In the late 80’s in India, being an Amritdhari Sikh could cost you your life. It was in these times that Ashvani Malhotra made a huge decision to join the Khalsa Panth. This brave step reminds us of the many young men during the tyrannical rule of the Mughal’s, who joined the Khalsa to stand and fight for truth and justice.
Born to parents Banarsidas and Parkash Devi, Ashvani had 3 brothers and 1 sister. At the age of 16, he enrolled in the Amritsar Khalsa College, to study for his BA. Whilst there, he kept company with other Gursikhs and from there on his love for the Guru’s teachings grew, so much so that he took Amrit and changed his name to Bhupinder Singh. He was a fine young gentleman and a devout Sikh.
In February 1990, Bhupinder Singh went to visit his best friend ‘Bittu’ in the Nalash Road area of Rajpura. Unbeknown to them, the police launched an armed raid on the property and shot dead at point blank both Bhupinder Singh, aged only 19 years, and his friend Bittu.
Bhupinder Singh’s father, Bansarsidas, never recovered from this tragic loss and passed away some time later. Life has not been kind to Parkash Devi, who also lost another of her young sons. As her health problems have worsened over the years, Sikh Relief have been supporting her by setting up a monthly pension as well as paying for all her medical expenses. We salute this mother, who gave birth to such an inspirational role model for the youth of today who turn their backs on their rich heritage.
