IAS-IPS couple offers to look after Kashmir martyr Paramjit Singh’s younger daughter

To meet family at Tarn Taran village on Saturday; 12-year-old Khushdeep has elder sister, twin brother too

A Muslim IAS-IPS couple of Himachal Pradesh has offered to look after Khushdeep Kaur, the 12-year-old daughter of naib subedar Paramjit Singh, who was killed by the border action team of the Pakistan army in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch sector earlier this week.

Kullu deputy commissioner Yunus Khan with wife and Solan SP Anjum Ara and their son.(HT File Photo)

The couple has contacted the martyr’s wife, Paramjit Kaur, and expressed the desire to look after Khushdeep, the younger daughter of the soldier, till she grows up and is independent. Khushdeep is a student of Class 7 at a private school in Goindwal Sahib, 12 km from Vain Poin village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. She has an elder sister, Simardeep Kaur, 15, and a twin brother, Sahildeep Singh.

Khushdeep Kaur, 12, holding up the photo of her father, naib subedar Paramjit Singh at Vain Poin village of Tarn Taran district. (Sameer Sehgal/HT Photo)

“My wife and I will be visiting the soldier’s village in Punjab on Saturday. We have spoken to the family. We want to build the child’s career. This is just a small contribution that we believe everybody should make for the country and its people,” Khan said on Friday.

Born in Malerkotla, Punjab, Yunus Khan is an Indian Administrative Service officer of the 2010-batch and is posted as deputy commissioner, Kullu. His wife, Anjum Ara, is an Indian Police Service officer of the 2011-batch and is posted as the superintendent of police, Solan.

The couple has a four-year old son.

(From left) Naib subedar Paramjit Singh’s son Sahildeep Singh with twin sister Khushdeep Kaur and elder sister Simardeep Kaur as their uncle Ranjit Singh looks on in Vain Poin village of Tarn Taran district. (Sameer Sehgal/HT Photo)

EXPRESSING GRATITUDE

The gesture was received with gratitude by the naib subedar’s family.

His younger brother, Ranjit Singh, couldn’t help draw a historical parallel. “I simply can’t express gratitude to this kind-hearted couple. It reminds me of what the Muslim ruler of Malerkotla, Nawab Sher Mohammad Khan, had done for the youngest sahibzadas (sons) of Guru Gobind Singh Ji,” he said.

Nawab Sher Mohammad Khan is remembered in Sikh history as the only Muslim ruler who raised a voice against the execution of the Guru’s sons in 1705 after they were captured in Sirhind. When Guru Gobind Singh learnt about this, he thanked the nawab and blessed him.

Ranjit Singh said, “I will speak about this at the bhog ceremony of my brother for all to know. I appeal to all senior officers across the country to follow the example of this couple and help families of soldiers. I also call upon spiritual leaders to extend similar help and make a difference to people’s lives.”