Terrorist victim remembered

Prem Singh Bhangu, the brother of the deceased and an advocate in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, said 8220;the immediate cause of my brother8217;s assassination was a dispute over a piece of land in the village where Singh wanted to set up a library for the masses, particularly the downtrodden. However, Zora Singh wanted to build a gurdwara there.8221;

The function was held in front of the library which was later built by the villagers on the same land. Large number of people from adjoining villages also attended the function. 8220;Dhadis8221; sang 8220;vars8221; and a conference was held to air Singh8217;s concepts and views on development.

Singh8217;s wife, Mohinder Kaur, was present. Among those expected to attend the function was local MP Prem Singh Chandumajra who was once a student of Singh.A post graduate in English from Punjab University and philosophy and Punjabi from Punjabi University, Patiala, Singh followed the Marxist ideology. He went on to do M.Phil in English and served at Mohinder College and later at Government College for Women.

Bhangu said that Singh had led several grass-root level agitations in order to bring infrastructure facilities to the village. He had been instrumental in the struggle for availing unemployment allowance in 1977 and the Kapoori morcha, on the SYL dispute, in 1982.

People of Mandoli village, especially the poor, said, 8220;even if half the village had been assassinated, it would have been a minor loss as compared to the death of Singh.8221;

A villager said 8220; today our village is linked by a metalled road, has a high school and a dispensary.8221;

People present on the occasion rued that none of the Akali stalwarts had come forward to criticise Singh8217;s assassination.

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