Admn, government forget Vir Chakra awardee Atwal

Jalandhar, January 20

As the mortal remains of Vir Chakra awardee Honorary Capt Harbhajan Singh Atwal (72) were laid to rest and his bhog was held last week, the district administration and leaders of the ruling Congress party failed to give him state honours at his native Khurdpur village in Adampur.

No Congress minister, MP or MLA even attended the bhog of the 1971 war hero, who received Vir Chakra from former President VV Giri on August 15, 1972. Hony Capt Harbhajan Singh passed away on January 6 but his funeral took place on January 11.

Recalling the valour of her husband who represented the 4th Sikh Regiment, his wife Manjit Kaur shared, “It was just seven days after our marriage that my husband was called back to resume duty as the Indo-Pak war had ensued. We exchanged just a letter or two in the next seven months. In 1972, having received the prestigious award, he returned home to a hero’s welcome. He still had a plaster on his arm and injuries on his leg and lots of border stories to share.”

Hony Capt Harbhajan Singh had also served as an instructor at the Officers’ Training Academy in Chennai where he had trained hundreds of army men like him. Secretary of former Servicemen Welfare Society Naik Gian Singh Sandhu (retd) said: “Only the area SHO reached the funeral that too when the pyre had already been lit.”

His brother Subedar Major Sukhdev Singh (retd) shared: “As Lance Naik, my brother was fighting the war with Muktivahini of East Pakistan  (now Bangladesh). Carrying an LMG, he crossed 300 yards of firing line and threw hand grenades to bomb two bunkers of the enemy. As he had received bullets on his left arm and right leg, he was hospitalised.”

The son of war hero Kanwaljit shared: “Several ex-servicemen from Bathinda and Jalandhar reached for the last rites. A team from his regiment had reached and gave appropriate respects during his last journey. But no one from the civil administration or the government made it here.”

SAD MLA Pawan Tinu, who attended the funeral and bhog, too commented that the valour of the Vir Chakra awardee should have been forgotten, especially on his last journey. — TNS