Nitnama Eng Ai

3 months ago

Bhai Satwant Singh

Bapu Ji often used to tell us that before my grandfather was killed over a land-division dispute, he was subjected to severe torture. One day, when he came to court to attend a hearing and his eyes met those of the rival relatives, the blood-soaked body of my grandfather appeared before his eyes. Along with it came the memory of his turban, completely smeared with dust and soil as it lay on the ground. His blood began to boil. Lost in these thoughts, Bapu Ji’s right hand moved instinctively toward the grip of the twelve-bore gun kept in the box. He even pulled it out halfway, but at that very moment his attention shifted to me—my own innocent face from childhood, sitting in my mother’s lap. His grip loosened. He began to think—if, after killing the rival, he were jailed or hanged, his son would be ruined… and along with him, his son’s mother would be left wandering from door to door, suffering. Thinking of his own fate, fear overpowered his courage. On the day Indira Gandhi was killed—31st October 1984—I asked Bapu Ji what was so special about those who did it. He replied, “Son, those who trample a nation’s honour and turban under their feet must be held fully accountable. Such men never loosen their grip on the pistols hanging at their sides, even while looking at their wives standing beside them and their innocent children in their laps. Nor do they ever fear death or any bullet coming toward them.” On the martyrdom day, heartfelt tribute to Bhai Satwant Singh and Bhai Kehar Singh, who plucked the highest fruit from the tallest tree of their time for the honour, dignity, and pride of the Panth. — Harpreet Singh Jawanda