Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu shot dead by unknown assailants

Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu who fought terror ism in Punjab was shot dead by unknown assailants in Tarn Taran district on Friday, months after the government withdrew his security cover. Two men came on a motorcycle to his village and waited for him outside the school Balwinder Singh Bhikhiwind had set up. The moment he arrived and opened the gate, the armed men pumped five bullets into him. The assailants drove away. Fellow villagers ran to the spot and drove Balwinder Singh Bhikhiwind to the hospital but he was declared dead on arrival. Balwinder Singh’s bravery made it to international media and he once featured in a National Geographic documentary. He was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for his exemplary courage. The Shaurya Chakra is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It may be awarded to civilians as well.

A die-hard Communist, Balwinder Singh Bhikhiwind was against religious radicalisation of Sikh youth and opposed the Khalistani movement and terrorism it brought with it. When Punjab was in the thick of terrorism, he and his family made their village a fort of sorts. He trained his family, including his wife and children, in use of arms and took on terrorists. He faced numerous attacks and every time, managed to force the terrorists to retreat. The Ministry of Defence awarded him Shaurya Chakra, a rare honour for a civilian.The Shaurya Chakra citation read: “Balwinder Singh Sandhu and his brother Ranjit Singh Sandhu are opposed to the activities of terrorists. They were in the hit list of terrorists. The terrorist have so far made 16 attempts to wipe out the Sandhu’s family within a span of about 11 months. The terrorists attacked them in groups of 10 to 200, but every time Sandhu brothers with the help of their brave wives Smt. Jagdish Kaur Sandhu and Balraj Kaur Sandhu have successfully failed the attempts of militants to kill them. The first attack on Sandhu family was made on 31st January 1990 and last one 28-12-1991, but the deadliest attack was made on 30th Sept 1990 on that day about 200 terrorists surrounded the Sandhu’s house from all sides and attacked them continuously for five hours with deadly weapons including rocket launchers