For first time, state honours children of Kaalapani martyr

Harbans Singh Dhillon, 84, and his sister Indira Bal, 80, got the recognition after a long wait of 70 years. They arrived from New Delhi to receive the honour. “Our father was a well-learned doctor and did his medicine degree from Agra. He supported Mahatma Gandhi in the non-cooperation movement and was sent to Burma as a doctor by the British administration. Later, he was shifted to Andaman and Nicobar Islands where the rift with Japanese started,” they told Newsline.

Dr Dewan raised his voice against the Japanese decision to turn a gurdwara into a prostitution residence and later he was jailed. “He raised his voice against molestation of women which Japanese were doing and then Japanese tortured him to confess that he is a spy and give a speech against Mahatma Gandhi but he refused. After 65 days of brutal torture, he died in the Cellular Jail,” said Dhillon.

His sister Bal said, “Every body part of our father was burnt and he was given electric shocks by the Japanese but he did not give the wrong confession. His companion in the jail committed suicide but our father did not give up.”

Now the gurdwara in Andaman for which he fought is known as Dr Dewan Kaalapani Gurdwara and the family has also built a museum in his memory at Siswal village which was visited by the Chief Minister a few months back.

Other award recipients included Ravinder Arora who has been running Samvedna Trust, a free ambulance and mortuary van service, in the district since 2009 and also maintains cleanliness in Civil Hospital wards.

Balbir Singh from Doraha was honoured for saving two people from drowning in 2007 while Dr Vivek Saggar, a dentist, and Dr Abraham Thomas, CMCH director, were honoured for their contribution to medical sciences. Sudarshan Sharma from Jagraon was honoured for providing education to poor kids and Trishneet Arora for helping to curb cyber crime.

ACP Mukhtyar Singh from Atam Nagar police station and SHO Gurudev Singh from Model Town Extension were honoured for saving lives of two sewer cleaners a few days back.