24/07/2025
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗺𝘂 & 𝗞𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗶𝗿
By Voice of Sikh – VOKS
From the misty orchards of Baramulla to the bridges of Sopore, from the Maharaja’s assembly halls to the lecture rooms of Central India, the Balis of Kashmir have shaped the region’s history through a legacy of courage, intellect, construction, and cultural preservation.
The Bali clan has stood out in the Kashmir Valley for its extraordinary public service, engineering feats, academic accomplishments, and literary voice. This feature pays homage to five towering figures of this remarkable lineage—each representing a distinct facet of their contribution to Jammu and Kashmir.
𝘽𝙝𝙖𝙞 𝙆𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙮𝙖 𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙝 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙞 – First Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), Jammu & Kashmir
A respected community elder and visionary, Bhai Khanaya Singh Bali was the first from his community elected to the Legislative Council during the princely state era of Jammu and Kashmir. His election marked a milestone in minority representation and democratic participation, as he navigated the delicate transition from autocratic rule under the Dogras to the emergence of constitutional governance.
He was renowned for his equity, persuasive oratory, and inclusive secular vision, and is remembered as a key architect in establishing Sikh presence in state politics.
(𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑢𝑡𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝐴𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑦 (𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑗𝑎 𝑆𝑎𝑏ℎ𝑎), 𝐽𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑢 & 𝐾𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑚𝑖𝑟. 𝐸𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 1934 𝑎𝑛𝑑 1947, 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑎𝑗𝑎 𝑆𝑎𝑏ℎ𝑎—𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑎𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎 𝑟𝑢𝑙𝑒. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝ℎ 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑝𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐴𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑦 𝑅𝑜𝑜𝑚, 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐽𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑢 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐾𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑚𝑖𝑟. 𝑆. 𝐾𝑎𝑛ℎ𝑎𝑦𝑎 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑔ℎ 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒.)
𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗵 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗶 – 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗝&𝗞 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗹𝘆 (𝟭𝟵𝟱𝟭–𝟭𝟵𝟱𝟳)
Sardar Purana Singh Bali holds a unique place in Jammu & Kashmir's political history as the first Marshal of the Constituent Assembly, established under Sheikh Abdullah in 1951. Tasked with maintaining order, enforcing discipline, and upholding decorum, his role was crucial during the formative years of the state’s democratic framework.
The Constituent Assembly, convened to draft J&K’s own constitution, marked a historic transition from monarchy to democracy. As Marshal, Purana Singh Bali brought dignity, experience, and authority to the proceedings, ensuring a smooth functioning of the Assembly during a politically sensitive era.
( 𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑟 𝑃𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑎 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑔ℎ 𝐵𝑎𝑙𝑖, 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 i𝑛 1951—𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑐 𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐽𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑢 & 𝐾𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑚𝑖𝑟 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐴𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑑𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑒’𝑠 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.)
𝙎𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙧 𝙏𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙝 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙞 “𝙈𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙧” – Poet, Scholar, Patriot
A man of words rather than weapons, Sardar Tara Singh Bali, affectionately known by his pen name “Musaffir” (the traveler), became the literary conscience of his community. A poet, historian, and social observer, he voiced the longings, displacements, and cultural pride of the post-Partition generation.
His poetry resonated deeply across Kashmir, capturing themes of secularism, exile, and Kashmiri identity, earning him a place among the intellectual vanguard of post-independence India. Musaffir’s verses continue to echo through the community as both art and archive.
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗽𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗵 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝗶 – Academic Pioneer & Award-Winning Writer
The first in his community to earn a PhD in Anthropology, Professor Rachhpal Singh Bali was not only a trailblazing academic, but also a celebrated Punjabi author. Born on 14 February 1934 to Ram Singh Bali and Ishar Kour in Kanli Bagh, Baramulla, he pursued his MSc (1961) and PhD (1964) from Delhi University.
In 1966, he joined the Central University in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, where he retired as Professor and Head of the Anthropology Department. Known for blending rigorous fieldwork with empathetic insight, Professor Bali’s research was matched by his powerful creative writing in Punjabi—making him a rare bridge between science and storytelling.
𝙎𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙖𝙧 𝙂𝙖𝙟𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙝 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙞 – Master Builder, Community Rebuilder
Perhaps no figure shaped the physical infrastructure of Baramulla and its surroundings more than Sardar Gajinder Singh Bali (1905–1968), a highly respected A-Class PWD and Army contractor. The son of Sardar Mitha Singh Bali and Sardarni Radha Kour, and grandson of Zaildar Dharam Singh Bali, he was instrumental in constructing some of the region’s most vital projects:
● Baramulla Bridge
● Sopore Bridge (see original construction photos)
● Saelu Bridge over the Jhelum
● Army cantonments at Uri, Rampur, Boniyar, Baramulla, Tapar, and Pattan
● Baramulla–Srinagar National Highway (widening)
● Baramulla–Babareshi Road
Following the 1947 Kabaili invasion, Gajinder Singh also contributed to the renovation of the Chattipatshi Gurdwara, offering strength and hope to a devastated Sikh community. Though he lost his father, Mitha Singh, as a child, he was raised by his paternal uncle, Zaildar Isher Singh Bali, and went on to become a beacon of reconstruction and upliftment.
He married Smt. Gobind Kour Bali of Wanpora, and the couple raised five daughters (Padam, Updesh, Tejpal, Iqbal, and Gurjeet) and two sons (Bhagwant and Surinder)—passing on a legacy built on foundations far stronger than stone.
𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒆—𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓, 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑱𝒂𝒎𝒎𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑲𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒎𝒊𝒓 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.
