12/07/2024
**Blood-Soaked Blanket!! (The Story of Past Moments-12)**
The main details are from human rights organization reports
Baldev was about fifteen years old, a slender boy. The police picked him up, and then they denied having him. They claimed they never had him. There was no trace of him; not even his ashes were found.
Baldev was the youngest in his family, the beloved son of his parents. His older sister was married and living happily with her family. The older brother, Balwinder, was about twenty-two years old and unmarried. Their father, Darbara Singh, was a poor, landless farmer, earning a living through daily labor. They had no land, just a small house with a tiled roof in the village of Verian, near Serhali.
Every morning, the older brother Balwinder would go out for day labor, while the younger Baldev stayed with his father, helping in the fields or with shared tasks. As October drew to a close, Baldev would leave for work early with his father. His mother would often tell him, "Baldev, itโs cold in the early mornings and evenings. Wear a sweater." But Baldev would say, "No, Mom. I can't work with a sweater on; it gets in the way. Just get me a blanket. A blanket is more comfortable; I can take it off or wrap it around me as needed."
Although the family was poor, Darbara Singh never let his sonโs wishes go unfulfilled. Whatever Baldev asked for, his father would provide. As soon as Baldev asked for a blanket, his father got him oneโa black one, just as the boy liked.
At that time, black blankets were quite popular among young boys. They would often be seen with a saffron turban and a black blanket wrapped around them on buses and in public places. However, the black blanket and saffron turban were also seen as symbols of rebellion and suspicion. Itโs said that a certain police officer in Gurdaspur district wouldn't allow anyone in his area to wear a saffron turban.
Baldev wore a saffron turban, and his complexion was fair. When he wrapped himself in the black blanket, it accentuated his looks. His father, Darbara Singh, was very proud of his son's appearance. Day or night, Baldev always kept the blanket with him. He would hang it up while working and wrap it around him when it was cold, or drape it over his shoulder. If he played with friends, he would tie it around his waist.
People from the Majha region are known for their robustness, making even young boys appear mature. Although Baldev was young, the black blanket made him look older. In those days, the police kept a close watch on young boys since the insurgents were often young men. During this period, many youths in the Majha region suffered greatly at the hands of the police.
In October 1988, probably on the 20th or 22nd, the police officer Gurdev Singh raided Darbara Singh's house early in the morning and took both brothers away. Baldev was wrapped in his black blanket at that time. They were taken to the Serhali police station and locked in separate rooms. Both were tortured and not allowed to see each other. Beatings and electric shocks were common then. The older brother, Balwinder, endured the police brutality, but the younger Baldev could not withstand it. Although Baldev appeared mature, he was still a child with tender bones. How could he endure the police's tortures? Day and night, he screamed in pain, and his cries reached Balwinder in the next room.
Every day, Darbara Singh would come to the police station with the village council, but the officer wouldn't let him near. One day, the officer demanded 60,000 rupees to release the boys, but Darbara Singh couldn't pay. Somehow, the village council managed to secure the release of the older brother, Balwinder, but the officer refused to release the younger one. After his release, Balwinder recounted, "The police beat Baldev severely. He was in terrible pain and screamed all night. Then they took him to the Harike police."
Darbara Singh was heartbroken upon hearing this. He visited the Serhali police station daily, but the officer kept delaying. Eventually, he denied having Baldev. Darbara Singh also visited the Harike police station, but found no leads.
October passed, Diwali came and went, and half of November was over, but Darbara Singh had no news of his beloved son. One day, someone told him that on November 4, the day before Diwali, the police had killed two boys in a fake encounter near the village of Marar, close to Harike, and that Baldev was one of them. Darbara Singh couldn't believe it. He reached Harike and then Marar early in the morning. Someone mentioned hearing gunfire that day. Darbara Singh, following leads, reached the site of the supposed encounter. Like a madman, he searched the area, hoping to find his son wrapped in his black blanket. Suddenly, he saw a blood-soaked black blanket stuck in the bushes. He recognized it immediately as the one he had given to Baldev. Hugging the blood-soaked blanket to his chest, he began to wail.
It is said that Darbara Singh returned home with his son's blood-soaked blanket and then left the village, never to be seen again.
( Originally in Panjabi by Harvinder Pal Singh Sethi )
