AGWAN(GURDASPUR): The family of Satwant Singh, an assassin of Indira Gandhi, is leading a normal life in this sleepy village.
During a visit to the village, this correspondent was told that the construction of a gurdwara had been undertaken in his memory, but the village panchayat disapproved. It was completed by the people.
On the entrance of the village from the Dera Baba Nanak-Kalanaur Road, a gate has been erected in honor of Sub-Inspector Kashmir Singh Bhagtana Boher, who was killed by militants. This gate has recently been constructed by the Batala district police.
The village Sarpanch, Kulwant Singh, alleged that the family of Satwant Singh had exploited sentiments of the Sikhs and had amassed a lot of wealth and had got constructed a big pucca house. Tirlok Singh, father of Satwant Singh, had benami shares in a brick-kiln owned by his own son-in-law in a nearby Boparai f village.
Mehnga Ram Garib, a senior Congress leader from Dera Baba Nanak, who was present there, said after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the village panchayat had adopted a resolution calling upon the villagers to socially boycott the family of Satwant Singh, which they did.
Tarlok Singh was not available at his home. There has been no change in his house since 1984 except that Guru Granth Sahib has been installed in one room.
Surinder Kaur (30) said she was engaged to Satwant Singh in 1982 and she met him for the first time in a gurdwara at Ramdas town, her parental town, on October 21, 1984, 10 days before the assassination of Mrs. Gandhi.
During his trial and judicial lockup she was married to Satwant’s photo and turban. She has no regret of leading a life as “widow” rather feels proud being a “widow” of a “hero.” She had been meeting Satwant Singh along with other members of his family during his trial and later before his execution on January 8, 1989.
“I have dedicated my life to the Guru,” she says adding that she spends most of her time reading Guru Granth Sahib.
Responding to a question, she disapproved of violence from any quarter be it militants or the security forces. She would never enter politics, she said replying to another question, adding “Bapuji (Tirlok Singh) should not have joined polities.” Tirlok Singh, it may be mentioned, had remained senior vice-president of the erstwhile Akali Dal (Mann) before its merger with the Akali Dal (Amritsar) on May 1 last year.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 24, 1995
