CoBRA Commando Balraj Singh, who untied his turban to save fellow soldier's life, hailed as 'hero'

Chhattisgarh Naxal attack: Commando Balraj Singh not only bravely fought the insurgents but also willingly took off his turban for tying on the wound of his fellow soldier Abhishek Pandey who had sustained the injury on foot.

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Commando Balraj Singh did not think twice before taking off his dastar (turban) – an article of Sikh faith – to bandage the wound of his fellow commando even as he himself had sustained injuries while fighting with Maoist insurgents in Chhattisgarh.

Little did Balraj know that his saintly gesture would earn him accolades beyond his or his relative's imagination back home.

On Thursday, there was a mad rush of people coming to Balraj’s house to greet his family and congratulate him not only for bravely fighting the insurgents but also willingly taking off his turban for tying on the wound of his fellow soldier Abhishek Pandey who had sustained the injury on foot and was profusely bleeding.

Yadwinder Kaur, wife of Balraj Singh told ZEE News that last Friday she had a dialogue with her husband who told that he was going for night duty. Balraj Singh often arrives back next day by 8 am but on Saturday she couldn’t contact him, she informed. Yadwinder said that at around 8.30 pm her husband called from one of his colleague’s phone and informed that he had sustained a bullet injury as well as he had tied his turban to stop bleeding of his colleague. “It was terrifying to know that he was injured but at the same time I felt proud of his bravery and how he had kept the dignity of his turban by helping a person in need”, she said. Kaur said that her husband’s act would set an example before others to help mankind.

Ranbir Kaur, the maternal aunt of Balraj Singh said that all the relatives, friends, acquaintances and those little known to the family were coming to their home to congrats the family on the brave as well as generous act of Balraj Singh. "It’s nothing less than making a sacrifice for a Sikh to remove his turban – a Sikh’s pride," she said.

A  trooper of Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) wing, Balraj Singh took off turban to tie it on the wound of his fellow soldier to stop bleeding of his wound during an encounter with Maoists in Bijapur’s Tekulguda village in Raipur district of  Chattisgarh. 

Balraj Singh’s mother Harjeet Kaur said that Balraj was the only brother of three sisters and since childhood, he wanted to join army.

She said she was told that he had got himself vaccinated and due to her poor health nobody told her that he had an encounter with the Maoists. Harjit Kaur said ever since she had come to know her son’s act of bravery and a pious act of saving someone’s life even by removing his turban and tying on his colleague’s wound, the family had been receiving congratulatory messages from known and even strangers. 

 President of the village Gurdwara and member of village Panchayat Captain Surjit Singh (retired) said that it was a festive atmosphere in the village as they were preparing to receive Balraj Singh who was arriving on leave.

Heaping praise upon Balraj Singh, he said a  Sikh never let anyone remove his turban and instead, protect it with his life but Blaraj didn’t think twice before he removed it and tied it on the wound of an injured soldier.