The story of a mother and a wife in the days of terror in Punjab by Nirupama Dutt
When the young editor of a Punjabi Magazine was gunned down by Sikh Fundamentalists for daring to criticize the movement for a separate Sikh State, his passing was mourned by two women – his mother, a Sikh, and his wife, a Hindu.
The fact that Sumeet Singh, 30, was the son of devout Sikh parents was not enough to save his name from appearing on the dreaded ‘Hit List’ issued periodically by the fundamentalists.
One strategy used to by the fundamentalists to advance their cause was random killings of Hindu families in the hope that will flee the state. Similar tactics are adopted to bring moderate Sikhs “Into Line.”
“How can the two communities ever be divided?” Asked Mahinder Kaur, Sumeer’s mother. “A devouted Sikh, I am weeping for my son. And so is my son’s Hindu wife.”
Marriage between a Sikh and Hindu is not an uncommon occurrence in Punjab. Many Hindu have relatives who are Sikhs, and vice versa.
Indeed, until the turn of the century the common practice was for the eldest son of a Hindu Family to enter into the fold of Sikhism.
The latter in fact developed as a reformist movement in Hinduism to create a marital force to resist the Mughals in India.
When the country was partitioned into two nations in 1947, Sikhs chose to stay with India rather than Pakistan.
Mahinder Kaur’s family was one of the hundreds of refugee Sikh families that migrated from Pakistan at that time midst riots in which nearly a million people were killed.
“We lost everything we had and slowly we built our lives afresh”, said Mahinder.
Then 19 years old, she gave up her aspirations of becoming a lecturer in a college and instead took up a poorly-paid job as school teacher to support her family.
She later married Navtej Singh, an established writer in Punjab , who until he died of cancer four years ago, also ran a successful literary magazine in Punjabi called “Preetlari” (chain of love).
“Sumeet took up the editorship from my husband and supported us all”. Said Mahinder who has three more sons.
She refused to hold any of the customary religious rites for her dead sons. “If religion means violvence and killing of innocent people, we do not want any of it,” said the matriarch. Men indulge in violence and we women have to stop this madness.”
Poonam, her young daughter-in-law, after Sumeet’s death, took over the running of his magazine. “It was our bread-and-butter.” She explained self-disparagingly.
But No mere bread-and butter considerations were at work when she wrote here very first editorial.
“We will not hesitate to oppose fundamentalism of any kind.” It said, “Sumeet’s blood was been shed but our blood is still there. And are willing to shed it in the cause of humanity and secularism” Poonam, a talented actress who when Sumeet was alive used to shuttle between their home in Preetnagar village near Amritsar to the State Capital Chandigarh to act in plays, has no time now for the stage.
“I learned to edit and write”. She said. “I felt so strongly about communalism that the words came to me quite naturally without having to try.”
Working in an atmosphere where speaking out can result in death, Poonam did not mince words in condemning the fundamentalists’ politics of terror.
“But we will fight against this hatred to the end,” Poonam asserted.
When the young editor of a Punjabi Magazine was gunned down by Sikh Fundamentalists for daring to criticize the movement for a separate Sikh State, his passing was mourned by two women – his mother, a Sikh, and his wife, a Hindu.
The fact that Sumeet Singh, 30, was the son of devout Sikh parents was not enough to save his name from appearing on the dreaded ‘Hit List’ issued periodically by the fundamentalists.
One strategy used to by the fundamentalists to advance their cause was random killings of Hindu families in the hope that will flee the state. Similar tactics are adopted to bring moderate Sikhs “Into Line.”
“How can the two communities ever be divided?” Asked Mahinder Kaur, Sumeer’s mother. “A devouted Sikh, I am weeping for my son. And so is my son’s Hindu wife.”
Marriage between a Sikh and Hindu is not an uncommon occurrence in Punjab. Many Hindu have relatives who are Sikhs, and vice versa.
Indeed, until the turn of the century the common practice was for the eldest son of a Hindu Family to enter into the fold of Sikhism.
The latter in fact developed as a reformist movement in Hinduism to create a marital force to resist the Mughals in India.
When the country was partitioned into two nations in 1947, Sikhs chose to stay with India rather than Pakistan.
Mahinder Kaur’s family was one of the hundreds of refugee Sikh families that migrated from Pakistan at that time midst riots in which nearly a million people were killed.
“We lost everything we had and slowly we built our lives afresh”, said Mahinder.
Then 19 years old, she gave up her aspirations of becoming a lecturer in a college and instead took up a poorly-paid job as school teacher to support her family.
She later married Navtej Singh, an established writer in Punjab , who until he died of cancer four years ago, also ran a successful literary magazine in Punjabi called “Preetlari” (chain of love).
“Sumeet took up the editorship from my husband and supported us all”. Said Mahinder who has three more sons.
She refused to hold any of the customary religious rites for her dead sons. “If religion means violvence and killing of innocent people, we do not want any of it,” said the matriarch. Men indulge in violence and we women have to stop this madness.”
Poonam, her young daughter-in-law, after Sumeet’s death, took over the running of his magazine. “It was our bread-and-butter.” She explained self-disparagingly.
But No mere bread-and butter considerations were at work when she wrote here very first editorial.
“We will not hesitate to oppose fundamentalism of any kind.” It said, “Sumeet’s blood was been shed but our blood is still there. And are willing to shed it in the cause of humanity and secularism” Poonam, a talented actress who when Sumeet was alive used to shuttle between their home in Preetnagar village near Amritsar to the State Capital Chandigarh to act in plays, has no time now for the stage.
“I learned to edit and write”. She said. “I felt so strongly about communalism that the words came to me quite naturally without having to try.”
Working in an atmosphere where speaking out can result in death, Poonam did not mince words in condemning the fundamentalists’ politics of terror.
“But we will fight against this hatred to the end,” Poonam asserted.
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