Tarn Taran family waiting for its 1971 Sikh regiment soldier to return

CHAMBA KALAN (TARN TARAN): For Baljinder Kaur the only possession apart from pictures of her father are the plethora of paper work she has done over the last five decades to try and find the whereabout of a Sikh regiment solider who never returned home after the 1971 Indo Pak war


The safe return of Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman has rekindled her hopes. Baljinder’s father Balwinder Singh is believed to be held in Pakistan during 1971 Indo-Pak war. Rather frustratingly, she shows the correspondence made by her to various departments and political leaders over the years. She is now preparing once again to push for an attempt to find out what happened to her father.

“My father was such a brave soldier that till date his regiment sings ballads of his bravery. My heart says that he is still alive and in one of Pakisan’s jail,” said Baljinder while talking to TOI on Monday.

Balwinder Singh was constable with 10 Sikh Regiment. Kaur who was born two-and-a-half month after his father was captured by Pakistan in 1971 recalls that her mother Harbans Kaur had heard her father’s voice on Pakistan radio where he had identified himself as Balwinder Singh, resident of Chamba Kalan in Tarn Taran. However, she regrets that Army had shown his father as ‘killed in action’ on December 16, 1971.

“How can me and my mother believe this? One of the Indian spy Satish Kumar, who was released by Pakistan after completing his jail sentence, has told us that he spend two years with my father in Kot Lakhpat jail,” said she, adding that even during the bhog of Sarabjit who was killed in Kot Lakhpat jail, many former prisoners in Pakistan’s Kot Lakhpat jail had confirmed to her and her mother that Balwinder was alive and was in Kot Lakhpat jail.

TOI contacted Satish Kumar, resident of Ferozpur, who confirmed that Balwinder was alive when he was in Kot Lakhpat jail. He said he and Balwinder Singh were together in Kot Lakhpat jail from July 19, 1974 to end of1976 after which he was transferred to Mian Wali jail.

“Not only Balwinder Singh but there were around 150 Indian soldiers,” he said.