Sole survivor of the Jallianwalla Bagh massacre Bapu Shingara Singh dies

No official from Punjab government attended cremation
AMRITSAR:  Bapu Shingara Singh, the sole survivor of the massacre of Jallianwalla Bagh, breathed last in 113rd year of his life here Monday at his residence due to sudden cardiac arrest. Bapu has survived by one son, four daughters (all married) besides nine grandsons and two grand daughters.

According to family sources, Bapu was born in 1896 and throughout his life term, Bapu never availed any benefit from the Government but his only wish was to preserve the originality of Jallianwalla Bagh and nothing else. Even he refused to then president of India Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for any facility when asked.

He was cremated in the evening at his native village Sultanwind amidst the presence of précised gathering of his relatives and family friends. Nevertheless to say none of the officers from the District administration was present at the time of cremation. Local MLAs of SAD Malkit Singh from Jandiala assembly constituency and Raminder Singh Baloria from Amritsar South Constituency attended the cremation.

Deputy Commissioner Amritsar Kahan Singh Pannu telling the reason for  not attending the cremation of Bapu said that since he was not falling in the list of Freedom fighters so that is why it was out of official protocol to attend the funeral of Bapu. Pannu said that Bapu being a respectable personality, he would visit his residence to express grief to the family over his demise.

During his life time the former President of India, Dr A.P.J. Abdul  Kalam, met the old man to have first-hand information about the
massacre of hundreds of innocent Indians at the hands of General Dyer on Baisakhi of 1919. Bapu had sustained bullet injury on his right arm during the massacre. He had also a chance to meet the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. For nine decades, Bapu Shingara Singh was carrying around a terrible piece of history in his head.

Bapu few years back struck with a paralytic attack. He had used to narrate many incidents of his youth when he killed many rioters. Giving details of the massacre, Bapu had said he along with four friends had gone to Jallianwala Bagh to listen to the speeches of freedom fighters on the fateful Baisakhi day. While his three friends died in the indiscriminate firing, he had managed to sneak out. He was also a witness to people jumping into the well to save themselves from the firing.

Punjab Chief Minister  Parkash Singh Badal has expressed profound grief and sorrow over the sad demise of the sole survivor of the Jallianwalan Bagh Massacre Bapu Shingara Singh, who passed away in Amritsar on Monday after a prolonged illness.

In a condolence message, the Chief Minister described Bapu Shingara Singh as an Icon of pre- independence movement who was the last surviving witness of  the Jallianwalan Bagh tragedy in 1919. He was 113 years old.

Meanwhile Secretary Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Aman Prashar also expressed grief over his demise.