Baldev Singh Mann

Life

Baldev Singh Mann was born on July 9, 1952. He was the son of Sardar Inder Singh. He lived in the village Bagga Kalan Tehsil Ajnala, Amritsar. He completed his primary education at the village school he matriculated from government high school at Rajasansi. He then went to Khalsa College, Amritsar, where he had to face detention from the college during the time of 'the Emergency', and graduated in 1983.

While at Day College, he came in contact with the Communist Party of India (CPILM). He organized young people in his village under the banner of 'Naujawan Bharat Sabha', a left-wing Indian association that sought to instigate revolution against the British Raj by gathering together workers and peasant youths. He turned it into a district-wide youth moment in Amritsar.

While at Amritsar he was held and tortured at Amritsar's interrogation center, but released in 1975.

Approximately two years before his death, Mann married Paramjit Kaur, with whom he had a daughter. She was one week old when he was murdered while on his way to his village, Chinna Bagga, in Amritsar. She would later remember her father with pride.

Ideals and opinions

He became actively involved in organizing the youth in his village under the banner of Naujawan Bharat Sabha and grew it to a district wide youth moment that spread all across the city of the Golden Temple.

Baldev Singh Mann led the drama troupe and waged a constant battle against the reactionary ideologies and cultural taunts the state was subjected too. He never shied away from confronting the brutality of the police head on, and voiced his dissent over the framing of innocent youth as Khalistani terrorists.

Following his interrogation in Amritsar he was released in 1975 and cleared of all accusations, but he then plunged into the struggle for justice led by CPIML with great passion.

Revolutionary activities

In 1980 Mann stood for the Punjab State Assembly where he won 10,000 votes In 1985 he stood for election in the Rajasaansi assembly constituency, gaining over 10,000 votes.

In 1983 Mann helped Punjabi farmers oppose increases in electricity tariffs, and led a large rally as the Kisan union leader of Punjab from cml. Further rallies were organised on 19 March 1983 in Chandigarh and on 9 April a second big rally was held in Jalandhar which forced the government into action. Comrade Mann played a vital role in the struggle of Punjab peasants against intolerable tariff raise for electricity in 1983, furthering his belief in his cause. In 1979, he helped Punjab Police to further the process of amending the extant policies for the better functioning of the Police forces.In 1980 Mann stood for the Punjab State Assembly where he won 10,000 votes In 1985 he stood for election in the Rajasaansi assembly constituency, gaining over 10,000 votes.

In 1983 when farmers of Punjab had been financially squeezed between excessive rates of power (electricity) for their largely mechanized farms and un-remunerated for their produce, a huge campaign was organized, led by him as the Kisan Union Leader of Punjab. From the March of 1983 the campaign had started to spread to Chandigarh and Jalandhar and was epitomized as Punjab Kisan Lehar.

When the Khalistan Movement was formed, Mann fought to give aid to those in need and defending people against injustice. In 1980 Mann stood for the Punjab State Assembly where he won 10,000 votes In 1985 he stood for election in the Rajasaansi assembly constituency, gaining over 10,000 votes.

In 1983 Mann helped Punjabi farmers oppose increases in electricity tariffs, and led a large rally as the Kisan union leader of Punjab from cml. Further rallies were organized on 19 March 1983 in Chandigarh and on 9 April a second big rally was held in Jalandhar which foirced the government into action. Baldev singh Mann Ji was gunned down by Khalistan militants on September 26, 1987 in his native village Channa Bagha near Pakistan border, doing what he always wanted to do and in the process being immortalized in the time woven pages of history.

Soon he became the Union Leader of Nav jawan college in Kalabi Vidharthi, Punjab. After successfully completing his college in 1975, he joined Bharti Communist Party popularly known as the Linenwadi, worked to reinforce the presence of this establishment in Amritsar and the surrounding areas, including his native village. His primary agenda was to uproot corruption propounded by the then ruling party and remove them from office. For 16 years he was the Sarpanch of village Bagga Channa, Amritsar.

He published a magazine, Hirawal Dasta, along with plays to spread social awareness through the public making them wary of the doings of the government, both the good and the bad. During the Emergency Baldev Ji was arrested for his writing was considered seditious and conflicting with that of the government. Plays were a strong medium of communicating with the masses and Baldev Singh Ji made sure that his voice was heard over all the raucous the government was creating. He staged such thought provoking plays not only in the city but in villages too.

In 1980, comrade Mann contested for the Punjab State Assembly where he won with a resounding 10,000 votes, a feat never witnessed before by the general masses. Again, during the communally charged atmosphere of 1985 he proved to be a strong contender for the Rajasaansi Assembly constituency. Again, in 1985, he contested for the MLA elections. He won many hearts and hence was also called the 'People’s Man'.

His love for people rose from a sense of belongingness that was instilled in him during his childhood and therefore he selflessly devoted himself in forging a future that the posterities would be proud of.

Legacy and memorials

Baldev Singh Ji started his political career while in college.

The letter

Baldev Singh Mann was killed while visiting his baby daughter. He had written her an emotional letter expressing his joy at becoming a proud parent and acknowledging the difficulties she would face in the social system into which she had been born. His letter expressed the duty he felt he had to perform in following his political and social beliefs. 'I am struggling for the birth of a social order in which the shackles that enslave human beings are broken to bits, where the oppressed can heave a sigh of relief.', he wrote.

He was prescient in foretelling of his own death during his struggle to help his people. He ended his letter as follows: 'My darling daughter, these few words are my message to you in this moment of your birth. I hope you will accept them and try to act according to them. These few words are the foundation of your life, to build your dreams on. Your father.”