Victim wife with photo of martyred husband.
A woman from Uttar Pradesh’s Basti district is wandering from house to house in search of justice. This woman is none other than the wife of brave martyr Raghunath Singh who was honored with Shaurya Chakra. Raghunath Singh is a brave man who was martyred in Operation Blue Star in 1984 against General Singh Bhindranwala who was demanding Khalistan. After the martyrdom of her husband, the wife is wandering from place to place. He has been living at his maternal uncle’s house for 20 years. Her in-laws have usurped all her property. The wife has complaints not only against her in-laws but also against the administration. Even after 40 years of Raghunath Singh’s martyrdom, there is no memory of him in the village.
Raghunath Singh’s father Hawaldar Singh of Kusamhi Khurd village of Bahadurpur block in Sadar tehsil area of Basti district was in Kumaon Regiment of Indian Army. Father’s sense of patriotism also flowed in son Raghunath’s veins. After completing his studies, like his father, he joined the Kumaon Regiment on June 7, 1979 and donned a soldier’s uniform. The Indian Army launched Operation Blue Star in 1984 against General Singh Bhindranwala who was demanding Khalistan. Bhindranwala and his supporters made the Golden Temple, Amritsar their base.
Raghunath was martyred in Operation Blue Star
On the order of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the army took action in the Golden Temple. In which 83 army personnel sacrificed. Raghunath Singh was also included among those martyrs. Raghunath was operating a radio with Major Bhukant Mishra in Operation Blue Star on 6 June 1984. Major was injured in the attack. When the Major was wounded twenty-five meters away, Raghunath fled without caring for his life. But by then the Major was out of breath. Raghunath picked up his carbine and attacked the enemy and was martyred. His indomitable courage and bravery was awarded the Shaurya Chakra.
The family of the martyr was confused
Raghunath’s martyrdom may be recorded in the golden pages of history, but there is no trace of him in his village Kusami Khurd. The new generation of the village does not even recognize him. Baidharani’s family has also been living in his maternal grandmother’s Thanhawa of Kudarha block for 20 years. To grab the property, the family members chased his wife Sita Devi out of the house along with their daughters.
The wife alleges that her in-laws are also trying to grab the property of her mother’s house as Sita Devi has no brothers. She says that the name of the sacrificing husband should get some recognition in his village so that the younger generation can be aware of his sacrifice. The army has also written the story of his sacrifice on its page, but in 40 years regional representatives have not paid any attention to this.
