Year after Dinanagar attack, slain SP’s kin await medal

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, July 26

A year after SP Baljit Singh was gunned down by terrorists in the Dinanagar attack, his Kapurthala-based family is yet to receive the President’s Police Medal announced posthumously on August 15.

“We are still awaiting the gallantry award,” said Kulwant Kaur, the SP’s wife, on the eve of his first martyrdom day.

The SP’s son, Maninder Singh, is hopeful of getting a DSP’s job promised to him. “Graduation was a pre-requisite for the job. After completing BTech in computer sciences in May, I submitted all my documents with the authorities. I am told that I would get my appointment letter in a week or so,” he said. The family had delayed the cremation over the job offer and gone ahead with it only after Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal made an announcement.

“My son will soon be in the police like his dad, but the void in my life cannot be filled,” Kulwant added.

Daughters Parminder Kaur, doing MA in economics, and Ravinder Kaur, a BDS student, said amid tears, “A year has passed, but we are still unable to come to terms with reality.”

About a month ago, Baljit’s friends and residents of his native village, Dhandowal, in Shahkot (Jalandhar) installed the SP’s statue there in the government high school where he studied.

The family wants a similar memorial to be set up in Kapurthala with the efforts of the administration, the police or an NGO. “We want that the coming generations should know about the braveheart from the town who faced bullets and sacrificed his life fighting the enemy,” said Kulwant.

Kapurthala SSP Rajinder Singh said, “The award was issued in the name of SP Baljit Singh last year. It is yet to be formally handed over to the family. We will do it at the next function at the Punjab Police Academy, Phillaur.”