Between Death Threats and Survival: My memories of the 1988 floods........by Baljit Balli
1988 Flood Devastation: When a Khalistani militant saved my life
I had received a threat – “Your fate will be like that of General Kumar, be prepared.”
My Personal Memory Linked to the 1988 Floods and General Kumar’s Killing
The floods of August 2025 reminded me of those black days of September 1988, when the flood gates of Bhakra and other dams were suddenly opened and a large part of Punjab went under water.
At that time, hundreds of lives were lost, lakhs of acres of crops were destroyed, and thousands of animals washed away. People still recall that devastation as the “black days.” According to estimates, between 600 to 1500 people died and around 9,000 villages were affected by the floods.
The Times of India reported, quoting Junior Engineer Irrigation Sudarshan Natt, that 3 lakh cusecs of water was released from Pong Dam and 4 lakh cusecs from Bhakra Dam. The water accumulation was so massive that all 52 gates of Harike Barrage had to be opened — something that has never happened before or since.
Following these floods, on November 7, 1988, Khalistani militants shot and killed General B.N. Kumar, Chairman of BBMB, in Chandigarh. They accused him of being responsible for the devastation suffered by Punjabis. General Kumar was among the highest-ranked army officers killed during those years.
Threatened by Khalistanis , Saved by A Khalistani
At that time, I was a reporter with Ajit newspaper. In 1988, Ajit newspaper launched a relief fund for flood victims.
The amount collected was entirely spent on providing relief to flood-affected people across Punjab. After conducting a survey of the needs of the victims, Ajit decided what type of items or clothing should be distributed in which areas.We visited the Ropar and Anandpur Sahib areas, and saw that people didn’t even have kichen utensils left for daily use. Ajit sent two truckloads of utensils, which my colleagues and I distributed house-to-house.
But those dark days of 1988 were terrifying for me in another way too. Khalistani organizations used to pressure newspapers to publish their statements verbatim. When we edited them, we received threats. In January 1990, I received a threatening letter stating: “Your fate will also be like General Kumar.”
Around the same time, a Khalistani representative warned me that a decision had been taken to kill me, and that my house and office had already been under surveillance.
He advised me to disappear for a few days. I left Chandigarh with my family and went to Andhra Pradesh, where we stayed with relatives for about a month.My wife's uncle was setteled there. Incidently, he had alredy sent invite to us to join wedding of his son.We travelled by train from Delhi to Vijayawada and further by Car.
It was an irony that the Khalistani militants who had threatened me, and one of them ended up playing a role in saving my life. A little while later, he himself was killed in a police encounter.
August 31, 2025
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Baljit Balli, Editor-In-Chief , Babushahi Network
tirshinazar@gmail.com
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