|
Part of an Interview with Pritam Kaur from the
Punjab Times
Pritam Kaur was married to Rashpal Singh who was Sant Jarnail
Singh Bhindranwale's P.A. and was arrested in operation Blue
Star and was tortured and sent to prison for 4 years and then
released in 1988. The harrasment continued even after release.
Her 3 brother were taken away by the Police and killed. Her
story is tear-rendering.
Q
Bibi Ji how did you get to know Sant Jarnail Singh
Bhindranwale?
A On
the 20th Febuary 1983 was my Anand Karaj with Rashpal Singh (Sant
Bhindranwale's P.A). The Anand Karaj was arranged by a Singh
from the Damdami Taksal who was close to the Sant Jarnail
Singh Bhindranwale. After the Anand Karaj I got to know Sant
Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale better as we lived in Guru Nanak
Niwas and then moved to the Akal Takth with the him.
Q At
the start of Operation Blue Star where were you?
A At
the start of Operation Blue Star we were living near the Akal
Takth in a room. It was on top of the Karah Parshad counter &
the wet cloths counter. I gave birth to my child on 19th May
1984. Between 1st & 3rd June there was on and off firing from
outside the Darbar Sahib the aim was to find out the locations
of where the Singhs were postioned, but the Singhs were
farsighted. On 4th June at 4.45a.m the army started the attack
inside the Darbar Sahib complex on the Parkarma with bombs. On
the night of 3rd June I was giving my baby some milk while my
husband Rashpal Singh tried to make a phone call, but he found
that he could not get through anywhere. We found out that the
telephone, electricity and water supply had been cut off. This
was discussed secretly between Rashpal Singh and Sant
Bhindranwale and I was only told of this situation on 4th June
as he did not want me to start worrying with the baby being so
young aswell. On the morning of 4th June we moved downstairs
to the wet cloths store where in anticipation of the attack we
had stored some dried food.
Q
What happended on 4th June?
A On
4th June bullets were raining all day. Singhs did not let the
army get passed the entrance on to the Parkarma. The attack
was intensified on the night of 4th June, the dark night sky
showed the firing clearly & dramaticaly. Some Singhs attained
Shaheedi but during the day & night of the 4th the army bore
the majority of casulties. We too stood our postions!
Q On
5th June?
A
Heavy fighting continued. On the early hours of the morning of
5th June the Water tank was blown up by army tanks, this was
the Babbars quater (Morcha). The blowing up of the water tank
left some Singhs Shaheed and others were very badly injured.
On this day the army targeted the postions occupied by the
Singh in high positions, trying to bomb tall buildings. We
were still holding our positions strong. Up until the night of
5th June not even 1 army soldier got through to the Parkarma.
Singhs kept blowing them up at the entrance. On the morning of
5th June at 9.30 a.m Bhai Rashpal Singh went to the Akal Takth
to meet Sant Bhindranwale and asked what was the next
programme and the Sant replied Hold our positions till the
last breath, this is our last programme. We will give our last
drop of blood to Sikhi. Once again on the evening of the 5th
they spoke again and this was stand was reiterated. At about
8.30pm on 5th June the entrance from the Langar hall stairs
were blown up and tanks were taken into the Parkarma. Behind
the tanks were soldiers. The Singhs kept the tanks and army at
bay for some 3 hours. One tank got stuck at the asthan of Baba
Deep Singh and was only moved after the attack. At the same
time the army stormed Teja Singh Samundri hall and the rooms
in the Parkarma and behaved liked savages, they raped
women, looted, killed children, burnt people alive, set the
rooms on fire and tied the hands of devotees behind their
backs and shot them. Heavy firing was still
continuing and we were still holding our positions. Then on
6th June 12.15a.m Bhai Rashpal Singh did Kirtan Sohela and
then kissed the baby and said his last fateh and was going
onto the Parkarma to face the enemy, just as he was a
bullet hit the baby who I was holding next to my chest and
pierced into my chest. The baby died immediatly (18 day old
baby shaheed!) and I fell to the floor. Rashpal Singh saw me
drop to the floor and as he did another bullet came and hit
him on the head and he fell on top of me and became a Shaheed.
I was in pain due to the bullet, some Singhs came and
dragged me into a room. One of the Singhs went out to fetch me
some water but as he left he was captured by soldiers. The
army came into this room, we (me and 2/3 others) were captured
and were told to face the wall ready to be shot at. They were
about to aim and shoot us in the back when from the Sikh
reference Library side a Sikh officer shouted out not to kill
us but to hand us over to him.
Q
What happened next?
A It
was the morning of the 6th June, there was still the
ocassional firing going on. Soldiers took us towards the
library, as we turnred the corner of the Bibi da Ishnan area I
looked at the Akal Takth and is was smoking and fire was
burning. Rooms were burning we were walking over dead bodies,
there was blood everywhere. The sarowar water was red in
colour some bodies were floating on the water. Children and
women were dying for water. The soldiers sat us down near the
reference library. Some women were crying out for water but I
kept quiet. After a while the army allowed people to drink
water. The women and children had to drink the blood
filled water . I also drank that water. The soldiers
at this time began to suspect that I was someone important,
they began to look at me differently to the other bibian.
After leting us drink the water the soldiers took us to
Darshani Deori side. They seperated me from the rest as they
were suspicious of me. They brought over 3 sevedars of the
SGPC to identify me. They all knew me but they did not
identify me, all 3 were then shot dead . The
soldiers thought that this would scare me but I did not fall
for that. I told the soldiers that I was a Singhni of one of
the sevedars. I was still in great pain because of the bullet
in my chest and because of the heat I was very thirsty but
kept quiet in Vaheguru's fate. On the night of 6th June we
were made to lie on the stones and debris of the building.
Q
Tell us about the Shaheedi of Sant Bhindranwale.
A
Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale was commited to sacrificing
his life for Sikhi (if need was) and took shaheedi infront of
the Akal Takth on 6th June. At this time all the Singhs had
come out of their Morche (postions) and were fighting the
soldiers. I got injured on the early hours of the 6th June and
was captured so I can not explain how Sant Jarnail Singh
Bhindranwale got Shaeed but his body was identified in front
of me. His body lay near two Nishan Sahibs. On the morning of
7th June about 9.00am Sant Bhindranwale's brother Captain
Harcharan Singh and his sister Daljit Kaur came with officers
straight to the body. I was watching this sitting on the
stones. The body was identified and a nod was given by in the
form of a yes and they left. After that 3 Ambassador cars came
and took 3 bodies, which were Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale,
Bhai Amrik Singh & some one else (probably Baba Tahra Singh).
General Subheg Singh's body was taken into a open army truck.
Then all four bodies were taken away. At this time
some Hindus of the town were at the building apposite us and
were dancing and giving out sweets out to the soldiers
. After this the soldiers took us to the army camps.
|
