Bhagat Singh's sister dies on his 107th birth anniversary

PATIALA: The younger sister of Shaheed Bhagat Singh died on the day the world was celebrating his 107th birth anniversary.
Ninety-three-year-old Prakash Kaur, the last of the martyr's eight siblings, passed away at the residence of her elder son Rupinder Singh Malhi at Brampton city of Canada. Though the revolutionary's sister was never associated with any party, she raised her voice against mysterious disappearances of Sikh youth at height of militancy in Punjab, and led the fight for irrigation water for farmers in Rajasthan.
"She died at around 4 pm on September 28. An era has come to an end with her death," her son told TOI from Brampton. She will be cremated on Sunday.
Born in 1921, Prakash Kaur was only 10 years old when Bhagat Singh was hanged to death by British on March 23, 1931.
Bhagat Singh's other siblings were Kultar Singh, Jagat Singh, Amar Kaur, Shakuntla Devi, Ranbir Singh and Rajinder Singh. Kultar Singh, who was based in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, died in 2004.
Prakash was married to Harbans Singh Malhi of 5 NN village in Padampur tehsil of Ganganagar district in Rajasthan. "My father, who had moved to Canada in 1980, died around 15 years ago," said Rupinder.
After her marriage, the revolutionary's sister played a pivotal role in Punjabi farmers' agitation.
"In late 1960s, both Prakash Kaur and her husband spent two months in jail for leading a massive agitation of Punjabi farmers in Ganganagar district for adequate irrigation water," recalled Kiranjit Singh, son of Bhagat Singh's brother Kultar Singh.