User:Pheroo Singh/sandbox

Nishaan-e-mard-e Momin ba too moyam,

Choon marg aayad, tabassum bar lab-e-ost

(You ask me for the signs of a man of faith?

When death comes to him,

He has a smile on his lips.)

Shauq-e-tool-o-peych is zulmat qade mein hai agar,

Bengalee ke baat sun aur Bengalan key baal deykh

(If you like to add legnth to a story, put a twist in its tail,

Hear a Bengali talk (endlessly) and gaze upon his woman's long hair.)

Voh waqt bhee dekhya tareekh kee gharion nay,

Lamhon nay khataa kee thee,

Sadiyon nay sazaa payee

(The ages of history have recorded times,

Where for an error made in a few seconds,

Centuries had to pay the price.)

Parkash Singh Badal

Minister of Communications

Union Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation

Surjit Singh Barnala

Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs

Union Minister for Agriculture and Irrigation

5th Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers

Sukhbir Singh Badal

Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India)

Sukhdev Singh Dhinsa

Minister of Works and Estates

Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers

Minister of Mines

Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports

Harsimrat Kaur Badal

Minister of Food and Processing Industries

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Jawahir Singh Kapur

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Delhi

History of Delhi

India Gate

Rashtrapati Bhavan

Connaught Place

Rajpath

Janpath

South Delhi

Central Delhi

The Sikh Revolutionary and Durbar Wars, sometimes called the Great Durbar War, were a series of conflicts between the Sukherchakia Raj and several kingdoms in India under the British East India Company. They encompass the Misl Unification War against the various Misls and from 1805 onwards the Lahore-Patiala War, Afghan-Sikh Wars, First Anglo-Afghan War, First Durbar War, Second Durbar War, Third Durbar War and Lahore Durbar Mutiny of 1856.First Afghan-Sikh War (Abdali)

• Gangetic Campaign of the Sikhs
• Rajputana Campaign of the Sikhs
• Third Hill States-Sikh War
• Fourth Hill States-Sikh War
• Second Anglo-Maratha War
• First Misl Unification War
• Second Afghan-Sikh War (Timur Shah)
• Katoch-Sikh War
• Dogra-Sikh War
• Nepal-Sikh War
• Second Misl Unification War
• First Baloch-Sikh War
• Burmese-Sikh War
• Second Baloch-Sikh War
• Third Afghan-Sikh War (Zaman Shah)
• Muslim Rebellion of 1830
• Fourth Afghan-Sikh War (Nalwa)
• Standoff in the Khyber Pass
• Fifth Hill States-Sikh War
• Fifth Afghan-Sikh War (Basawan)
• Maqpon-Sikh War
• Tatar-Sikh War
• Sino-Sikh War
• Panchayati Revolution
• First Anglo-Sikh War
• Second Anglo-Sikh War
• Parakramabahu VIII of Kotte----Shivnabh Parakramabahu VIII of Kotte
• Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghuri----Sultan Hamid Karun of Misar
• Afonso I of Kongo
• Maharaja Ranjit Singh (Channi64+Pandit Keshav Das etc)

My father died at ninety, a few minuites after he had his last sip of Scotch. My mother followed him eight years later when she was ninety-four. Her last request, made in a feeble, barely audible voice, was 'Viskee'. It was given to her. She threw it up and spoke no more.

Events in Sikh history:

1850-1880

1. First Sikh Dark Ages
2. First Deravaad Ansi Sikhs Gulabdasi Sect Nirankaris Brahmo Samaj in Punjab Sitala Mata Mahants Taksalism
3. First Isaivaad
4. First Nashavaad
5. Revolt of 1857
6. Punjab Education Policy
7. Sikh Jagirs
8. Sikh Trade Routes
9. Second Opium War
10. Kuka Movement
11. Sikh Settlement outside Punjab
12. Punjab Rural Insurrection

1880-1947

1. Singh Sabha Movement (Amritsar, Lahore, Bhasaur)
2. Punjab Canal Colonies
3. Tirah Campaign
4. Arya Samaj in Punjab
5. Christianity in Punjab
6. World War I
7. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
8. Third Anglo-Afghan War
9. Pagdi Sambhal Jatta Movement
10. Non-Cooperation Movement
11. Akali Movement
12. Nankana Sahib Massacre
13. Babbar Akali Movement
14. New Delhi Development Project
15. Civil Disobedience Movement
16. World War II
17. Sikhistan Independence War
18. 1947 Indo-Pakistan War

1947-1997

1. Partition Resettlement Program
2. Punjabi Suba Movement
3. Disbandment of P.E.P.S.U.
4. Green Revolution in Punjab, India
5. Shiromani Akali Dal Split
6. 1962 Sino-Indian War
7. 1965 Indo-Pakistan War
8. 1967 Punjab Legislative Assembly election
9. Naxalite Movement in Punjab, India
10. Batala Conference
11. Anandpur Sahib Resolution
12. The Emergency (India)
13. Save Democracy Protests
14. Sikh-Nirankari Clashes
15. Dharam-Yudh Morcha
16. Operation Blue Star
17. Sikh Mutiny of 1984
18. Assassination of Indira Gandhi
19. 1984 Anti-Sikh Riots
20. Sikh Exodus of 1984
21. Khalistan Liberation War
22. 1992 Punjab Legislative Assembly election
23. Police Rule in Punjab

Second Sikh Dark Ages

1. 1997 Punjab Legislative Assembly election
2. Sikh Exodus of the 21st Century
3. Diasporization of Khalistan
4. Second Nashavaad
5. Second Isaivaad
6. Second Deravaad Akhand Kirtani Jatha Nirankaris Namdharis RSSB Ram Rahim Hinduism
7. Punjabi Music Industry
8. Second Punjab Rural Insurrection
9. 2015 Guru Granth Sahib desecration controversy
10. 2015 Sarbat Khalsa
11. 2020-2021 Indian farmers' protest
12. Amritpal Singh Saga

The Bhai Sahib Jawahir Singh Kapur
Bhai Jawahir Singh Kapur on a list of prominent Singh Sabha members. He is bottom-right on the first page, or bottom-centre left in the image.
Born	1858 Amritsar, Punjab, British India
Died	14 May 1910 Lahore, Punjab, British India
Cause of death	Illness
Citizenship	British Empire
Alma mater	Punjab University
Occupations	Publicist Polemist Social reformer
Years active	1873-1910
Era	British Raj
Known for	Singh Sabha Movement
Board member of	Committee of Management of Maharaja Sher Singh's Samadh Assessor/Juror in Lahore Member of the Punjab Text Book Committee Member of the Punjab Public Library
Relatives	Head Granthi Golden Temple, Bhai Mohar Singh (grandfather) Bhai Atma Singh Kapur (father)
Awards	Fellow of the Ajuman-I-Punjab Elected member of the Calcutta Literary Society Best Chronogram in Persian
Vice-President of the Arya Samaj, Lahore
In office – 26 November 1888
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Pandit Guru Datta
Vice-President of Lahore Singh Sabha
Preceded by	Diwan Buta Singh
Succeeded by	Bhai Basant Singh
Superintendent North-Western Railways
Founder and Secretary Khalsa College
In office 1 October 1890 – 16 March 1902
Preceded by	Position Established
Succeeded by	Sunder Singh Majithia

Bhai Jawahir Singh Kapur (1858-1910) was a leading figure of the Singh Sabha Movement, specifically the Lahore Singh Sabha. In his youth he was a proponent of the Gulabdasi sect, then the Arya Samaj, and finally he worked to improve the status of his own community, the Sikhs. He was a leading Sikh figure in the late 1800s owing to his contributions to the Sikh community by giving speeches and publications. Though he did not actively participate in the literary brawls between the Amritsar and Lahore Singh Sabhas, he still used his Anglo-Vernacular education to his advantage to strengthen the Sikh message among the rural populations. He was also a moderate when it came to politics and issues during the time and created many controversies.

After the death of Prof. Gurmukh Singh at Solan, the unnofficial title of leader of the Singh Sabha Movement fell on Bhai Jawahir Singh Kapur.

Early life and family

He was the son of Bhai Atma Singh Kapur of Gujranwala, Punjab, British India and was born in Amritsar, in 1858. He claimed that his ancestors were Granthis in the Darbar Sahib, specifically his grandfather Bhai Mohar Singh, the head Granthi of the Darbar Sahib, Amritsar.

It is unknown how many children he had, though his daughter, Durga Devi and Dr. Sunder Singh Puri's, marriage was the first time a traditional Sikh did an Anand Karaj, before it was only Nirankaris who performed according to the Anand Karaj.

Socio-religious career

Gulabdasi Sect

He was a follower of the Gulabdasi sect in his youth who were a materialistic sect who rose to prominence after the fall of the Sikh Empire in 1849. This was where he met his lifelong friend, Bhai Ditt Singh who also visited Gulabdasi congregations in his youth, especially in Rataul and Chatian Wala, where the saints Gulab Das and Piro Preman were born in. He was the inspiration for Bhai Ditt Singh, to move from the Gulabdasi sect to the Arya Samaj, and from there to the Singh Sabha.

He was affiliated with specifically one Sant Bahadur Singh. The Gulabdasis were an antithesis, a counter-culture against the Sikh culture. Though they pledged their allegiance to Sikhism and the Gurus their practices were very different and unique, making them gain prominence among the youth, they wore lavish clothing, drank alcohol, ate meat and were against rituals, reincarnation and the priestly castes. They walked with garlands of flowers around their necks. After a ban placed on the Gulabdasi sect by Maharaja Narinder Singh of Patiala, the sect rapidly declined, and most of them reverted to either Sikhism or Hinduism.

Arya Samaj

He joined the Arya Samaj along with Bhai Ditt Singh, in 1883 he was one of the main promoters of the D.A.V. College and helped found it as well. Soon later at the age of 19 he became the President of Arya Samaj Lahore. He was the head of Arya Paropkarini Sabha from 1878-1883.

He broke all ties with the Arya Samaj on 25th November 1885, when an Arya Samaji preacher named Pandit Guru Dutt spoke derogatorily about Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh on the eleventh annual meeting of the Arya Samaj. The base of the Arya Samaj broke up as all Sikhs who supported it left the Arya Samaj and created the Lahore Singh Sabha to fight against the Hindu and Christian crusade against Sikhism.

Raja Bikram Singh Ahluwalia and Sir Attar Singh of Bhadaur invited him into the Lahore Singh Sabha so that they could use his services, and he could give his services to his own community.

Lahore Singh Sabha

Jawahir Singh Kapur addressed meetings in Amritsar telling his Sikh audiences that the Arya Samaj had its institutions to teach Sanskrit and the Vedas, the Muslims had made provision for the teaching of the Koran at Aligarh, but the Sikhs had no institution for the study of Gurmukhi and the Granth. He also sent preachers to different parts of the world to convert the local populace, he wanted to establish Gurudwaras in Kenya according to Dr Karnail Singh Somal which is why Prof. Gurmukh Singh later visited Kilindini, Kenya. He helped construct two Gurudwaras in Kenya specifically.

The Amritsar Singh Sabha attacked Bhai Jawahir Singh Kapur and Bhai Ditt Singh for being Gulabdasis in the past, though neither of them paid much heed to the allegations. He, although did state that he was oppossed and wished to correct 'folk Sikhism'.

His biographical details distinctly represent many of the features that I have associated with an evolue class: the high ritual standing of an upper caste; a bureaucratic job, anglo-vernacular education, familarity and use of 'print culture' and an active promotion of new voluntary associations. Bhagat Lak:shman Singh called him 'the most learned Sikh of his time' .55 Born in 1859 at Amritsar to a family of granthis at the Golden Temple, hardly anything is known about his early upbringing, except that as a disciple of a Gulabdasi preacher Jawahir Singh travelled extensively when still very young with his religious preceptor. 56 At the age of seventeen, he joined the accounts department of the Sind-Punjab and Delhi Railway Company at Lahore. Administering railroad offices was to become a life-long vocation and in his later years Jawahir Singh rose to be a superintendant of the North-West Railways. 57

He was a prolific publicist and polemicist in the Khalsa Akhbar newspaper and was often editing and writing articles and poems for the newspaper.

a highly intellectual man, of a handsome physique and suavity of manner that, added to his hospitality, won him the unstinted admiration and regard of his compatriots, particularly of the majority of the members of the Lahore Khalsa Diwan and the Khalsa College Council.

-Bhagat Lakshman Singh

For several decades they had worked for the uplift of the community at a tremendous sacrifice and in the teeth of an opposition under which hearts less brave would have quailed. They were men of humble means. They could not trace high lineage. But they were giants among men and what they achieved was with their own moral and intellectual Strength with which they were plentifully endowed. They were the founders of the Singh Sabha movement.'' Practically it began With them and died with them to all ends and J purposes. Its soul departed with them, leaving its skelton behind. They were strangers to Lahore and left it as strangers without leaving any impress behind. The first to die was Bhai Dit Singh Gyani.* He owed much to Bhai Jawahir Singh who was in fact his brains, his chief source of inspiration, to whom he clung fast, except during the last few months of this false world, when he wavered under the bewitching ways of his erstwhile opponents, who wanted to win him over and thus get into the good books of a host of his admirers.

Neither do I remember having seen Bhai Jawahir Singh, thereafter, who, too, died (14 May, 1910) in harness not long after, holding his head erect and retaining to the last his dignity and grace for which he was so much loved and respected.

I cannot resist the temptation of narrating another incident of historic value. It was, perhaps, in 1902 or early in 1903 that a daughter or both the daughters of the late Maharaja Dalip Singh, son and successor of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Emperor of the Punjab, Jammu, Kashmere and the North Western Frontier Province, visited Lahore. Bhai Jawahir Singh, who had been invited one day to see the princess at the bungalow where they had been lodged, took me with him. Arriving there he left me in his hackney carriage on the road and went to report himself. Before he was admitted in, he accosted an old Musalman nobleman and exchanged a few words with him. When he returned half an hour after he seemed to have been deeply moved. "how grand and noble !” ejaculated Bhai Jawahir Singh, "the Faqir cried like a child, because he could not bear the sight of the grand-daughters of the illustrious benefactor of his family living as guests in the very capital of the Empire over which their father and the mighty grandfather had held

The Diwan, however, had practically died with the ousting of Bhai Jawahir Singh from the College management and on its debris a new Diwan under the name of Chief Khalsa Diwan was estab¬ lished by the Amritsar party with its headquarters at Amritsar.

Maharaja Duleep Singh Controversy

In April 1886, Maharaja Duleep Singh professed that he would come back to India and embrace Sikhism in the Madras Presidency in an open letter. There were attempts to translate these feelings of sympathy towards the Maharaja into a political force by the Amritsar Singh Sabha and the Lahore Singh Sabha both. Most of the supporters were Namdharis who were peasants, artisans and agriculturalists who had nothing to lose, but wished to see Punjab drowned in blood. One Bawa Nihal Singh had published a book called 'Khurshid Khalsa', which emphasized that Duleep Singh would expell the British and recieve Prime Ministership over the Punjab. He was expelled by all Singh Sabhas in April 1886, until he recieved pardon from the government. All Singh Sabhas but Amritsar, Rawalpindi and Faridkot accepted the expulsion. During the festivites of the establishment of Guru Nanak Panth Parkash Sabha, Lahore on 31 October, 1887 the Amritsar Singh Sabha leaders placed a photograph of Maharaja Duleep Singh on a Gaddi and put flowers, garlands and lit lamps on the occassion in Guru Ram Das' birthplace, Jawahir Singh expelled all the leaders who took part in the blasphemous event and expelled the priest-in-charge of the temple the next morning.

Head Granthi of Golden Temple

He had applied for the position of Head Granthi, Golden Temple in December 1885 and the position narrowed down to two men, Bhai Harnam Singh and Bhai Jawahir Singh Kapur. His education (he spoke in five languages) and the fact that his grandfather was the earlier Head Granthi improved his case. His candidature was rejected owing to his earlier religious affiliations. He was also not able to became the Head Granthi due to his earlier statments against Maharaja Duleep Singh. Though the civil administration and most Lahore Singh Sabha members wished for him to be the Head Granthi, he was far too controversial among the rural populace.

Indian National Congress

He spoke velhemently against the Indian National Congress in 1888, owing to more controversy. He stated that the Sikh community should remain aloof from their activities. The decision was unanimously approved by all members of the Singh Sabha, to not give support to the Indian National Congress during their annual meeting at Lahore.

Arya Samaj

After leaving the Arya Samaj, he decided to launch an intellectual crusade against their stronghold in Rajputana. He first published three books criticizing the Arya Smaaj and sent them to Maharana Sajjan Singh of Udaipur who was regarded as the head of Arya Samjists. The Maharana sent his thanks and dissocociated from the Smaaj the next year, the books are kept at the Khalsa College Library, Amritsar. Rajadhiraj Sir Nahar Singh Bahadur of Ajmer also promoted his literature against the Arya Samaj. It could be noted that Swami Dayananda Saraswati's assassination, and lack of medical care at Ajmer could have resulted from Anti-Samaji radicalization undergone by the Rajadhiraj stemming from Jawahir Singh's literature.

There were multiple threats of lawsuits and violence against him, but he was still unfazed by it and continued to publish and speak against the Arya Samaj.

Representing the Sikh community

Bhai Jawahir Singh approached H. E. Lord Dufferin in November 1888 and read the Khalsa Diwan Farewell Address to his excellency in the Government House, Lahore. He pressed the claim that the Sikhs were a separate community and nation. He also stated that the natives (referring to Sikhs) should have the lion's share in their own loaves and fishes. This secured a promise from His Excellency to help in the Sikh cause of education. Sir James Lyall also kindly promised to help in the matter.

Bhai Jawahir Singh read the Khalsa Diwan welcome Address to sir Dennis Fitzpatrick in the Lawrence Hall, Lahore, on the 20th April, 1892. He emphacized upon the relevance of Sikhs to be taught in their mother tongue, Punjabi, as a staple medium for media communication. Bhai Jawahir Singh acted as Sikh Secretary to the committee of Reception to H. E. Lord Roberts formed at Lahore in December 1892, and he read the Sikh Address to His Excellency in the Jubilee Town Hall at a large gathering held early in January 1893.

Bhai Jawahir Singh read the Welcome Address of the Khalsa Diwan to Sir Mackworth Young on 24th April, 1897, in the Lawrence Hall, Lahore. Shortly afterwards Bhai Jawahir Singh presented the General Sikh Address to H. E. Lord Elgin, at Simla on 26th June, 1897, on the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of Her Late Majesty. In his letter No. 228 S., dated 10th June, 1897, the Hon’ble Mr. Dane wrote to the Bhai who was Secretary to the Deputation as under: “I am to add that as the Address purports to be from Princes, Chiefs and people of the Panjab, it would be well if possible to have it signed by some at any rate of the Sikh Princes.”

Accordingly Bhai Jawahir Singh obtained the signatures of Maharaja Rajinder Singh of Patiala, Raja Hira Singh of Nabha and Raja Ranbir Singh of Sangrur. The Raja of Kapurthala being then in London, the signature of Sardar Bhagat Singh, C.I.E., Prime Minister, was obtained. The Raja of Faridkot had authorised his name to be put on the Address, but Mr. Dane in letter No. 407 S. of 24th June, 1901, informed the Bhai that his Casket and Address had already been sent to the Government of India, and as the Raja of Faridkot had sent in a separate Address, he thought, he (Bhai Jawahir Singh) would hardly think it necessary to add his name to the General Khalsa Address.

On 5th April 1899, Bhai Jawahir Singh read the Khalsa Diwan Address to His Excellency Lord Curzon in the Government House, Lahore. In this Address the Government was asked to encourage the publication of the new translation in English of the Sikh Scriptures. Max Arthur Macauliffe's books were edited by him and sent out for publication a while later. He praised Jawahir Singh Kapur stating, “I should be glad if you, as one of the foremost among the enlightened Sikhs, would kindly lend your aid in obtaining proper remuneration for my labours.”

At the request of certain representative Sikhs, Bhai Jawahir Singh prepared the Coronation Address in the name of the whole of the Sikh community as was done by him in respect to the Diamond Jubilee Address in 1897, but in obedience to the wish of the Punjab Government as conveyed in Mr. Burton’s D.O. of 15th July, 1902, to Mr. Younghusband, the Coronation Address was altered and reprinted in the name of Khalsa Diwan which body was subsequently asked to, and did adopt it.

Civil Service career

After graduating from school he entered service in the Sind-Punjab and Delhi Railway Company in 1876, and then attended law classes for a year at Punjab University. In January 1886 he joined the North-Western Railways and slowly rose through the ranks and became Superintendent North-Western Railways His early exposure to western norms of rationality, modernity and scientific knowledge and to the emerging 'print culture' led him to a life of devotion to associational activities

He inaugurated Lansdowne Bridge at Sakkhar in 1889, the Governor of Bombay, Donald Mackay, 11th Lord Reay, had presented him with the award of 'Best Chronogram in Persian'.

Appointed member of the Committee of Management of Maharaja Sher Singh's Samadh at Shah Bilawal, Lahore in July 1897. He was also an Assossor/Juror in Lahore.

He had friendly relations with Patiala, Nabha, Jind and Kapurthala, present in the only photo with Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and Maharaja Ripudaman Singh, he was given the unofficial title of "The Bhai Sahib" by the states of Patiala, Nabha and Jind. He also had cordial relations with the Maharanas of Rajputana, Ajmer, Udaipur and Jodhpur.

Khalsa College

The two Singh Sabhas joined hands to create the Khalsa College. An Englishman, Dr. S. C. Oman, was appointed principal. The chief justice of the Punjab High Court, W. H. Rattigan, became president of the college establishment committee, which was controlled by the vicepresident, Sir Attar Singh of Bhadaur, and the secretary, Jawahir Singh Kapur.

The committee founded the Khalsa College and academic programme started in 1894. Jawahir Singh Kapur and Sunder Singh Majithia were pioneers in the establishment of the Khalsa College. The Sikhs maharajas made their contribution financially. Jawahir Singh Kapur who was an aryasmajist served as secretary of the Khalsa College Amritsar managing committee for 20 years. Meanwhile, Mohindera College was set up at Patiala by Maharaja Patiala and Randhir College at Kapurthala by the Raja of Kapurthala.

Literary career

In 1885 he was appointed Fellow of the Ajuman-I-Punjab in recognition of his services to Sikh literature and education.

Elected as a member of the Calcutta Literary Scoiety in September 1897.

Nomvember 1899 he became a member of the Punjab Text Book Committee. He was a live member of the Punjab Public Library and owned his own library, which was the largest in Lahore, known as the Jawahir Library.

Worked with Max Arthur Macaulffe.

Appointed by hte Punjab University as an Examiner of the Budhiman, Widhwan and Giani Examinations of the Oriental College, Lahore. Fellow of the Punjab university in November 1904.

Pressed claims of the Punjabi language in 1882 in front of the Hunter Commission.

Death

He passed away at the age of 52 in Lahore, Punjab, British India after a brief illness on 14 May, 1910.

Publications

He has 18 works in 43 publications in 5 languages and 89 library holdings to his credit. Two of which which were reviewed well by British newspapers like the Homeland Mail, these

"Bhai Jawahir Singh- Allow me to congradulate you as the best poet of all we tried."

• Itihas-I-Hind or The Poverty of India
• Dharam Vichar or Thoughts on Duty
• Khalsa Dharam or The Khalsa's Duty
• A Guide to Punjabi in the Gurmukhi Script
• Dayananda Itihas or Thoughts of Dayananda
• Amal-i-Arya or Acts of the Aryas
• Radd-I-Baltan
• Taryaq-I-Sarasvati Phobia
• Japji Sahib (Urdu translation)
• Sikhan De Raj Di Vithia (English translation of original book written by Sharda Ram Phillauri)

He was also an editor on the Khalsa Akhbar.

A monthly journal, Sudhiirak, was also launched by Gurrnukh Singh in 1886. Behind the continuous expansion of the Lahore Sabha in the 1880s stood three men: Jawahir Singh, Giani Dit Singh and Attar Singh of Bhadaur.

Legacy

Khalsa National Party
Abbreviation	KNP
Leader	Sundar Singh Majithia (1935–1941) Dasaundha Singh (1941–1946)
Founder	Sundar Singh Majithia and Jogendra Singh
Founded	1935
Dissolved	1946
Merged into	Shiromani Akali Dal
Ideology	Sikhism Indian Independence Abolition of Communal Award
Politics of India Political parties Elections

Khalsa National Party was a political party formed by Sir Sundar Singh Majithia and Sir Jogendra Singh to contest the 1937 Punjab Provincial Assembly election. Unlike the Shiromani Akali Dal which was originally a task force, the Khalsa National Party was the first political representative of the Khalsa Panth, and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. They were a Sikh-centric party though, unlike the Akali Dal, they were far-right and conservative.

History

Sir Sundar Singh Majithia and Sir Jogendra Singh were two aristocratic Sikh hardliners who were more radical than the Shiromani Akali Dal in their faith and commitment to the Sikh community. They were directly supported by Giani Sher Singh and Sardar Bahadur Mehtab Singh of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and direct support from the Chief Khalsa Diwan. They entered a coalition with Sir Sikander Hyat Khan and formed the government in Punjab in the 1937 Punjab Provincial Assembly Election, winning 18 out of 33 seats reserved for Sikhs. During the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee elections of 1938 they teamed with the Central Sikh League but to no avail as the Shiromani Akali Dal had won. The Shiromani Akali Dal had a coalition with the Indian National Congress. They had a very strong line of Sikh politicians, like Joginder Singh Mann, Naunihal Singh Mann, Ujjal Singh, Sodhi Harnam Singh and Uttam Singh Duggal.

They decline occurred after Dasaundha Singh, who did not have a large political standing, was selected to be the next president of the party over Ujjal Singh, an able parliamentarian, as Dasaundha Singh was a Jatt and Ujjal Singh was not.

Organisation and issues

The Central Executive Committee was consisted of not more than 31 members, including president. In each district the office bearers were a president and a secretary and executive committee was consisting of five members which were elected by the district organisations.

The five points creed of the party were

• To work for the realisation of the ideals of Sikhism.
• To work for attainment of Indian Independence.
• To work for abolition of Communal Award
• To work to unite all sections of the Sikh panth.
• To work for raising the social and economic standard of the masses.

1937 election

After the passing of Government of India Act 1935, Provincial Assembly was setup in Punjab containing 175 seats. Khalsa National Party also contested the election and won 13 constituencies. Khalsa National Party along with Hindu Election Board joined the hands with Unionist Party and formed the Government. Under the leadership of Sikandar Hayat Khan Sundar Singh Majithia sworn as minister of Development.

After the death of Sundar Singh Majithia in April 1941 another Party leader Dasaundha Singh added into the cabinet.

Merger

The death of Sundar Singh Majithia considerably weakened the Party. In 1942 after Sikandar-Baldev Pact KNP leader and minister Dasaundha Singh was removed from the cabinet and Baldev Singh joined in the cabinet.

In 1946 Punjab Provincial Assembly election party failed to get even a single seat. After this most of its members joined Shiromani Akali Dal.

References

Singh Sabha Movement

The Amritsar Singh Sabha (Punjabi: ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਭਾ), popularly known as Sanatan Singh Sabha (Punjabi: ਸਨਾਤਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਸਭਾ), was founded in 1873, "It was essentially original and Sanatan ('eternal'). The Sanatan Sikh (a term and formulation coined by Harjot Oberoi) were the traditional Sikhs who were eventually marginalised.

History

Formation and Support

The Amritsar Singh Sabha was supported by Sujan Singh Bedi, the head of the Una Bedis, Sir Khem Singh Bedi, head of the Kallar Bedis, Sodhi Ram Narain Singh, the head of the Anandpur Sodhis, two Takhts- Anandpur Sahib and Patna Sahib, Baba Ujagar Singh Bhalla, head of the Rawalpindi Bhallas, Satguru Hari Singh, head of the Kukas, Akali Giana Singh and Akali Javand Singh, heads of the Nihang order, Mahant Narain Singh, Giani Hazara Singh, Giani Gian Singh, Giani Sardul Singh of the Nirmalas, Raja Thakur Singh Sandhawalia of Raja Sansi, Kanwar Bikram Singh of Faridkot, Kanwar Bikrama Singh of Kapurthala and Avtar Singh Vahiria of Thoha Khalsa.

Despite being named as the Amritsar Singh Sabha, the followers were mainly of West Punjab. They had their first meeting on the 1st of October 1873, although none of them provided structure despite their money and status. The Christian Missionaries had started gaining a footing in Punjab, when four Sikh students converted to the religion in Kapurthala, they had called in their first meeting wherein Udasis, Nirmalas, Granthis and Gianis attended at the Majithia Bunga, near the Akal Takht.

Their main ideology was to purify Sikh conduct in the villages, and they started it through making speeches and establishing Gurudwaras around Punjab. They did produce literature, but in an unorganized and limited manner, the main two being Baba Sumer Singh of Patna, Giani Gian Singh and Avatar Singh Vahiria who wrote the Khalsa Dharam Shastra. Giani Gian Singh was the first author who wrote the Sri Gurupurab Prakash in 1883. Then Raja Bikram Singh of Faridkot commissioned Giani Badan Singh Sekhavan to create an exegesis on the Guru Granth Sahib- known as the Faridkot Tika. The Rawalpindi Singh Sabha, a sister organization, was also created and was very successful.

Conflict with the Lahore Singh Sabha

The Amritsar Singh Sabha had started at the same time as the Arya Samaj Lahore had gained a footing in Punjab. They both had good relations, and many common Sikhs had supported and became the base of the Arya Samaj. Although in 1886, one Pandit Guru Dutt had made deregatory remarks against Guru Nanak, within a year men like Gurmukh Singh, Ditt Singh, Jawahir Singh Kapur and Maya Singh left the Arya Samaj at once and formed the Lahore Singh Sabha, to fight against the Arya Samaj's crusade against Sikhism. Within a year the Lahore Singh Sabha's organization was more impressive than what the former was able to do in six years. They used their Anglo-Vernacular education, print culture and media like newspapers to spread their modernized version of Sikhism. Originally the two sides were on good terms with each other, Sir Khem Singh Bedi was invited for the first session and Raja Thakur Singh Sandhawalia for the second. The Sri Guru Singh Sabha General had the two branches of the Amritsar and Lahore Singh Sabhas.

The schism first occurred when Baba Nihal Singh wrote the Khurshid Khalsa against the Lahore Singh Sabha, and was supported by all scholars of the Amritsar Singh Sabha. To start their 'cold war', the Lahore Singh Sabha created the Khalsa Diwan, Lahore and the Amritsar Singh Sabha created the Khalsa Diwan, Amritsar. The British were Machiavellian in their tactics and did not openly support either side, although tilted towards the Amritsar Singh Sabha during its begginging- with the Viceroy, Lord Dufferin, attending a meeting in April 1885. The Amritsar Singh Sabha and Lahore Singh Sabha continued their academic battles, fighting each other in their books and media. Bhai Harsha Singh of the Amritsar Singh Sabha started the newspaper Vidyarak to combat against the Khalsa Akhbar and Khalsa Gazette. The Lieutenant Governor of Punjab and Raja Bikram Singh of Faridkot were the two main patrons for the Khalsa Diwan, Amritsar.

The Amritsar Singh Sabha was also a movement for the Khatri elite of West Punjab, the religion that was followed by the elites of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Whereas the Lahore Singh Sabha was a movement for the middle class, the socially downtrodden Mazhabis and the hardy Jatt stock of Sikhs. The leaders of the Amritsar Singh Sabha was composed of the old elites, whereas the Lahore Singh Sabha were the new elites. The final straw of the Amritsar Singh Sabha was the division created in the Khalsa Diwan, Amritsar- they separated the Khalsa Diwan, Amritsar into two parts- Mahan Khand for the aristocracy and Saman Khand for the common people. Sir Khem Singh Bedi led the former and Bhai Man Singh, manager of the Darbar Sahib, led the former.

Decline

Through constant academic bombardment and lack of modernization, since they stuck to novels and traditional methods like poetry, Dhadi Vaars, Granths etc, whereas they could not create printing presses and newspapers fast enough despite their status. The Khalsa College started by the Lahore Singh Sabha had also influenced the youth more than any other dynamic, the Amritsar Singh Sabha could not create a Sikh institution as grand as the Lahore Singh Sabha was able to. The Amritsar Singh Sabha was also not able to provide monetary funds as they did not wish to spend too much resources, whereas Sir Attar Singh of Bhadaur had spent almost all his monetary funds to provide for the Lahore Singh Sabha.

Slowly the Amritsar Singh Sabha's academic presence declined to only three Singh Sabhas (Amritsar, Rawalpindi and Faridkot) and the Sikh elite was quick to adopt the ideology of the Lahore Singh Sabha, which had also branched into many Sabhas, around 117 of them in different villages, districts and cities in North India- although some were made all the way in Burma, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Beliefs

They believed that marriage ceremonies in Sikhism never had a direct form of conduct, and it could vary from family to family, culture to culture. They did not believe that Sikhism and Hinduism were the same religion, contrary to popular belief, but they differentiated between the two- so much that Sir Khem Singh Bedi in his Sanskar Bagh Rehatnama banned wearing the colour Saffron for Sikhs. They believed in spirits, witchcraft, casteism, the ability of dead saints to work miracles, good and bad omens, pilgrimage and many other theories which were criticized by Sikhs, saying that the Sabha was more of a magic show. They also believed that a Sikh may find solace in the Muslim Pir- Sakhi Sarwar or the Hindu Gugga Pir.

The Amritsar Singh Sabha was a more strict form of Sikhism, although they focused on traditional styles of preaching (speech, books, poetic meter, Dhadhis), traditional Indic terminology and traditional mindsets of the Khalsa. Neither side was political, although it was suspected that the Amritsar Singh Sabha was planning to resurrect Sikh rule in Punjab from the British, although possibly not as their leaders all accepted servitude, and Khem Singh Bedi even fought for the British against Ahmad Khan Kharral in the Revolt of 1857 and the rulers of Faridkot, Raja Sansi and Kapurthala had accepted the British.

They, although, were for the electrification of the Darbar Sahib and viewed it as a boon while the Lahore Singh Sabha argued that no mosque or church in the West, not even Westminster Abbey, had been electrified at that time and that it would have been a show of extravagance rather than the humility that the Gurus preached.

First Khalistan Liberation War

First Khalistan Liberation War
Part of Partition of India
Location Punjab, Delhi, Jammu, Bikaner, North West Frontier Province
Belligerents
Pakistan Bahawalpur State Pataudi State Loharu State Tonk State Khairpur State Feudal Pathan states in the FATA region Supported By Great Britain	India Jammu and Kashmir Mandi State Chamba State Alwar State Various other princely states across India Supported By Great Britain	Shiromani Akali Dal Shiromani Budha Dal Patiala State Kapurthala State Nabha State Faridkot State Jind State Kalsia State Nalagarh State Bilaspur State Bikaner State
Commanders and leaders
Jinnah Feroze Khan Noon Nasir Ahmed Sir Francis Mudie Iftikhar Hussain Khan Evan Meredith Jenkins Bertrand Glancy General Nawab Sir Sadiq Muhammad Khan V Abbasi	Nehru Sardar Patel Mohan Singh Mohinder Singh Chopra
Units involved
123rd Indian Infantry Brigade 1st Battalion, 15th Punjab Regiment 1,900 8th Battalion, 10th Baluch Regiment 2,300 3rd Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment 1,400 2nd Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment 1,000 Muslim League National Guard 170,000 Bahawalpur State Forces 1,950 Bahawalpur State Police 3,000 Punjab Police 45,000 Various unorganized Muslim groups, tribes and gangs 6,000,000 Supported By Punjab Boundary Force 50,000 Punjab Frontier Guards 12,000 Punjab Defence Force 3,000	123rd Indian Infantry Brigade 4th Battalion, 5th Mahratta Light Infantry 1,800 1st Battalion, 17th Dogra Regiment 1,400 8th Battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles 1,100 1st Battalion, 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles 900 3rd Battalion, 9th Jat Regiment 1,200 3rd Battalion, 9th Gurkha Rifles 2,600 Punjab Police 30,000 Desh Sevak Sena 10,000 Desh Istri Sena 15,000 National Volunteer Corps 2,000 Students' Home Guards 800 Supported By Punjab Boundary Force 50,000 Punjab Frontier Guards 12,000 Punjab Defence Force 3,000 Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh 66,000 Vishva Hindu Parishad 29,000 Hindu Mahasabha 33,000 Hindu-Sikh Milap Dal 200 Other Hindu tribes, Meos, Gurjars, Jats 30,000	Akal Regiment Akal Sena 300,000 Akal Fauj 220,000 Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Fauzi Guard 950 Nalwa Regiment 1,900 Ajit Fauj 700 Shaheedi Dal 40,000 Sher-I-Punjab Dal 3,000 Dashmesh Sena 1,000 Shiromani Budha Dal 14,000 Tarna Dal 900 Bidhi Chand Dal 3,150 Other Sikh jathas, gangs and mobs 2,085,000 Patiala State Forces 3,000 Patiala State Police 9,000 Paramjit Infantry 1,000 Kapurthala State Police 4,000 Faridkot State Forces 1,000 Faridkot State Police 4,000 Nabha State Forces 500 Nabha State Police 700 Jind State Forces 400 Jind State Police 700 Supported By Ganga Risala 1,700 Bikaner State Police 7,000
Strength
Total (including supporting groups): 6,291,550 Total (not including supporting groups): 6,226,550	Total (including supporting groups): 290,000 Total (not including supporting groups): 66,800	Total (including supporting groups): 2,702,900 Total (not including supporting groups): 2,694,200

Rajdev Singh

Rajdev Singh
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 1989-1991
Preceded by	Balwant Singh Ramoowalia
Succeeded by	Gurcharan Singh Dadhahoor
Constituency	Sangrur, Punjab
Personal details
Born	(1951-10-11) 11 October 1951 Patiala, Punjab , India
Political party	Shiromani Akali Dal (Master Tara Singh) till 1978 United Shiromani Akali Dal in 1989 Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) till 2015 Rashtriya Sikh Sangat Aam Aadmi Party (2016-2018) Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) (11.01.2019-30.04.2019) Bhartiya Lok Sewa Dal (30.04.2019)

Rajdev Singh is an Indian politician and belonged to Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali).He was elected to the Lok Sabha, lower house of the Parliament of India from Sangrur in Punjab on the ticket of Shiromani Akali Dal (Simranjit Singh Mann) He is known to be the most, or one of the most, skilled politicians in Punjab- going to no lengths to fulfill his aspirations for Sikhism and Punjab.

Early life

He was born in Dhanaula, Barnala, in the erstwhile Patiala and East Punjab States Union, a 'B state' ruled by monarchy of the great lineage of Patiala; at that time Maharaja Yadavindra Singh of Patiala. He was hand picked by Master Tara Singh and was educated alongside being taught politics by veteran Akali leaders. He then, at a young age, was selected by Sant Fateh Singh to head the Sikh Student Federation’s Punjab Division, which he did from 1968-1970, though he did not leave Master Tara Singh's ideology or person.

Political career

From 1970-1978 he worked with the Shiromani Akali Dal alongside old Akali names like Parkash Singh Badal, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Surjit Singh Barnala and others. He started his legal training during this time and after the Sikh-Nirankari clashes he left the party, and joined a less party-based politics, involving social measures to curtail political favor.

He joined Sikh fundamentalist Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale's camp and gained his favor. He was present with Bhindranwale and his small army of Sikh guards during the day of Operation Blue Star, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale reportedly told him to leave and help young Sikhs to have legal aid, and help his father Joginder Singh Bhindranwale. After Operation Blue Star he spent time as a lawyer.

Rajdev Singh contested the 1989 parliamentary elections from Sangrur as a candidate of the United Akali Dal, the party headed by Baba Joginder Singh Bhindranwale, Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale's father. He won and took oath as an MP along with some others elected from his party. During Panthic politics' largest win in elections since the dawn of electoral politics in India, he was the de-facto leader of it as Simranjit Singh Mann refused to join the Parliament.

After a period of political seclusion following Baba Joginder Singh’s death in 1993, Rajdev Singh reentered the political arena in 2012 by joining the party of Sukhdev Singh Dhinsa, the Shiromani Akali Dal. Though the party did not last long. He then had a brief encounter with the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat. Rajdev Singh gave them three conditions for him to join-

1. The Rashtriya Sikh Sangat should acknowledge that Sikhs are not Hindus, but have a separate identity.
2. Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale and others, who had laid their life for the Sikh cause, were “martyrs”.
3. They would work towards giving a special status to the Sikhs under the constitution.

They agreed and Rajdev Singh was put in charge of the organization in Malwa. After the Beadbi incidents of 2015, he realized that the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat would not fulfill his promises and hence he parted ways with them.

He went on to give his support to the Aam Aadmi Party candidate Harvinder Singh Phoolka, a close friend of his, who he believed would give justice to the Anti-Sikh riot victims if he became the Chief Minister of Punjab. He was not elected and later left the Aam Aadmi Party.

In January 2019, Khalsa joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (Taksali) — a breakaway faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal — formed by old Akali leaders Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Rattan Singh Ajnala and Sewa Singh Sekhwan. Khalsa was declared the candidate from Sangrur for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, but he did not contest due to an injury. He later left and joined the Bhartiya Lok Sewa Dal

In December 2021, he was again in the news after joining the BJP with Fateh Singh Bajwa, a former Congressman. “I left the BJP almost as soon as I joined because again I was promised that the party would make the three announcements that the RSS promised me. But, I was let down again. So I left,” he said.

In June 2022, ahead of the Sangrur parliamentary by-election, Khalsa supported his bete noire, Simranjeet Singh Mann. The two had joined hands after 32 years, though he left the party shortly after, giving his legal aide to a younger Panthic leader who had been caught in the middle of a political storm, Amritpal Singh. Amritpal Singh's statements created a storm in Punjab which would only lead to him being detained under the NSA laws, after a month-long manhunt by police across North India. His youthful machismo and fiery speeches made young Sikhs reminisce about Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, leading to greater popularity. Once deciding to contest in the elections a year later, Tarsem Singh, his father, and Rajdev Singh were able to put their calm and experienced demeanors to work and calm the fiery, rebellious image of Amritpal Singh. In the entire Punjab state Amritpal Singh had won by the highest margin of 1,97120 votes.

Second Khalistan Liberation War

Indian Army

• BSF Border Security Force 175,000 (158 battalions. Half patrolling against kharkus)
• Punjab Police 70,000
• Police from other states sent to help 75,000
• Special Police Officers 40,000
• Intelligence Personnel 5,000 
• Home Guards 25,000
• CRPF Central Reserve Police Force 150,000 (134 battalions) 
• ITBP Indo Tibetan Border Police 30,000 
• CISF Central Industrial Security Force 90,000
• NSG National Security Guard 6,500 
• SSG Special Security Guard 10,000
• IRF Indian Reserve Force 16,500 (15 battalions)
• Assam Rifles 35,000 (31 battalions)
• Rashtriya Rifles 40,000 (36 battalions)
• Border Security Force Cats 5,000
• Fauj-E-Alam Mujahideen 3,000
• Shiv Sena (Jalota) 700
• Shiv Sena (Tangri) 550
• Hindu Suraksha Samiti 300
• Tarna Dal 1,200
• Virk Sena 200
• Vaidya Commando Force 900
• Indian Lions 90-150
• Indian National Army 100
• Zabar te Firkaprasti Virodhi Front 80
• Brigade of Red Guards 3,500
• Brigade of Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha 2,000

Total 790,380

Royal Army of Khalistan

• Babbar Khalsa 1,200
• Bhindranwala Tiger Force of Khalistan 500
• Khalistan Commando Force 750
• Khalistan Liberation Army 300
• Khalistan Liberation Force 850
• Dashmesh Regiment 200
• Unorganized 1,000

Total 4,800

Ukaloserie () is the European interpretation and imitation of Punjabi artistic traditions, especially in the decorative arts, architecture and music. The aesthetic of Ukaloserie has been expressed in different manners; sometimes relating it to the broader Indo-Persian style.

As a style, Ukaloserie is related to the Indo-Saracenic style. Both styles are characterized by exuberant decoration, symmetry, and stylized nature and subject matter that focuses on leisure and pleasure. Ukaloserie focuses on subjects that were thought by Europeans to be typical of Sikh or Punjabi culture.

People

• Bhai Ram Singh
• Rudyard Kipling
• Sobha Singh Naqqashi
• G.S. Sohan Singh

Architecture

• Lahore Museum
• Khalsa College
• Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara
• Royal Pavilion
• Aitchison College

Interior Design

• Indian Passage, Bagshot Park
• Durbar Room, Osbourne House

Painting

• Post-Sukerchakia Art

Cuisine and Utensils

• Balti Chicken
• Baata

Fashion

• Ukali Fashion
• King George in a Sikh turban
• Le Roi de Lahore

Lady Sobha Singh born Varyam Kaur, daughter of Sardar Harbel Singh, rais, of Jaranwala, factory owner, The Khalsa Factory, cotton spinning, 1905.

Sir Sobha Singh, deputy president of associated chambers of commerce, Calcutta, Director, Reserve Bank of India, Director of Delhi Cloth and General Mills, Trustee, Delhi Improvement Trust

Member Central Legislative Assembly (1938) Member of Council of States (1939). Member , Delhi Municipal Committee , 1915-1936 ; Vice - President , New Delhi Municipal Committee since 1930 and Pre- sident , 1938. Honorary Magistrate since 1916 . Elected Chairman , Punjab Chamber of Com- merce , 1939.

Sobha Singh bought a cotton mill near Sabzi Mandi, originally named Jumna Mills, they changed it to Khalsa Cotton Spinning and Weaving Mills. Though they did not have any experience owning a mill, and they did not have enough liquid cash to repair the old machinery. The mill swallowed up the money retained during their contracting business, which brought them to the verge of bankruptcy, though in 1919 a fire swallowed the mill which gave them insurance money. This ended the family's connection with Old Delhi.

Daljit Singh born October 10, 1922 director united press of india elected on Congress ticket ; devotes to social wel- fare and visual education ; took prominent part in 1942 Quit India Movement ; or- ganised National Volunteer Corps in Delhi after parti- tion to help and rehabilitate refugees ; organised and built up Tonga- Rehra Union Delhi with a membership of 10,000 ; courted arrest in Union's agita- tion for de - rationing gram ; takes active part in St. John Ambulance activities and is Corps Superintendent New Delhi Division.

They moved from Khalsa Mills to an area known as Rasina, which would become New Delhi. They lived in a large shack on Old Mill Road which would later be named Rafi Marg. After Rafi Marg they moved to Jantar Mantar Road. He then sold the house to the Maharaja of Travancore and bought a larger house in the intersection between Janpath and Albuquerque Road.

Sir Sobha Singh had no favorites among his four sons, though according to Khushwant Singh he was close to being one, but he had disappointed his father by not having the conventional success he hoped for. Khushwant Singh noted that Sir Sobha Singh favored his daughter Mohindar Kaur more, stating that he gave her an 'unencumbered estate bigger than the portions he gave his sons."

Khushwant Singh's oldest brother Bhagwant and youngest brother Daljit dragged each other to court in a bitter struggle over the division of property. Their father and uncle tried resolving it though there was no success.

Famed freedom fighter, farm leader and Kisan leader Acharya N.G. Ranga referred to Sir Sobha Singh as the 'Prince of Contractors' in Parliament, it became a popular term for him. Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar had defended him in Parliament on multiple occassions.

Sir Sobha Singh Dharamshala.

Construction of Nagpur

During the First World War , my grandfather got many young men recruited in the army . The British rulers , in gratitude , allotted all those lands to him as a jageer The lands were criss - crossed by irrigation canals . They yielded golden harvests . With that money my grandfather set up many factories . All the dishonest sons and crooks of our relatives were given jobs in these factories . My grandfather had just two sons , my father Sardar Sobha Singh and my uncle Sardar Ujjal Singh who later became Governor of Punjab . " Once I wrote somewhere that my grandfather and great grandfather used to lend money to the needy peasants and charged them heavy interest . They were very annoyed with me . My father took the opportunity to tell me how they lived before my grandfather got those lands . They were in wholesale business , he said . They used to load their camels with salt from Kheeora mines and bring it all the way to Amritsar . From Amritsar they bought oil , tea , matchboxes , candles , cloth and other things useful for any household . These loads they took back to our village and the surrounding villages , and sold them there . Afterwards came the lands and factories and they stopped travelling with their merchandise . " I was hardly a year old when my grandfather came to Delhi . My father and uncle followed soon after . I was left alone , with my grandmother .

Battle of Bomdi-La

Battle of Rezangla

Governor Ujjal Singh (27 December 1895 – 15 February 1983) was an Indian politician who was a participant in the First Round Table Conference, opened officially by King George V on 12 November 1930. Ujjal Singh served as the Finance Minister of Punjab, Governor of Punjab, followed by acting Governor of Tamil Nadu . Prior to this he was one of Pre-Partition Punjab's largest landowners, owning thousands of acres in Hadali, Jaranwala, Mian Channu, Lyallpur, Montgomery, Sargodha and other areas. He was also a large businessman and mill-owner.

Early life and family

He was the younger of the two sons of Sardar Bahadur Sujan Singh and Lakshmi Devi, Sujan Singh was a famous agriculturalist in Punjab. Ujjal Singh was born on 27 December 1895 in Hadali belonging to the Shahpur district. His primary education came from Dharmshalas and Madrasas, although he passed his middle examination in Khalsa High School, Amritsar. He then joined the Central Model School, Lahore. He pursued his Master's Degree in History from Government College, Lahore in the year 1916. He excelled in Hockey and was the captain of, possibly, the best Hockey team in India, the team of the Government College, Lahore. His elder brother was Sir Sobha Singh, the main contractor during the construction of New Delhi.

He was first introduced to politics, specifically Sikh politics, by his cousin Sardar Bahadur Mehtab Singh.

He was married twice, his first wife bore him a son, Narinder Singh but passed during child birth. His son Narinder Singh also passed away early in 1950, so he had to raise his granddaughter as well. Later he married Santsev Kaur, daughter of builder Sunder Singh Dhupia and granddaughter of famous poet-philosopher and 'Father of Modern Punjabi Literature' Bhai Vir Singh. She bore him two twin daughters.

Pre-Partition

Business Career

After the passing of his father Sujan Singh, the business in Delhi was taken over by his brother Sir Sobha Singh and the mass of land in West Punjab was given to Ujjal Singh. He lived in his house in Mian Channu known currently as Haveli Ujjal Singh near a railway station named after his father, known as Kot Sujan Singh.

He was given a large agricultural block from Montgomery to Khanewal, Sargodha, Hadali and Jaranwala by his father. Then three factories in Mian Channu, Sargodha and Jaranwala known as Inder Cotton Factory, named after his grandfather Inder Singh. Sobha Singh's father in-law's name was Harbel Singh, Rais, Jaranwala who owned two factories in Jaranwala and Bhalwal. Those properties were shared between Ujjal Singh, Sobha Singh and Harbel Singh; till his passing when the properties were given to Ujjal Singh. These included factories in Jaranwala and Bhalwal known as the Khalsa Cotton Factory and New Khalsa Cotton Factory respectively.

For the agricultural land, he introduced steam tackles and bought many tractors for agricultural operations. He also grew citrus fruit, mainly jackfruit and oranges.

Ujjal Singh could not join politics for a long time despite being a good politician as the politics of Punjab at the time was Jatt-oriented, and he was not a Jatt.

Sikh Politics

At the young age of 22, in 1917 Ujjal Singh had participated as a representative of Sikhs during the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms. He was deeply affected by the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, and only wore khadi (handspun cloth) afterwards. He was later sent in a deputation to London on behalf of the Sikh community. His first election was the 1926 Punjab Legislative Council election, wherein he won, unopposed under the Central Sikh League from the Urban Sikh category. He once again won from the same category in the 1936 Council election.

Ujjal Singh first joined the Chief Khalsa Diwan of Sir Sundar Singh Majithia in 1919.

He also served as the secretary of the Khalsa National Party, which was founded by Sir Sundar Singh Majithia and Sir Jogendra Singh in 1935, he became a representative of the Urban Sikh populace in the Western Towns after contesting in the 1937 Punjab Provincial Assembly Election. After the death of Sir Sunder Singh Majithia, there was inter-party controversy as to who would lead the party, the main two contenders were Dasaundha Singh, who did not have much political standing, and Ujjal Singh who was a good parliamentarian. Dasaundha Singh was chosen, as he was of a rural Jatt background; and Ujjal Singh resigned to join the Shiromani Akali Dal. He worked in Sikh political and religious affairs and became a member of the first Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

His actions were well received by the Sikh spheres- by the time he became famous his cousin Mehtab Singh became the President of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Deputy President of Punjab Legislative Council. From 1929-1930 he served as a secretary of the Punjab Reforms Committee.

He served as Parliamentary Secretary (Home) in the Unionist Government in undivided Punjab (1936-1941) under Sikander Hayat Khan- but resigned after differences. He was, later, part of an Indian delegation to the Food and Agriculture Organization held in Quebec. He was nominated as the Urban Sikh representative to the 1st and 2nd Round Table Conferences held in London. He resigned in protest to the British not freeing Akali prisoners during the Gurdwara Reform Movement. Later he refused to attend the 3rd Round Table Conference in protest to the Communal Award and the British not taking the Sikh stance into consideration.

He was then a part of the Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru Committee in 1944. From 1946 onwards he joined the Indian National Congress and became a member of the Finance Commission.

Partition of India

During March, 1947 when violence erupted in Pothohar, he visited Panja Sahib and Rawalpindi to help the people living over there, and he gave shelter and supplies to Hindus and Sikhs. Independence of Sikhistan was declared on 9 March in Maharaja Dalip Singh Nagar, Lahore by Ujjal Singh himself along with other notable Sikhs like Master Tara Singh and Giani Kartar Singh Jhabbar. He was a part of the Sikh Council of Action set up with Dictator Niranjan Singh Gill of the Azad Hind Fauj. He was then elected into the Defense Committee to protect Hindus and Sikhs from Islamic aggression. He then visited Rawalpindi and Panja Sahib to help Hindus and Sikhs who fell prey to riots in West Punjab. He along with Jawahirlal Nehru arrived and secured the protection of refugees in Punjab.

In the first week of September, he once again visited Lahore with Jawahirlal Nehru from Delhi and set up refugee camps in the towns. During this time he had received information that in Inder Cotton Factory, Mian Chanu, 5,000 Hindus and Sikhs had collected fearing an attack. He himself, with great personal risk, arrived with lorries provided by the Indian Army to rescue all the Hindus and Sikhs in the area.

He had later donated thousands for the resettlement of refugees, he himself being one as he had no property in India and was homeless. He abandoned thousands of acres of land, factories and urban property and came to India as a homeless refugee. He stayed with his brother Sir Sobha Singh and then bought a house in Mashobra, Himachal Pradesh.

Post-Partition

National Politics

He became a member of the Central Advisory Board of Education of India and also of All India Council of Technical Education which he continued to serve until 1949. He was also part of the Constituent Assembly on behalf of the Punjab Assembly. Ujjal Singh argued in favour of the adoption of the Objective Resolution which laid down the founding principles of the Constitution.

He served as Minister of Industries and Civil Supplies, and again as Finance and Industries Minister between 1949 and 1956. He was a member of the Second Finance Commission established by the Government of India from June 1956 to September 1957. He was also Director of India Central Cotton Committee and Textile Board, Bombay, President of the Northern India Chamber of Commerce and Director of many concerns including the Life Insurance Corporation, Industrial Cables Ltd., Hindustan Housing Factory and National Coal Development Corporation. He taught farmers in the lower Bari Doab region, which was considered uncultivatable how to use mechanized farming (which he used since 1928) to make sure it was cultivatable for wheat and sugarcane. He was also the Director and Chairman of the Punjab & Sind Bank from 1947 to 1960.

He formed the Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan in memory of Bhai Vir Singh, he was a member of the Khalsa College organizing committee, a Fellow of the Panjab University and member of the Delhi University Court. As a member of the Punjabi University Commission (1960), he was instrumental in setting up of Punjabi University, Patiala. He was the founder of Guru Nanak Public School, Chandigarh, where he served as Founder President. He made significant contribution in setting up Guru Gobind Singh and Guru Nanak Foundations to celebrate the 300th and 500th birth anniversaries respectively of the great Gurus.

According to his nephew Khushwant Singh, Ujjal Singh wanted to retire from politics and regain his Pre-Partition fortune in India (he had already bought an orchard in Panipat) but the Central Government needed a Khalsa Sikh face to counter the Akali Dal's Punjabi Suba Morcha. Despite being a proponent of Punjabi, he accepted the offer and served as Governor of Punjab from 1 September 1965 to 27 June 1966, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Punjabi Suba Movement. He supported the movement and was a key reason for it not drowning in blood and being kept peaceful. During the Indo-Pakistan War, he visited sites and raised the morale of the people, he made a clarion call on the All India Radio on the 6th and 11th September which was greatly appreciated by the people.

He was the Governor of Tamil Nadu from 28 June 1966 to 25 May 1971.

Death

Ujjal Singh died at his New Delhi residence on 15 February 1983. Offices, corporations, boards and educational institutions of the Punjab Government were closed as a mark of respect. The Punjab Vidhan Sabha observed a 2 minute silence at the start of its budget session. The Tamil Nadu Legislative Council adjourned half-an-hour at Madras as a mark of respect to his memory.