In a quiet corner of Kheri Nagaiyan village in the Shutrana constituency of Punjab’s Patiala district, Gurjeet Singh Khalsa stepped out of his house on October 9, 2024, telling his family he was going to meet his maternal aunt in Samana and later pay obeisance at Harmandir Sahib. He assured them he would return in three or four days. He did not.From his aunt’s house in Samana, Khalsa moved to Gurdwara Garhi Sahib nearby, where a moment during prayer altered the course of his life.“I was disturbed by the divisions within the panth and what I felt was a weak sacrilege law. While praying at the gurdwara, I received guidance from the Almighty to climb atop a tower and seek stricter laws against sacrilege, casting aside all fear of death,” he said.What followed was not impulsive. Khalsa surveyed several tower locations in and around Samana before finalising a BSNL tower. The nearly 400-ft structure stood within a walled compound spread over about 1,000 square yards, adjacent to a children’s memorial park maintained by the municipal council.Before carrying out his plan, he confided in close relatives.“I told my maternal aunt Karamjit Kaur and uncle Labh Singh what I intended to do, but categorically asked them not to inform my parents until I had climbed the tower. I weighed around 125 kg then and was not even sure I could make the climb, but I had the willpower to do it,” he said.In the intervening night of October 11 and 12, 2024, under the cover of darkness, he cut through a section of the barbed wire atop the boundary wall, climbed over the nearly 3-ft wall and entered the premises. A video was recorded and later posted on social media, his supporters said. That same night, he began his ascent. By dawn, he had reached the top along with two others.Story continues below this adThe police were alerted soon after. Only then did his family learn what had happened.“Police officials came to our house in the morning and told us. We were extremely worried and tried to convince him to come down, but he did not relent,” said his father, Baldev Singh, 79, sitting at their home in Kheri Nagaiyan, frail and visibly exhausted.A family’s burdenBack home, life changed overnight.The family runs a dairy business and owns around four acres of land. Khalsa had been the backbone of the operation, managing nearly 40 milch animals.“Khalsa used to take care of most of the dairy work, but ever since he climbed atop the tower, the number of animals has reduced to 20. My younger son Rajpal and I are not able to manage as much work,” Baldev Singh said.Story continues below this adThe initial days were marked by anxiety and helplessness. But over time, the family came to understand the depth of his resolve.“We worried constantly about his health, but eventually realised that what he was doing was a silent protest against the system and a demand for a stricter sacrilege law, for a bigger cause,” said his mother Paramjit Kaur.She and other family members began visiting the protest site regularly, carrying supplies and checking on him from below.“I kept visiting the site regularly, taking milk from home. Now that he has come down, I am thankful to the Almighty for protecting his health and for giving him the grit and determination that ultimately forced the government to amend the law and notify it,” she said, embracing her son after his return.Story continues below this adInterestingly, while most family members visited Samana frequently, Baldev Singh stayed back in the village throughout, occupied with dairy work.“The two persons who climbed up with him in the beginning came down within a few days, but he did not relent. A fauji at heart has great determination,” he said.Khalsa had served as an Army jawan for seven years before leaving service after suffering a foot injury, his father said.“From Gurjeet Singh Khalsa to Bhai Gurjeet Singh Khalsa, that is how life has changed for him in these 560 days. The community now looks up to him and his resolve,” said his mother.Life atop the towerStory continues below this adLife atop the tower demanded extraordinary discipline and meticulous adaptation.A makeshift shelter was created on the top.“A waterproof tarpaulin sheet was used to cover the platform and convert it into a small cabin of sorts, which I carried to the top,” said Gurjant Singh of Bhedukheri village in Patiala.The bedding evolved over time.“In the first few days, there was an air-filled mattress and pillow, with bedsheets beneath and above, but that did not serve the purpose for long. Later, two thin sponge mattresses were folded, packed into a shoulder bag and taken to the top,” said Sahib Singh, another supporter.The daily routine was physically demanding and depended on a tightly coordinated support system.Story continues below this ad“Every morning at around 9 am, I used to carry a container of water, three or four mineral water bottles, a charged battery and a meal to the top. It weighed around 30 kg. Sahib would go in the evening, or sometimes we would swap duties,” Gurjant Singh said.Sometimes, the two used heat- and cold-resistant gloves while climbing the metal tower, though there were no other safety measures.The climb itself took around 30 minutes.“It took me about 30 minutes to climb with supplies, but coming down took half the time because I carried much less weight,” Sahib Singh said.The battery powered a phone charger and a small table fan.Story continues below this ad“The discharged battery was brought back down and replaced with a charged one. That is how things worked,” Sahib Singh explained.Khalsa ate sparingly.“He would eat one meal a day, usually two rotis with sabzi or dal, and have juice in the evening. Nothing else, except water,” he said.Even answering the call of nature required improvisation.“A makeshift arrangement was created by cutting the centre out of a plastic chair. Disposable bags were used and later kept in a dustbin. One of us would bring the waste down daily in a covered container,” Sahib Singh said.At times, supporters stayed overnight atop the tower when Khalsa was unwell.Story continues below this ad“So one person would go at 9 am and another in the evening around 8 or 9 pm. Sometimes we made additional trips during the day if Bhai Sahib was unwell. On some nights, I stayed at the top with him,” he added.Through blistering heat, biting cold, and heavy rain, Khalsa remained steadfast.“My days were spent in prayer, apart from basic chores such as bathing, brushing, answering the call of nature and occasionally speaking to people on the phone,” he said.Asked whether he ever felt fear or illness, he dismissed the idea.“No sickness, no fear. The only difficulty was sleeping on a narrow 2×6 sheet and enduring the cold, heat and rain,” he said.From solitary act to movementOn the ground, authorities maintained a constant presence. A team of doctors remained stationed round the clock.“A team of doctors from the health department stayed downstairs in shifts throughout,” said Dr Nandini Sharma, senior medical officer at Samana Civil Hospital.Those climbing the tower had to sign daily consent forms acknowledging the risks involved.As days turned into months, the solitary act transformed into a movement.“When he climbed atop, he did it quietly. But within a day, the news had spread and people began arriving in Samana. I was one of them, and I never went back,” said Gurdeep Singh Bhullar, a granthi from Hoshiarpur.A small tent was erected in the children’s memorial park, where supporters stayed day and night.“On Sundays and special days, large gatherings would assemble here for programmes. The morcha was named Sarab Dharam Beadbi Roku Kanoon Tower Morcha Samana,” he said.Another tent was later set up by Baba Budha Dal 96 Crori Nihang Singhs, adding to the activity at the site.As the protest lengthened, a parallel mobilisation emerged.“When 500 days had passed and life continued as normal, a morcha began at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur Chowk, about a kilometre away, under the banner of Dharam Yudh Morcha. The panth woke up afterwards, and only then did the Government act,” Khalsa said.He believed the escalation was necessary.“Sometimes, you need to make a loud noise to awaken a sleeping panth. That is how morchas achieve fateh (success),” he said.The growing pressure eventually translated into action. A special Assembly session was convened on April 13, a Bill was passed, and the law was notified on April 20.An akhand path was organised on April 22, followed by the bhog ceremony on April 24, the day Khalsa finally descended from the tower.“Khalsa was brought down and the morcha ended the same day. The road was cleaned and reopened to the public,” said Khushinder Singh of the Dharam Yudh Morcha committee.A turntable ladder was brought from Ludhiana by the Punjab fire department, while firemen were first given a dry run by the Army on April 23 before carrying out the operation.A hero’s welcome homeHis return to Kheri Nagaiyan was marked by celebration. Villagers gathered in large numbers, crackers were burst, langar was served, and the house was illuminated.“A large part of the village went to Samana on the day he came down, and many gathered at his house as well,” said Gurmail Singh, an 80-year-old villager.Despite the prolonged ordeal, Khalsa appeared largely stable, though there were visible signs of strain. He had difficulty standing for long while addressing a gathering at the bhog ceremony. Doctors advised a thorough check-up, though initial tests, including an ECG, were normal.His son, Ishmeet, a Class 12 commerce student, summed up the emotional toll.“Staying away from father was difficult, but it was for the Guru,” he said.His wife Gurpreet Kaur spoke of months defined by anxiety. “There were days when I did not feel like eating. I remained constantly worried about his health,” she said.For many associated with the agitation, the impact stretched beyond one individual.“Samana has found a place on the world map, and for a good cause,” said Gurpreet Singh, coordinator of the Dharam Yudh Morcha.Khalsa acknowledged the role of the administration and political leadership in resolving the issue, thanking the chief minister. His mother said the Government’s decision to enact a stricter law would be remembered for years.After 560 days atop a tower, Khalsa returned home weighing almost exactly what he did when he climbed up, a detail that surprised many. Doctors, however, cautioned that his health would need close monitoring in the coming days.As for what lies ahead, Khalsa remains guided by faith.“I never plan things. I will do whatever the Guru advises me,” he said.