Bhagat Singh’ niece passed away in UK, her first book in 1967 had most authentic description of Peoples Hero

BATHINDA: Freedom fighter Bhagat Singh's niece Virendra Sindhu passed away after a prolonged illness in UK on Wednesday. She was 83. Virendra had shifted to UK after marriage in 1968. Virendra’ book Yugdrashta Bhagat Singh aur ukne mritanjay purbaj (Bhagat Singh and his late ancestors) about three generations of Bhagat Singh clan was published in Hindi in 1967 which was a sought after book of that time as it had detailed the most authentic description of Peoples Hero and was reprinted in various volumes. The book described about grandfather Arjun Singh, father Kishan Singh and deeply described the persona of Bhagat Singh. It was translated into many languages and the languages department Punjab had got it translated in Punjabi.
Her other book Patra aur Dastavej was published in 1977 wherein letters written by Bhagat Singh or to him were mentioned including the famous letter Bhagat Singh had written to her younger brother Kultar Singh (Virendra’ father) on March 3, 1931, only 20 days before he along with Rajguru and Sukhdev was hanged at central jail Lahore. In this letter Bhagat Singh had written ‘meri hawaon mein rahengi meri khayalon ki bijlian, ye mushke khak hai fani rahe na rahe’, tells historian Prof Chaman Lal, who has written a number of books about him.
She was married to Naresh Bhartiya, author and broadcaster with BBC, who is no longer here.
“When she was born in 1939, father was in jail and could see her only after 6 years of her birth when he was released from jail in 1945. She contributed a lot in her writings and provided authentic information in her writings. Though she had shifted to UK in 1968 but used to visit and was present when Punjab Chief Minister Giani Zail Singh had bestowed the title of Punjab Mata on Bhagat Singh’ mother Vidyawati on January 1, 1973 and also when Bhagat Singh’ statue was installed in parliament in 2008”, said Virendra Sindhu’ younger brother Kiranjit Singh Sandhu, who resides at Saharanpur in UP. Though a lot has been written about Bhagat Singh before her first book in 1967 but that book was considered as most authentic and got many reprints. Though we all knew a lot about Bhagat Singh from our father, who was very close to him (Bhagat Singh) but Virendra used to remain more keen in knowing more and more which she translated into her writings while chronicling Bhagat Singh, remembers Kiranjit.