CHANDIGARH: The Damdami Taksal, once headed by Sant Jamail Singh Bhindranwale, has declared that it will bring up the children of Bimal Kaur Khalsa, the widow of Indira Gandhi’s assassin, Beant Singh. The announcement was made at the bhog ceremony of this former Akali Dal (Mann) Member of Parliament by Taksal chief Baba Thakar Singh.
Bimal Khalsa has left behind a daughter, Amrit Kaur (14) and two sons Sarabjit Singh (12) and Jaswinder Singh (8).
The Bhog ceremony was held at SAS nagar near here, and was attended by many Akali and other Sikh leaders.
In fact, after Bimal Khalsa’s death a controversy has a risen over her property which comprises a plot of land in Delhi and two others in SAS Nagar, 5 well as a huge house near here. There are two proposals, with regard to this property. One, it should be used to found a trust in her memory. The other is that it should be sold and the income invested in individual fixed deposit accounts in the names of each of the child Ian: For the children’s custody, the respective fathers of both Beant and Bimal Khalsa have also staked claims, Bimal’s father Gur bachan Singh wants to take them with him to Delhi whereas Beant ‘Singh’s father and former Akali M.P. Baba Such a Singh has launched a battle to secure the orphan custody.
Damdami Taksal spokesperson Mokham Singh said the family of “Bibiji’ as Bimal Khalsa was popularly known had done a lot for the Sikh community. It is the panth’s responsibility to look after it. The children will live with us like royal offspring,” he told Sunday Mail.
Bimal Khalsa’s daughter Amrit Kaur is in class IX at the Guru Nanak Public School here. Elder son Sarabjit Singh is in class VIL ‘at Deshmesh Academy, Anandpur Sahib. Younger son Jaswinder is enrolled at the St. John’s School here.
Bimal Khalsa had five brothers- in-law. She had cordial relations with all of them except the eldest Shamsher Singh, who had unsuccessfully contested the Ropar parliamentary seat in 1989 against her.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 4, 1991
