and him, had saved enough money to purchase a two-storey, 29-unit motel in Kent. Nirmal continued working for a taxi company called Farwest. Only recently he had purchased a new green cab number 108.

At Amritsar an akhand path (continous reading from Siri Guru Granth Sahib) was performed in the memory of Sardar Nirmal Singh Thind on June 10 by family members and in a special ceromony, prayers and tributes were paid to the departed soul. Atleast 3,000 Sikhs participated including Sardar Rajinder Singh Mehta of Federation, Dr. Kiranjot Kaur, former secretary of Shromani Gurdwara Parbandak Committee and many members of SGPC, Sardar Sardul Singh Sham President of Shromani Akali Dal (Badal, Amritsar City), and other distinguished people.

Nirmal Singh died on Memorial Day, a national American holiday commemorating the veterans who gave their lives for humanity’s freedom, and was cremated on June 6 the day Sikhs remember the victims of Operation Bluestar.

Nirmal Singh Thind is survived by his wife, Rajwinder Kaur Thind, daughter Simrat Kaur Thind (15), and son Bikramdeep Singh Thind (10). A reward of $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of killers has been offered and also Sardar Nirmal Singh Thind Charitable Memorial Fund has been formed by the Sikh Community of Seattle. Applications for deserving Sikh boys and girls can be mailed to 23408 30th Ave., S Kent WA 98031, Ph. (253)-332-9302 and any donation can be deposited to Account No. 471091007248 Key Bank, 23250 Pacific Hwy, S Kent ,WA 98032. The Trust will give scholarships / funds to Sikh children in the field of education, sports and Sikh religion.

Thus ends the saga of a Sikh who dedicated his life for the freedom of the Sikh nation; an honest, hardworking and helpful wise man who often sought advice and moral support. Nirmal Singh was a friend you would desire. He would go out of his way to help people. A respected member of the community and an active temple member of the Sikh Gurdwara at Talbot Road in Renton, Nirmal was offered presidentship of the Gurdwara where he served as a humble sevadar (servant). A man of great sense of humor, who bore pain, suffering, and torture yet remained calm, soft-spoken and optimistic, is no longer with us but his ideas and sacrifices will remain forever.

Sardar Nirmal Singh Thind protesting before the Indian Embassy at Den Haag.

Copyright©2004 Bhupinder Singh Holland. About the author