Reviving Memories

in 1970s

Catastrophe of Sin

Incidents succinctly engraved in our memories; a miraculous escape of my family (Mom, Dad, brother & me). It was all when I was in 1^st standard (5½ yrs. old i.e 32 yrs back) when the blueprints of Indian Express news headlines embarked the dacoits at Indian Air Force (IAF) Quarters, Amritsar, Punjab on 24^th Sept. 1979.

It was a summer season, when the pendulum struck 12:30AM, a knock at our house alarmed the hapless residents the arrival of a gang of camouflaged cops. The silence struck for a moment and said “We are Police and have warrant to search the house”. My dad felt something fishy and advertently didn’t open the main door. Within few seconds stones pelted in flawlessly blowing off all illuminated lights. Residents were refrained behind the walls as the fierce slogans rose “if anyone dare attempt near would be shot” vindicating that they had revolvers and weapons. Now it was very clear that the gang were burglars and in a cluster of six. Within few minutes they managed to push open our door with their lustrous weapons. In the next move they caught hold off Dad’s neck and when he was hardly able to breathe, he kicked one of the dacoit, unfortunately in return got a big blow on the jaw. In tandem one or two attacked my Mummy and started taking all her ornaments by just seizing whatever they could grab. And we squeaking tiny tots (brother & me) yelled for help somewhere in the dark at one corner of the room. But residents dare attempted to pay their life as the house was armoured with other dacoits. Gasping Dad pondered for a while and uttered “take whatever you want and leave us alone without harming”.

This dramatic incident took half an hour during which all available valuables (including mangalsutra - what we call for the wedding knot, earrings, rings, and bangles over 15 sovereigns, cash and more) were seized. The robbing series galloped to the adjacent houses. Before the dacoits left they made sure that our door was locked from outside. Our adjacent landlord was tied onto his coat with his mouth stuffed with cloths. Few minutes after the incident my Dad & Mom were screaming for water with agony. I could literally see that my parents were sitting on the roadside with lots of residents gathered all-around. They felt like their cloths were completely wet of sweat. But when came into light, it was not sweat instead socked with Blood..! White banyan of Dad was now in Red and as was of Mom. Dad’s tooth and lower jaw dislocated. Both of them even had head injuries, clouts and oozing bloods all over. Within few minutes came rescue Air Force Ambulance and what not.. At midnight they were hospitalised at Air Force Hospital, Amritsar and we were taken to Uncle’s house. Daddy & Mummy underwent multiple stitches apart from Dad’s clipped tooth for over a month in hospital, were restricted with only fruits juice.

During the recovery period, the civil investigating officers had already caught few of those burglars. However, it might seem strange to line up a ton of untold corruption in the system, eventually; some sort of mutual understanding brought the closure of ‘Dacoits & Police’ chapter. It was unbelievable that such incidents even strikes within the neighbourhood of IAF.