MUKTSAR: The hanging of Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh on January 6 last for their Involvement in Indira Gandhi’s assassination has provided a new issue to various Akali groups who have been bereft of any for public consumption for some time, except criticize each other. And like the family of late Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Mrs. Bimal Khalsa, widow of Indira Gandhi slain assassin, Beant Singh, during 1984 and 1985, the families of Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh are the new crowd pullers on the Akali stage.

This was evident during Friday’s Akali conferences in this historic town on the occasion of the Maghi festival. The venue of the Akali Dal (Talwandi) conference was virtually empty. In contrast, the Unified Akali Dal (Mann) conference, where the two families were star attraction drew crowds beyond the expectations of organizer and the venue was overflowing with people.

  1. Tarlok Singh, father of S. Satwant Singh, Mrs, Jasbir Kaur, widow of Kehar Singh Singh, his son Rajinder Singh and nephew Khushwant Singh, came to the Stage accompanied by UAD (Mann) acting chief Baba Joginder Singh. Capt Harcharan Singh Rode, Bhai Jasbir Singh. Flanked by gun toting and sword brandishing youths they were greeted with cries of “long live martyrs Satwant Singh and Kehar Singh Singh.

While honoring each family with Rs 51,000 in cash, a gold medal named after “Sukha SinghMehtab Singh’ and a siropa, Bhai Jasbir Singh declared that it was not the price for laying down their lives for the community but a tribute to the families which gave birth to them. Mr. Tarlok Singh and Mr. Rajinder Singh also addressed the conference for a while during which they repeated appeals of the deceased for panthic unity and against killing innocent people.

The two families were again honored at Takhtupura gurdwara near Moga on Sunday where. the UAD (Mann) commemorated the martyrdom of S. Satwant Singh and S. Kehar Singh Singh to mark the tenth day of the hangings. They may also accompany the party leaders to various district headquarters during its proposed. Amnit Sanchar program.

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 27, 1989