Sucha Singh Soorma

Sucha Singh is a folk legend (one of the famous Punjabi Kisse) in Punjab. He is widely admired in Punjabi culture for upholding the honour of his family by killing his sister-in-law Balbiro and her extramarital lover Ghukkar, who at one time was his own best friend. Sucha Singh is believed to be of the Jawanda clan.

Balbiro and Ghukkar's Killings

Balbiro's Wedding to Naraina

Balbir Kaur aka Balbiro aka Biro aka Bo was married to a man Juaarh Singh in a village at the border of Patiala-Sangrur. She was a lustful and greedy wife, and when her husband failed to fulfill her expectations, she, according to various theories, poisoned him. Having done that very innocently, she and her parents invite other marriage proposals ,(as you might understand, she would not be expected to be married to a very able person because of her widowhood, given the traditions in Punjab). Having heard about this invitation, Sucha Singh and Ghukkar Mall Chahal, residents of village Samaon near Sangrur, go to see her and speak to her for Sucha's elder brother Narain Singh.

She accepts the offer for getting married to Naraina on a few conditions. She asks them to load her with jewelery on the wedding, give her freedom in terms of running the house, doing other chores, eating, drinking etc. By the way, she relished drinking liquor and eating meat and chicken. (these as you might again understand were things quite far-fetched to women folk in Punjab). Intending to get Naraina married ( he was an addict to opium, as Biro would claim it later ), they agree upon all her conditions. Of course she was beautiful too.

Growing Relationship With Ghukkar

After marriage, she was provided with whatever she desired within the families social and financial limits. As Sucha and Ghukkar were very close friends they would often meet up at Sucha's place. As Ghukkar began to frequent his visits, he decided to propose to Balbiro. She was hesitant because of her brother-in-law Sucha but at the same time was attracted to Ghukkar, who was a landlord, a wrestler and an influential person in the village.

Ghukkar's Wily Scheme

As per the scheme, Ghukkar sympathised with Sucha on his financial plight and suggested that they should join the army in Multan. As they go to get recruited, Ghukkar on the pretext of feeling homesick comes back to the village and openly indulged in sex and drunken revelries with Biro.

Sucha Singh's Return

Biro’s husband, a submissive person, wrote to Sucha explaining the situation to him. Sucha comes back with the intention of resolving things, conveyed messages to Ghukkar, called upon wiser folk of the village, but Ghukkar did not pay heed or oblige to any instructions. In the meantime, Biro tried to pacify Sucha from taking any extreme step.

"Juaan deor de khauf se, paein naar nu haul,
"Rafal dunaali vekhke, Biro kare makhaul."

Sucha usually responded by beating her up for bringing this to his house. Biro tried everything, from changing her stance and saying that Ghukkar forced her into doing this --

"Biro ro-ro deor nu kahaani dassgi, jaal vich gheri vi bateri fassgi.
"Baahle dukh katte nikkal bhambaur se, mallo-malli aanwda ghukkar zor se."

-- to meeting up with Ghukkar to identify a solution, tried to convince her friends to explain it to Sucha that she and Ghukkar were lovers, just like the famous love story "Heer Ranjha", etc, and even threatened Sucha with dire consequences because majority of the village was on Ghukkar’s side.

The Showdown

Ghukkar organized a singing programme (Akhara) and on this pretext calls upon his various allies from other villages as well.

"Nerre-terre baasak nagar Chahalaan de, daru maas veswa patte ve vailaan de,
"Chobar bulaale saare deke vaadhi ai, ghukkar pind waale ne sadaale dhadi ai."

Basically, the stage was now set for a face to face confrontation between these one time best friends. The moment came when Biro was passing by and was commented upon by Ghukkar as being his property/possession/mistress. And he asked Biro to come to him and enjoy with him in the company of his friends. Biro obliged. Ghukkar and his friends got drunk and threatened Sucha who prepared himself his rifle and single-handed challenged Ghukkar and his allies to face him in this battle of egos. Ghukkar’s allies seeing the weapon and Sucha’s high spirits, sheepishly just ran away.

"Sihtt jaan chhaviyaan gandaase chhodge, pal vich saare hi yaaraane todge.
"Belt gale ch kaartoos sann ge, vekh ke rafal nu hawayiyaan bann ge."

Sucha seeing Ghukkar’s friends running for their life, confronts Ghukkar who pleads for his life. Sucha would not listen, and fired right into Ghukkar from point blank (as they say) after which he killed one of Ghukkar’s friends, Bhag Singh, who was brave enough to come back and try to avenge his friends death.

"Modhe naal laawe chakk ke machine nu, dabbke stud bhare magazine nu,
"Mall vanni chhadde jor-jor shistaan, der na lagawe taahr deve kishtaan."

Filled with rage and vengeance, Sucha then kills his sister-in-law who had in the meantime run home.

"Goliyaan de naal bhann sitte pathhe ji, Biro te ghadola digg paein kathhe ji.
"Pai geya bhadaaka kaun jhalle sajjno, sarad-sarad goli challe sajjno."

Sucha committing those murders, ran from his village and went west towards Muktsar. Police came really close looking for him, and had some local courageous men rewarded for looking for him. One pathan caught up with Sucha and challenged him. Sucha was the first one to shoot though and kills the pathan too.

"Jor leya rafal nu andar khes de, hune naam likh deyaan marabbe es de."

Later Exploits

Murder of Muslim Oppressors

A year passed after the incident in Samaon that Sucha resurfaced again. This time, on his way back to his village to see his brother, he came across an old Hindu woman crying sitting outside her house in a village Bargaadi near Kotkapura. Upon inquiring, he came to know that some Muslims in the village were ill-treating the Hindus, so much so that they stole, slaughtered and feasted on their cattle, while forcing the Hindus to eat it too. Sucha went to the scoundrels and tried to stop them as they were about to kill another cow. This interference infuriated the Muslims who went ahead with the killing anyway. Sucha shot five of them down while a few others managed to run away.

Raaj Kaur's Murder

Later, Sucha joined a group of dacoits and ran havoc in the area. Soon enough, another situation very familiar arose and required his discretion. A widow and a mother of two sons, Raaj Kaur (the elder of the sons, Basant Singh was in his early teens) in village Gehri in Bathinda, started hanging out with another influential man from the same village. Her kids tried to stop her but she would not listen. On the contrary, she got her elder son beaten up by her lover Gajjan Vaili. Basant made contact with his paternal uncle, Ran Singh, who was coincidentally in the army too (just like Sucha). This infuriated Ran but he although had heard the story of Sucha, did not feel he was brave enough to carry out justice there. But he knew that Sucha was around in the area making loots and all. He managed to convey the message to Sucha about the problem his sister-in-law (raaj Kaur) had put his family in. Sucha responded quickly and killed both raaj Kaur and Gajjan Vaili.

Capture of Sucha Singh

Police tracked Sucha down in Kotshamir, a village close to Gehri, after this incident. He was hanged in Gehri.

"Khich lainde phatta jeya lagge na phattka, vajjeya hulaara dhaun khaagi jhatka,
"Suche de nikkle praan pal mein, bolke jaikaara tandi paali gal mein."

References:

*Punjabi folk songs and folklore.
*Babu Rajab Ali’s take on the legend.