Martyr Sepoy’s kin upset over farmers being defamed

Sukhmeet Bhasin
Tribune News Service
Mansa, February 8

The family members of martyr Sepoy Gurtej Singh of Mansa, who sacrificed his life in a clash with the Chinese army at Galwan valley in Ladakh last year, are upset over farmers being called terrorists, Naxals and separatists.

Gurtej’s father Virsa Singh, a resident of Birewala Dogra village in Budhlada subtehsil, is a marginal farmer and does farming on around three acres. He said: “We are opposing the farm laws as these will hit the marginal farmers like me hard. We demand the repeal of the laws at the earliest.”

He said even he had gone to the Tikri border on his tractor to protest the three farm laws. “Our son gave his life guarding the country’s border. It really pains us when we hear media houses and politicians terming us terrorists, Naxals and separatists. But we cannot do anything,” he said.

On January 26, martyr Sepoy Gurtej Singh was conferred with Param Vir Chakra posthumously. Manmander Singh Birewala, relative of the martyr, said: “We are proud that my nephew laid down his life fighting for the nation. We are part of India and nobody is demanding a separate state. We just want the three farm laws to be repealed”. He said he was not happy how the things unfolded at the Red Fort on Republic Day.

The martyr’s family has made an NGO, Shaheed Gurtej Singh Welfare Foundation. In June, 2020, Sepoy Gurtej Singh was amongst the 20 soldiers who attained martyrdom fighting with the Chinese army in Galwan valley.