Chandigarh, March 12
Was Sikh history on SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal’s mind when he chose Chappar Chiri for the swearing-in ceremony on March 14? Parkash Singh Badal will take oath as Chief Minister there. Sources said Sukhbir had earlier shortlisted PCA stadium at Mohali for the function, but opted for Chappar Chiri later.

Chappar Chiri has a special place in Sikh history. It was here that Banda Singh Bahadur, one of the most respected warriors in Sikh history, had won the battle against Wazir Khan, who commanded the Mughal army.

Wazir Khan had come to Chappar Chiri to stop the march of the “Sikh army” led by Banda Singh Bahadur to Sirhind. A most hated character by the Sikhs, Wazir Khan was killed at Chappar Chiri. Under the command of Banda Singh Bahadur, he was encircled by Fateh Singh and Baz Singh.

On the Chappar Chiri victory, one historian has described the victory to be a “culmination of the Khalsa revolution”.

The SAD-BJP government recently built a memorial “Fateh Burj” (tower of victory) at Chappar Chiri. The memorial stands at the centre of the field where the battle was fought in 1710. The function will be held close to the Burj, situated close to Mohali.

The victory at Chappar Chiri had led to the annihilation of Sikhs’ tormentors in the region at that time. Fateh Singh was related to Sukhbir Singh Badal from his mother’s side. Fateh Singh was one of the ancestors of his late mother Surinder Kaur Badal. In fact, Surinder Kaur Badal belonged to Chak Fateh Singh village near Bhucho.

The village drew its name from Fateh Singh, who was a “General” in Banda Singh Bahadur’s Army. Sukhbir-led SAD, which claims to represent the spirit of the Khalsa panth, registered a historic victory in the recent Assembly elections.