Bank guard who risked life to save Rs136 cr a forgotten hero

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, February 22

Though the state government has distributed compensation to all those who suffered injuries during the Jat quota stir in February last year, a guard of State Bank of Patiala, Hawa Singh Yadav, who risked his life to save Rs 136 crore at the bank by fighting rioters all alone for seven hours during the stir here, is feeling ignored.

Even after a year, the government has neither honoured him with any bravery award, nor provided him monetary aid for his courageous act, which attracted the attention of the media at national level.

Union Minister Rao Inderjit and the IGP, IRB (Bhondsi), have also recommended gallantry award and financial succor for Yadav for showing exemplary courage in the adverse situation, but to no avail. The district authority has also failed to felicitate him at the Independence and Republic Day functions. Umed Singh, Hawa Singh’s elder brother, “My brother has been ailing ever since the incident. He cannot even walk due to paralysis attack. He had to take VRS following ill-health and is spending most of his time at his house under a security cover. We still fear backlash from those who attacked the bank during the stir.”

“It was around 5 pm on February 20 last year when a violent mob of 400 youths carrying bamboo sticks, swords, sickles and guns attacked the bank, which was closed in the curfew-bound city. I rushed to the manager’s room and fired shots from my gun to ward off the rioters,” said Yadav, 52, who served as a Naik with the 11 Kumaon Regiment till his superannuation in 1999. He said the hooligans damaged the bank ATM and cash deposit machine before setting them on fire. They also set his scooter ablaze. The mob laid siege to the bank and smashed all windows, burnt curtains and threw fire bottles inside the building with the intent to rob.

“Besides trying to suffocate me with the smoke of a burning tyre and chili powder, they made unsuccessful attempt to break bank’s roof to enter the chest carrying Rs 136 crore, but I did not give up. I kept calling the police, but to no avail. Around 12 midnight, my family along with a significant number of villagers reached the bank and rescued me,” said Umed Singh. He said following the incident, he suffered lung infection, paralysis attack and other medical conditions.

Umed said they had met Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and other government functionaries for a government job to Hawa Singh’s son, but nothing happened in this regard. “Everyone sympathised with us, but nobody helped. State Bank of Patiala, however, gave a job to his son in his place,” he said. “Many people are felicitated at the Independence and Republic Day functions every year, but it is unfortunate that the district authority did not consider my brother for the honour,” he said.