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Discussions have sparked around Bhai Balwinder Singh Jatana after his mention in the late singer Sidhu Moosewala’s newly-released song SYL. Important to mention, Bhai Jatana and his companions were responsible for stopping the construction of SYL – Satluj Yamuna Link Canal. Let’s read the triggering details of the dreaded ordeal his family had to face.
Punjab SSP Sumedh Saini was attacked on August 29, 1991 in Chandigarh. Bhai Balwinder Singh Jatana, Charanjeet Singh Channa Jhalliaan, Harmeet Singh Bhaowaal, Bisheshar Singh Luhari and companions were named for attacking him. SSP Sumedh Saini got seriously wounded in this incident and was admitted to PGI. Gurmeet Pinky, a Punjab police cop tells in an interview that when he went to see Saini in the hospital, the latter said, “we won’t leave them.”
The task to torture and eliminate Bhai Jatana’s family was assigned to Nihang Ajit Singh. The same night, a group of nihangs reached Jatana Uncha village near Khumano, searching for Bhai Jatana’s home. However, the group realised that Jatana’s village was actually close to Sri Chamkaur Sahib. In the wee hours of the morning, the group of killers then reached village Jatana, on the doorstep of Bhai Jatana’s family. As soon as the family opened the door, a shower of bullets rained on them. Among the ones martyred were Bhai Balwinder Singh’s grandmother Dwarki Kaur (80), aunt Jasmer Kaur (40), sister Manpreet Kaur (13), and polio-infected nephew Simranjit Singh (5). The dead or half-dead bodies were covered with clothes and set on fire. Satisfied with their action, the group left Bhai Jatana’s home, which was in a half-burnt state.
This abhorrent incident conducted by the government caused immense pain to Bhai Jatana, but he held himself together. He didn’t lose his spirit and remained patient. He said that the government tried to instigate Sikhs by killing and tormenting their families so that in retaliation, Sikhs would kill innocents. But, Sikhs never kill innocents.
A week after this gory murder, Bhai Balwinder Singh Jatana and Bhai Charanjit Singh Channa were caught up in an encounter in the Sadhugarh village of Patiala, following the tip of an inside informant. They attained martyrdom. At the event of the last rites of these martyrs, so-called panthik leaders lamented and promised to put the killer officers behind bars once they formed a government in Punjab.
Subsequently, numerous governments were formed and the killers were given ‘strict punishments’ by offering them ‘promotions.’
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