Tarn Taran diary: 104-year-old freedom fighter remembered

Jarnail Singh, a freedom fighter and resident of Jaura village, who died at the age of 104 years on January 7 was a man of great qualities. His nephew Surjit Singh claims that he lived a simple life and never got sick. He played a remarkable role in the county’s freedom struggle and was also a constable in Azad Hind Fauj. Surjit said Bapu Jarnail Singh’s health deteriorated four days before his death. He said bapu ji used to move on foot the whole day in the fields and was a total vegetarian. He used to read books on Indian freedom and had a deep knowledge of the movements launched during the Freedom struggle.

Advertisement

Tur family missing from state’s political scene

With time, the well-known Tur family, which opened the doors for the SAD victory in the Lok Sabha from Tarn Taran post Independence, had been slowly eliminated from the political pitch of the state. Belonging to Tur village of the district, the family boasts of giving three Lok Sabha MP, Jathedar Mohan Singh Tur and two sons Lehna Singh Tur and Tarlochan Singh Tur. It was the only Congress Party which dominated from Tarn Taran in the Lok Sabha till the 5th Lok Sabha (1977). After the Emergency period, Jathedar Mohan Singh Tur contested Lok Sabha election from Tarn Taran as SAD candidate and defeated Congress party stalwart candidate Dr Gurdial Singh Dhillon, who remained Speaker of the Lok Sabha for three tenures. After capturing Tarn Taran Lok Sabha seat the area was called as the panthic seat. Such was the influence of Turs that SAD candidates always used to win from here except the election of 1992 when the Akalis had boycotted the election. Jathedar Mohan Singh Tur had the honour to be the Akal Takhal Jathedar and president Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. After the death of Mohan Singh Tur in 1979, his son Lehna Singh Tur represented the seat in 1980 in the sixth Lok Sabha. His son Tarlochan Singh Tur was elected from Tarn Taran Lok Sabha seat thrice in 1985, 1998 and 1999. After the death of both Lehna Singh and Tarlochan Singh Tur, none of their families came forward in the politics to carry on the legacy. It is Sucha Singh Chhotepur (Gurdaspur), son-in-law (daughter’s husband) of Jathedar Mohan Singh Tur who was the taking care of the traditions of his in-law family. Jathedar Mohan Singh Tur was a man of some rare qualities. He made entry into the politics with his own capability despite being from an ordinary family. He challenged the authority of Partap Singh Kairon, the then Chief Minister. Mohan Singh Tur was put behind bars in 1962 election and he contested Vidhan Sabha elections from jail. Tur gave a tough fight to Partap Singh Kairon. Kairon could was able to the election with a margin of less than 60 votes. The simplicity of Jathedar Mohan Singh Tur is no where seen in politics now.

AAP’s Manjinder Sidhu in troubled waters

Posters pasted a few days back in different villages in Khadoor Sahib constituencies against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manjinder Singh Sidhu Lalpura has raised a question mark on his political career. Manjinder Singh was the state president of the youth wing of the AAP but with the abolition of all wings of the party he too was removed, along with others wing officer bearers. Aspiring for a ticket from AAP and he had been mobilising people of the area in his favour. He unsuccessfully contested election from Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha constituency in 2019. Manjinder Singh had allegedly misbehaved with Harbarinder Kaur Usman in 2013. She had lodged criminal cases against him after that incident. Her campaign against Manjinder had badly affected his election campaign. A well-known leader of the Valmiki (SC/ST) community, Harbarinder had openly said that she had pasted posters against Manjinder and demanded from the AAP leadership to remove Manjinder from the party otherwise she would appeal SC/ST communities to boycott AAP en-masse. She had mentioned her mobile number on the posters pasted on the walls in different villages. Manjinder Singh Lalpur said it was a planned move to defame him by his opponents.

Contributed by Gurbaxpuri