gradually their fear subsided. In the afternoon, city people saw the way farmers quietly ate their rotis and cleaned the entire area properly. After that, these city-dwellers began offering water to the farmers. At night the farmers began to have some entertainment in their little groups. Then eventually the city people came out in large numbers and even participated in the singing and dancing. They realized that these Sikh farmers were not dangerous terrorists but were simple folk like themselves. During the next five-six days these Sikh farmers had in fact become good friends of the Chandigarh residents.’ Both Borawake and Deokar had a special relationship with Punjab farmers. Some farmers’ leaders from Punjab had come to Maharashtra to attend a mass meeting SS had organized on 31 October 1984 at Tehere. Unfortunately, it was the same day when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated. Anti-Sikh riots began all over India. Thousands were killed. The news reached Tehere and the meeting was cut short. The question before Sanghatana and Joshi was how to protect Sikh leaders who were at the rally. At this critical hour Borawake and Deokar put all the Sikhs in three-four cars and took them to their own homes in Kopargaon in Nagar district. They were kept in hiding inside the homes. Miscreants were moving around to enquire whether any Sikhs were hiding anywhere but Borawake and Deokar managed to keep Sikh leaders away from everyone’s sight. After ten-twelve days, situation normalized and then the Sikh leaders were put onto the train to Punjab and eventually they reached the safety of their own homes. Bhupinder Singh Mann was amongst them. The Sikh leaders were most grateful to these two families and said, ‘It is because of you that we are alive today. You gave us our second lives.’ Borawake and Deokar maintained those precious relationships for many more years to come. Bhupinder Singh Mann remained one of the closest colleagues of Joshi. Since 1980 he had continuously been the Joshi in Punjab
Q
211
