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(Statement of Balwant Singh Ramuwalia, cont'd)

They were bare and their hands were tied behind their backs.They were asked to squat on the ground in four rows and they were shot by the army. I was in the compound of Guru Ram Das Sarai, just near the water tanks for bathing. It was there that they were asked to squat and were shot dead in cold blood. They were bare and had their hands tied behind their backs and were made to sit in four rows and were shot there. They were shot before our very eyes by gunfire. They would move their heads this way and that, let out a shriek and drop dead …my clothes were drenched with blood and I had lost my shoes. I had put on bandages on an old injured man after having put him into my lap. In this condition, I went to the Commanding Officer and got another man sanctioned. After having done this, another Colonel and Brigadier called Ravi also came.

I told the Brigadier that some people had already died and asked about the fate of those 400 people who remained alive. He indicated that they were prisoners of war. I then said that they should be taken somewhere. He answered,“MP Sahib, if you could do the job of preparing lists of men, women and children and old people separately.” In 40 to 50 minutes we had prepared the lists. During this interval, the army had started taking people in batches of five each to another place, as they were doing this, doubts arose that they may be taking them away in order to kill them with impunity. I rushed to a Major named Parta and asked him why the people were being killed and took him to see Sant Longowal, who also insisted upon knowing whether they were being killed after being taken away in groups of five each. He replied that it was wrong, this could never happen. He further indicated that they regarded Sant Longowal as Mahatma Gandhi and asked us as to why we doubted him. Then I was sent along with him towards the other side and found 50 persons sitting there in one corner. I asked him the purpose of their being kept confined in that place. He told us that they were to be arrested and then taken away. Then I asked him to bring the others as well. All the rest were taken there, then transferred to camps.

People were killed like that. No medicine was provided, in fact no medical aid was administered at all. Sant Sujan Singh died because he was not given water. Many people died in the camps. Neither water nor medical aid was provided and you could not even donate blood for the injured in hospitals as it was stated that they were POW ’s and hence no blood transfusions were permitted. The situation is so bad that you can only look up to God for solace.”

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