Despite all that Mr Ajit Singh Takkar Sandhu is a dejected man today. On a casual report of the DSP (CID), Gurdaspur, the police has withdrawn all security provided to him exposing his life to threats from terrorists. Even the carbine allotted to him for self-protection has been withdrawn.

While talking to The Tribune, Mr Ajit Singh said that being a CPM worker he used to speak openly against terrorists in Punjab. His village, Takkar Sandhu, was located in that part of Gurdaspur, which at one time was the hot bed of terrorism. Due to his open criticism of the terrorists they used to threaten him with dire consequences.

On August 15, 1990, when his wife Dhanwant Kaur and son Jasbir Singh were coming home, terrorists gunned them down near his residence. Hearing their screams, he came out and fired at the terrorists, injuring one of them. He could not even perform the last rites of his wife and son as terrorists had threatened to eliminate anyone who attended the cremation.

However, the tragedy did not break Ajit Singh. Instead, it strengthened his resolve to fight against terrorism. He was provided with 18 guards after that and with the help of the security men he fought with terrorists in the entire area.

This also brought him in direct confrontation with the terrorists who launched numerous attacks on his house. Even grenade attacks were made. But he survived and helped the police nab many terrorists in the area. However, all this took its toll.

Mr Ajit Singh could not plough his fields for more than 10 years and his land became barren. His financial condition also turned worse as he had to pay for maintaining about 18 guards.

However, normalcy returned to Punjab. Slowly the guards given to him were withdrawn. Recently, even the lone security guard provided to him was withdrawn on the report of the DSP (CID), Gurdaspur.

Mr Ajit Singh said that he met the present DGP, Mr Virk, against the withdrawal of his security. The DGP, who had himself fought terrorism, paid heed to his request and stayed the order for withdrawing the last SPO given to him. The DGP also assured him that he would look into his case.

But what peeved Mr Ajit Singh the most was that though he fought against terrorism and lost his family members the lower rank police officials were not gracious enough to provide even one security guard to him. “Police protection was provided to every petty politician but not to an ordinary person like him who fought terrorists,” he lamented.