My Secular India, my Holy Religion

The work was amply supported by their wives and adoring children. Everything was in harmony. Perhaps the past karmic accounts had to be settled because overnight everything changed.

24th November, anti-Sikh riots broke out all over the country. But the Sikh brothers were held in high esteem in Bhopal and the owners of the Shelly Products whose problems were solved by the brothers on more than one occasion made sure that no harm came to them.

In a few days the work piled up and by the beginning of December the brothers thought it safe enough to start their business once again. 2nd December 1984 was a fine clear day and both the brothers had urgent business deals in other towns. By 7 Ó’clock both the brothers were at least 100 kms away from their homes. The were in the middle of their business deals when the news about Bhopal Gas tragedy reached them. They hurried back home to find their wives and children had perished in the tragedy. They went into a severe shock.

Their ordeal was not yet over. Three months after the gas tragedy, while walking down from their factory, they were attacked by mad bull. Balbir was flunged 15 feet into the air and landed on his back severely injuring it. He was never to walk again unassisted. The bull was sitting on Balwant’s body and it took 20 people to pull Balwant away. Both his legs which were under the bull were grievously injured and it required several rods and plates to enable him to struggle a few feet on his own. As soon as they regained enough strength to make a decision they sold their assets and moved to Bombay to start life a fresh. They started another factory in thane. But with their disabilities and apparent helplessness they had become easy victims. Bal Thakre’s men haunted them day and night and when they could not meet their demands the pressure increased. They found it impossible to conduct business on their own. Once again they sold their business and joined another firm in Pune as consultants. Bal Thakre’s men followed them.  The owner of this firm was so disturbed that he decided to move the entire factory to Jaipur. At Jaipur the health problems compounded and they had to come back to Faridabad. Now left with very little money they were not being welcomed by friends and relatives so they decided to come to the holy city of Amritsar and spend the remaining days serving in a Gurdwara. They were tolerated for a few days but after that seeing their disability and helplessness they were told to leave. When they expressed their problems they were thrown out and in the bargain lost whatever little they owned.

Now penniless they were on the street when someone suggested Pingalwara. They are in Pingalwara for the last two months regaining their strength and sanity slowly. They are still bewildered by the treatment meted out to them in the Gurdwara. Ever hopeful, still looking to Waheguru Balwant still fondly supports elder Balbir while eating lest he should fall down. Living for each other now the brothers reach out to their brother still in Nairobi; Ajit Singh Matharoo/ Azad an Engineer by profession. You are kindly requested to conact S. Ajit Singh and ask him to contact 91 9781401186   or  91 9815839096 in Pingalwara to speak to his brothers.