| (21) Question:- |
Explain briefly the role of Ghadar movement, Babbar Akalies, Kamagata Maru and Indian National Army. |
| Answer:- |
Ghadar movement was launched by Ghadar Party which had its headquarters at San Francisco. A number of Indians including majority of the Sikhs were associated with this party. They included Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna, Bhai Kesar Singh, Bhai Harnam Singh, Bhai Ishar Singh etc. the party was publishing a famous paper 'Ghadar', which generally wrote against the Britishers by using the caption "Enemy of the British Empire". Gradually the editions of the paper were increased to cover different languages like Hindi, Gujrati, Bengali etc. and its circulation became wide spread. It was really an instigator for the Indian soldiers to revolt against the British and the British treated it as a great threat to them.
The Babbar Akalies, meaning lion akalies did not prefer the path of non violence. They were mainly drawn from the Ghadar party and army soldiers on leave. Babbar violence was, however, of short duration. By the summer of 1923, most of the Babbars had been apprehended. The trial conducted in camera began inside Lahore Central Jail on 15 August, 1923 and was presided over by an English Judge. Of the 91 accused, two died in jail during trial, 34 were acquitted, six including Jathedar Kishan Singh Gargaji and Ishar Singh, were awarded death penalty, while the remaining 49 were sentenced to varying terms of imprisonment.
Kamagata Maru was a ship which carried the Indian people to Canada, but the Canadian authorities did not allow their entry and ill-treated them. The Canadian Authorities had even rejected the request made by Baba Gurdit Singh for the supply of provisions. The ship was fired as a result of which a number of passengers were wounded. Although the movement failed, the patriotic spirit shown by Baba Gurdit Singh and his companions proved a contributory factor for shaking the very foundation of the British Raj.
When Subhash Chander Bose made his efforts for attaining independence by raising a National Army in Japan, he was also inspired by a Sikh named Bhai Mohan Singh. In fact the Indian National Army was founded by Gen. Mohan Singh for the purpose of liberation of the Mother land, and it was only when Bhai Mohan singh was arrested on 29 th December, 1942 that Netaji Subhash took over the control of this Army which was renamed as Azad Hind Fauz. Netaji had so much regard for Gen. Mohan Singh that he went to see him at Changi in December, 1943. Most of the soldiers of Azad Hind Fauz were Sikhs, some of whom had been alive till very recently. The records state that when Netaji gave a call to Indian Prisoners of War to join arms against the British, 1200 persons, mostly Sikhs were recruited during the first six months for a training Camp set up at Frankenburg. This trend of joining the Fauz continued till it remained in existence. |
| (22) Question:- |
Mention some Sikh patriots who died for the cause of freedom. What was the contribution of Sikhs in overall freedom movement? |
| Answer:- |
A large number of Sikhs sacrificed their lives in the course of their fight for the independence of the country. To mention three of them, the youngest of all was Kartar Singh Sarabha from Ludhiana. He was a student at the University of California at Berkeley. He joined the Ghadar Party as he did not like hatred ness against Indians. He discontinued his studies and took over the Gurmukhi edition of the Ghadar. He was hanged by the British when he was 19 years old.
Shaheed Udham Singh
Shaheed Udham Singh is also a great name as a revolutionary belonging to the Ghadar Party. He could not tolerate the massacre at Jaliawalan Bagh and as such he vowed to take revenge by killing General Dwyer, who had shot the Indian people as well as Michael, Dwyer who was responsible for this tragedy. He went to London, worked there for many years. Looking for an opportunity to fulfill his mission. He got this opportunity when in Caxton Hall, Michael Diar was to address the people. He was also present in the Caxton Hall. When Diar narrated the incident of Jaliawalan Bagh, Udham Singh shot him dead and surrendered himself. Singh was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. On 31 July 1940, Singh was hanged at Pentonville Prison. His remains are preserved at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab. On every 31 July, marches are held in Sunam by various organizations and every statue of Singh in the city is paid tribute with flower garlands.
Shaheed Bhagat Singh
Shaheed Bhagat Singh is such a name that everyone remembers him when the story of the freedom struggle for the country is mention. A number of movies have been made on his sacrifices. A lot of literature has also been written about him in which is socialistic views have also been highlighted. Bhagat Singh was born on 27th September 1907, at Lyallpur (now in Pakistan) in a Sikh family. His family was very active in the freedom struggle, particularly his uncle was a known figure in this regard. Bhagat Singh also started his revolutionary activities against the Britishers at an early age. As revenge for the death of Lala Lajpat Rai, he wanted to kill the police chief responsible for it, but by mistake, a junior officer JP Saunders was killed. In 1929 he and an associate lobbed a bomb at the Central Legislative Assembly in Delhi to protest the implementation of the Defence of India Act and then surrendered. He was hanged at the age of 23 for the murder of Saunders. The popular songs in Punjab during those days like 'Pugree sambhal Jatta and Mera Rang De Basanti Cholla' are associated with S. Ajit Singh (uncle of Bhagat Singh) and Bhagat Singh along with his associates Sukhdev & Rajguru. When these three heroes were being taken for hanging, they were smilingly singing this song and happily died for their cause.
So far overall contribution of the Sikhs is concerned, the following table will show how the Sikhs with a meager percentage of 1.5% of the country’s population were able to make sacrifices for freedom as high as 90%.
It was perhaps this realization of the importance of Sikhs by Sh. Madan Mohan Malviya that said that if Freedom Movement was to be made successful, every Hindu family should make their one son a Sikh. This appeal had so much influence in Punjab that many Hindu families made their elder son, a Sikh, and many of them played their role as was expected from the valourous Sikhs. |
| (23) Question:- |
Mention briefly the bravery shown by the Sikhs in the Second World War? |
| Answer:- |
In the Second World War
In the Second World War also, Sikhs were honoured for their exemplary courage, spirit and dedication. S. Nand Singh was honoured with Victoria Cross for his wonderful encounters with Japanese wherein he had displayed valour and resolution of a very high order. Six times wounded in the assault, Nand Singh literally carried the position single-handed. He had displayed valour and resolution of a very high order, as an also utter disregard for his own life, for which the immediate award of the VC was a fitting tribute. ’Another winner of the Victoria Cross was Naik Gian Singh of the Sikh Regiment who had killed a number of Japanese and destroyed their anti-tank gun crew, capturing the weapon single-handed and getting the enemy positions cleared while fighting on Kampe-Myingyan area in Burma. His bravery is exemplified by the fact that when in the course of his action he was ordered to the regimental aid post, he requested permission to continue leading his men until the whole action was completed. The permission was granted.
One of the important tasks performed by the Sikhs during this war was the safety of their seniors. Whenever there was risk to the life of some senior officer, the Sikhs attached with him did not care for their life and made all efforts to save the life of the concerned officer. One such illustration is available in a recently published book “A touch of Greatness: encounters with the eminent” by Shri R.M. Lalla. In this book certain events have bee narrated from the lives of eminent persons. While giving a profile of Field Marshal Manek Shaw, the author records that when the Japanese were advancing in Burma in early 1942 defending the Sittand Bridge was a 28-year-old captain. Facing a hail of machine-gun bullets, the captain fell to the ground and was left for dead by the retreating forces. His orderly, who had effectively hidden himself during the engagement, came out after the Japanese left. He picked up his unconscious master and carried him on his shoulder the whole day, heading for the town of Prome. He hid the captain in ditches during air raids. When Captain Sam Manekshaw regained consciousness, he told his orderly,
“Leave me now and go, for I am finished. You should think of your wife and children and save your life.”
“So long as there is life in you, I shall not leave you, Sir,” said Mehar Singh. For most of the next night he carried Manekshaw, bringing him to a field hospital. In a tent by candlelight at 4 a.m., an Australian surgeon operated on Manekshaw and removed six bullets from his stomach, lungs and liver. Manekshaw was wrapped up in a blanket and sent off to Rangoon towards which the Japanese were advancing.
Later on, Manekshaw was sent to India and after treatment, he was fully recovered. The service rendered by Mehar Singh in this regard shows as to how the brave performed their duty without caring for their own life.
There were many Sikhs who were wounded or captured by the enemy and tortured in prisons, but did not show any sign of weakness on their part. Their loyalty and dedication were recognised and appreciated at one or the other time. For example, we must mention the towering personality of Lt. Gen. Harbakhash Singh, who had commanded a company of the 5th Sikh in 1942 in Malaya. Severely wounded in the head, a steel plate, which he carried to his last day, was a constant reminder. He was in a military hospital when General A.E. Percival, the Allied Field Commander, surrendered all Allied forces in Malaya and Singapore to the Japanese in 1942. Then followed three years of a miserable existence and near starvation as a Japanese Prisoner of War. Released at the end of the war in 1945, he remained in the hospital for some months with beri-beri and other problems brought on by malnutrition and inhuman conditions in Japanese POW camps. Later on, this brilliant officer of the Indian Army proved to be one of the most outstanding Commanders in Modern Indian History.
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| (24) Question:- |
Explain the position of Sikhs at the time of Independence and there after their efforts to save guard our freedom. |
| Answer:- |
When the country became independent, the Sikhs had to pay a heavy price as they had to leave their houses, assets and even thousands of their relatives and friends murdered in Pakistan. The community was almost shattered with the devastation that took place at the time of partition. Even then the community did not give in and started making their fortune from nothing. They not only made efforts to uplift themselves, but also helped the Indian Government in consolidating and strengthening the newly achieved freedom by our people. How did they help in getting the annexation of Junagarh, Hyderabad, Nagaland and the liberation of Goa from the Portuguese in a wonderful proud story. For example, in the fight for liberation of Goa in December 1961 all the three brigade of Indian Army which captured Goa were commanded by Sikhs. The 48th Infantry Brigade (Brigadier Gurbux Singh), the 50th Parachute Brigade (Brigadier Sohan Singh) and 63 rd Infantry Brigade (Brigadier Kulwant Singh). The Sikhs completed the task with lightening speed and made the Purtgese forces surrender. |
| (25) Question:- |
Explain briefly as how the Sikhs were able to defend our freedom in the course of battles with Pakistan and China ? |
| Answer:- |
Immediately after the independence of our country, Pakistan attacked us in Kashmir on 27th October 1947. The Sikhs again rose to the occasion and defeated the Pakistan's first aggression by capturing the Richhmar Gali on 27th October. This day is now celebrated every year as "Infantry Day" by the Indian Army, In commemoration of those intrepid Sikh soldiers who added golden pages to their glorious history. When China war was fought in 1962, the Indian position was very bad. Although India could not win this war, the bravery with which the Sikhs fought became memorable. Lt. General Bikram Singh, who was conducting operation in Ladakh was the biggest killer of enemy soldiers. The battle of Walong presented some of the best portraits of courage of the Sikhs. Lance Naik Gurdayal Singh, Jamadar Pritam Singh and S. Kewal Singh were among the bravest fighters who had killed the Chinese in a big number. The Sikhs also captured their weapons. It is on record that during this tenacious battle lasting for nearly three weeks the Chinese arms captured by the four Sikhs are perhaps the only seized by Indian Army. When we talk of the wars with Pakistan fought in 1965 and 1971, we are reminded of brave Sikhs like Major General Rajinder Singh sparrow (Hero of the battles in Lahore and Sialkot), Major General Rajinder Singh Dayal (who captured Hazi Peer Pass) and Major Bhupinder Singh of 1965 War. Lt. General Harbaksh Singh was the Principal Architect of the India's victory in this War. Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, the then Prime Minister was so impressed by the bravery of Sikhs that he said that more persons like Lt. General Harbaksh Singh and Major Bhupinder Singh were needed. On the death of Major Bhupinder Singh he had stated "A precious hero of the country has passed away after fulfilling his duties to the nation. Great is his mother who gave birth to a supreme warrior hero. India will be always proud of him. So long as we have warriors of the calibre of Major Bhupinder Singh, India's borders are in safer hands." The 1971 War with Pakistan was a clear victory as Lt. General Jagjit Singh Arora secured a surrender of 90000 Pakistani on December 16, 1971. There are many other Sikh soldiers who displayed their valour and won honours in this war. To name some of them, Major Amarjit Singh Bal, Lt. Col. Sukhjeet Singh, Subedar Mahender Singh, and Major Gen. Kulwant Singh Pannu (all these four persons won Mahavir Chakra). Major Gen. Pannu (born on 6th March 1932) will always be remembered for his conspicuous gallantry. He had led 2 Para in the famous Tangial Airdrop to capture the Poongli Bridge over the River Jamuna on 11th December 1971, during the Bangladesh Liberation War. The battalion was airdropped near Tangail (now in Bangladesh) and tasked to cut off the 93 Brigade of Pakistani Army which was retreating from the north to defend Dhaka and its approaches. Another unforgettable officer of this war was the hero of Longewal battle Major Kuldeep Singh Chandpuri, whose bravery has already been shown on the Indian screen through a feature film 'Border'. This brave soldier of the 23rd Punjab Regiment won Mahavir Chakra for his dynamic leadership and gallantry. |
| (26) Question:- |
Describe the important role played by the Sikhs in Indian Air Forces and in Indian Navy? |
| Answer:- |
So far Air Force is concerned the Sikhs have a distinguished record in that force also. The first Indian to possess an Aero plane was Maharaja of Patiala S. Bhupinder Singh.
The first Indian to have a Solo flight was S. Manmohan Singh who had completed a two years course in Flying and Aeronautical engineering in England. S. Hardit Singh Malik displayed his flying skill in an aerial combat on Western Front during the 2nd World War. Sardar Malik, born on 23rd November, 1892 was the very first Indian to fly by joining the Royal Flying Corps. He had joined the RFC as a Cadet at Alder slot as early as in 1917 and became the first Indian in any flying service in the world. Sardar Malik also served in the Indian Civil Service and remained Indian High Commissioner to Canada and Ambassador to France. Whereas before independence the other marvelous Sikh flyers included S. Amarjit Singh, S. Bhupinder Singh, S. Harjinder Singh, S. Kartar Singh and S. Mahinder Singh Puji, a distinguished fighter pilot, who showed his excellence while flying hurricanes intercepting German bombers and reconnaissance aircraft during the 2nd World War, there were many Sikhs in Indian Air Force who held high positions after independence. S. Lal Singh Grewal, S. Pritpal Singh, S. Shivdev Singh, S. Prempal Singh, S. Pritam Singh Ben and S. Surjit Singh Malhotra became Vice Chief of the Air staff. Air Marshal Arjun Singh, Air Marshal Dilbagh Singh and became the Chiefs of the Indian Air Force. Air Marshal Arjun Singh when retired after a long period was given the rank of Marshal of the Indian Air Force and he continues to hold it even today. So far the gallantry of Sikhs in Indian Air Force is concerned, we have lot of valourous stories in this regard. When after independence the first confrontation with the Pakistani infiltrators took place, the Air Force again rose to the occasion to play a crucial role. Baba Mehar Singh, who had already shown his bravery while fighting against the Japanese for which he was awarded Distinguished Service Order, acted daringly in flying men and material to those Himalayan heights where it was not possible to reach by any other method. His efforts were mainly responsible for enabling our country to get the valley vacated by the Pakistanis. Who can forget S. Nirmaljeet Singh Sekhon who had shown the sublime heroism, supreme gallantry, flying skill and determination in the 1971 War and was awarded Paramvir Chakra for his action and sacrifice.
Sikhs have also played a vital role in the Indian Navy. One of the Sikhs has recently retired as the Deputy
Chief of the Naval Forces. He finds a mention among the role-models appearing in the subsequent pages. As
the Sikhs are now living in a large number of foreign countries, they are always eager to join the Armies of
those respective countries as to serve their adoptive nations. Some years back, they were not supported by
the foreign Governments for joining their armed forces because of their different identity. However, their
struggle for religious freedom has made them victorious in various countries and now those Governments
have allowed them to serve their armies with Sikh identity including wearing their turbans. Some such
persons serving in the armies of those countries have also been included among our role-models. |
| (27) Question:- |
Narrate some important events relating to Sikhs which happend after the country became independent. |
| Answer:- |
The most important event related to Sikhs after the freedom of the country was the Punjabi Suba Movement. This movement infact started immediately after attaining independence. As per the Government Policy Indian states were to be consitituted on the basis of the language of the majority of its people. After partition of the Country Punjab on the Indian side became a majority state of Punjabi speaking people. Thus, the demand for a Punjabi Suba as a policy position was first presented in April 1948 by Master Tara Singh, leader of Shrimoni Akali Dal. The congress had assured the Sikhs that theirsuch a demand will be accepted while forming states on linguistic basis. However, the government did not accept such a demand and the Sikhs had to fight a long drawn battle in the form of agitation. Various commissions were setup which gave different formulas to resolve the matter but it was all in vain. Various rounds of talks with the center and state governments also failed to satisfy the Sikhs. Partap Singh Kairon the Cheif Minister of Punjab from Congress party tried to supress the Punjabi Suba struggle, but with passage of time it moved on gaining momentum.
Master Tara Singh's efforts
When Master Tara Singh had to spend considerable time into jail, Sant Fateh Singh emerged as his second in command. Sant Fateh Singh had three meeting with Nehru Ji, Prime Minister of India, on 8th February 1961, 1 March 1961, and 12 May 1961. While cordial, they did not yield solid results; Nehru offered to extend protection to the Punjabi language and look into Sikh grievances, but continued not to accept Punjabi-speaking areas forming a separate state, which was not accepted by Sikhs. In addition to Nehru's own view on the matter, political pressure on him and false propaganda from other communities began to depict Akalis as foreign agents, which the Akalis took offense at. To impress this point, Tara Singh himself embarked on a fast on 15 August 1961, during which notable Sikh mediators like Maharaja Yadavinder Singh of Patiala, and Hardit Singh Malik kept in touch with Nehru and Home Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on one hand and Akali leaders on the other. Hardit Malik had come to Amritsar as an emissary of Nehru, and Tara Singh ended his fast during his visit. Seeing this as a sign of an impending settlement between the Akalis and Congress, anti-Punjabi lobbies reacted strongly, with Arya Samaj ideologue and news editor Lala Jagat Narain, who had resigned as minister due to the Regional Formula, warning on 6 October that "the Hindus of Punjab would never accept the settlement."
Master Tara Singh was criticised for ending his fast without concrete results. Thus, he had to undergo a punishment given by Akal Takhat Sahib. He was ordered to perform additional prayers for a month and clean the shoes of the sangat, or congregation, and the dishes of the langar, or open community kitchen, for five days. Fateh Singh was also to recite extra prayers and wash "langar" dishes for five days for his own fast ending, though it was recognized that his fast had ended at Tara Singh’s request. Son Fateh Singh then became President of the majority faction of Akali Dal. The Congress Government became weak in Punjab. Das Commission and the Nalwa conference also deliberated on this matter, but no results were achieved. In the mean time, some other Sikh leaders also became prominent. They included S. Gurcharan Singh Tohra, Harcharan Singh Hudiara and The SGPC president Channan Singh, who had gone to Delhi to meet the centeral Ministers. Sant Fateh Singh had declared a fast unto death. It was also announced by him that if this demand was not accepted, he would self immolate at Akal Takht Sahib. However, the central Government requested him to defer the fast in light of the declaration of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965; some, including Yadavinder Singh, gave their assurance of support for the Punjabi Suba cause if the government continued to avoid the demand after normalcy was restored. This message was relayed to Fateh Singh on 9 September as Channan Singh and the Akali leaders returned to Amritsar. Fateh Singh accepted the request and appealed to the Sikhs in Punjab to support the war effort and the senior commanders, who were almost all Sikhs.
Formation of Punjabi Sooba
In 1963, the Sikhs and Punjab had contributed massive amounts of wealth to the war effort against China in 1962, with over 20 million rupees to the defense fund including 50,000 rupees directly from Fateh Singh to Nehru, and gold double the weight of Nehru, encouraged by the Akalis who anti-Punjabi groups in Punjab had earlier attempted to portray as traitorous.
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 ended 21 days later with a ceasefire on 22 September, with both sides claiming victory. More demonstrations of patriotism prompted the Indian government, who after Nehru's death in 1964 had leadership that was more open to consider regional demands, to revisit the Punjabi Suba issue in light of the contributions in the war effort by Sikhs, who had previously been seen with mistrust and apprehension by the government. Stories of the bravery and patriotism of the Sikhs during the war had already been circulating, and on 6 September the Union Home Minister, Gulzarilal Nanda, had made a statement in the Lok Sabha that "the whole question of the formation of Punjabi-speaking state could be examined afresh with an open mind." Later on the 23rd, he declared the formation of a committee of the Cabinet to pursue the matter further, with the stated hope that "the efforts of this Cabinet Committee and of the Parliamentary Committee will lead to a satisfactory settlement of the question." The Punjab Congress Committee also debated the issue at length, with Zail Singh, General Mohan Singh, and Narain Singh Shahbazpuri lending their full support. In the Parliament, the Home Minister sent a list of nominees from the Rajya Sabha to the Chairman and a list of nominees from the Lok Sabha to the Speaker, Sardar Hukam Singh, who announced the final 22-person committee representing all sections of the House, including representatives from the Akali Dal, Congress, Jana Sangh, Swatantra Party, Communists, and independents.
The period for receiving memoranda from the various parties and individuals was set from October to 5 November 1965. Preliminary discussions were held from 26 November to 25 December 1965. On 10 January 1966, the SGPC’s general secretary Lachhman Singh Gill and executive member Rawel Singh met the committee and presented the case for a Punjabi-speaking state. On the 27th, Giani Kartar Singh and Harcharan Singh Brar appeared in the Punjab legislature on behalf of Congress, also arguing in favor of it. Of the memoranda submitted to the committee, nearly 2,200 supported the Punjabi Suba and 903 opposing. Hukam Singh was thus able to secure strong support from the assembled committee for its creation. In reaction to the committee's recommendation to the central government of a state with Punjabi as its official language on 9 March 1966, there were strikes, arson, and murder, including 3 Congressmen burnt alive in Panipat, including an old associate of Bhagat Singh, generally believed to have been orchestrated by the Jan Sangh, who still opposed the Punjabi Suba.
The Parliamentary Committee’s report was handed in on 15 March 1966; the Congress Working Committee had already adopted a motion on the 6th recommending the government to carve out a Punjabi-speaking state out of the erstwhile East Punjab state. The report was made public on 18 March, and the demand was conceded on 23 April, with a commission appointed on 17 April to demarcate the new states of Punjab and Haryana, and transferring certain areas to Himachal Pradesh. The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966 was passed on 18 September in the Lok Sabha, and on 1st November 1966, a Punjabi-speaking state became a reality. However, it gave rise to certain problems like that of Chandigarh to be made the capital of Punjab and the merger of Punjabi speaking areas with the new state. All these problems along with that of distribution of water are still pending solution.
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| (28) Question:- |
What lead to worsening of atmospher in Punjab during the early 80's? |
| Answer:- |
In the early 80's, Punjab started witnessing insurgency. Some people blame some Sikh leaders like Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale for the same, where as a big segment holds the central and state government responsible for this. Without going into the reasons, it may be stated that Punjab had to suffer considerably during that period, when a number of innocent persons, both Hindus and Sikhs were killed. The incident like killing of bus passengers and bomb blasts at some places really spoiled the inhale atmosphere. The role of Pakistan in encouraging terrorist activities was also one of the factors which led bad to worst. If we analyze all the circumstances, the Sikhs suffered more both because of the terrorist activities as well as the government action in the name of suppression of the same. So far Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawala is concerned, he was trying to give voice to the Sikh demands some of which could be sorted out by negotiations. There may be a difference of opinion regarding his views and methods, but his devotion and dedication to his cause was beyond any doubt. He supported Anandpur Sahib resolution by launching Dharam Yudh Morcha, which was misunderstood by many treating the same as against the non Sikhs. He was a peerless missionary who went from village to village to exhort the Sikhs to live according to the Sikh tenets and teachings. He became the head of Dam Dami Taksal when Kartar Singh Khalsa, the successor to Gurbachan Singh Khalsa, nominated him as next head of the Taksal. During his leadership, this Taksal was at the height of its popularity. So far Anandpur Sahib resolution is concerned, it was passed by Shiromani Akali Dal with the main object of demanding more powers for the state. The words mentioned in the resolution clearly show that it wanted redefining the central and state relations, which subject was also taken by Shri Jai Prakash Narayan when he supported progressive decentralization of powers. The other demands read as per this resolution were related to Punjab like making Amritsar international airport, merger of Punjabi speaking areas with Punjab and examining the excesses comited against the Sikh particular during emergency period. However this resolution was politicized and the differences between the two communities who were deep relations among themselves were created for vested interests. The attack on Shri Harminder Sahib and other Gurdwaras in June 1984 and then massacre of Sikhs in Delhi following the assassination of Mrs. Indra Ghandi in early November 1984 hurt the very psyche of Sikhs and their confidence was shattered to a great extent. When S. Beant Singh, CM and S. K.P.S. Gill took steps to suppress the so called increased terrorism in Punjab many innocents Sikh youth were victimized. As a result of these circumstances, the number of Sikhs going to other countries just shot up. The considerable damage caused to Shri Akal Takht Sahib was set right by reconstructing and repairing the affected portions of the shrine. Gradually, the things started improving towards the end of the century, but many new problems of the Sikhs came up. The same include the demand for restoration of our things removed from Sikh reference library and other places in the shrines, compensation for the Sikhs killed in Gurdwara attacks and mob violence in Delhi and suitable punishments for those who were guilty for these happenings and huge lose to life and property of the community. |
| (29) Question:- |
Mention some important Chief Ministers of Punjab and their special achievements. |
| Answer:- |
When India became independent, Punjab on the Indian side was comprised of Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. PEPSU was the name given to Patiala and East Punjab States Union. All these eight princely collectively known by this name were not a part of Punjab State till 1956. There merger with Punjab took place in 1956. Thus, till than Sikhs were not in majority in Punjab. Both the Chief Ministers, namely, Gopi Chand Bhargava, and Bhim Sen Sachar were non Sikhs. It was only after the merger of PEPSU that S. Partap Singh Kairon became Chief Minister in 1956. He was from Congress Party. He was a very strong Chief Minister, who was not in favour of Punjabi Suba mainly because of the possibility of division of Punjab a different part. However, when Punjabi Suba came into being and Punjab was trifurcated into three states with Haryana & Himachal Pradesh, the Sikhs became a majority class and Shiromani Akali Dal became powerful. Although, Gyani Gurmat Singh Musafir from Congress Party remained Chief Minister for a few months, the subsequent Chief Ministers were mainly from Shiromani Akali Dal. They included Gurnam Singh, Lachman Singh Gill & Parkash Singh Badal. After 1972 when Gyani Zail Singh became Chief Minister, there has always been an equal fight between Indian National Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal. After Gyani Zail Singh, Darbara Singh, Beant Singh, Harcharan Singh Brar, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and present Chief Minister Captain Amrinder Singh have been from Indian National Congress. S. Parkash Singh Badal has been Shiromani Akali Dal Chief Minister for a major period (5 times chief minister) with a small interval when Surjeet Singh Barnala of Shiromani Akali Dal was Chief Minister from 1985 to 1987. The politics in Punjab has mostly remained disturbed as a result of which President's Rule had to be imposed many a times.
S. Gurmat Singh Musafir was also a prominent Punjabi writer who had won many literary awards and appreciations. He was President of Indian National Congress, Punjab for 12 years.
Lachman Singh Gill was the 12th Chief Minister of Punjab who was on this post only for a few months i.e. 25th Nov. 1967 to 21st August 1968. He will be remembered for a major decision to make Punjabi the official language of Punjab from 13th April 1968 onwards.
Gyani Zail Singh was the Chief Minister of Punjab from the 1972 to 1977. His period as CM will be remembered for the highway created by him after the name of Sri Guru Gobind Singh. The town of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar was also his creation. Further, he created a lifelong pension and managed and manage to repatriate the remains of Udham Singh and armaments and articles belonging to Guru Gobind Singh from London. He also served the central Government as a Home Minister of India and then in 1982 he was elected the 7th President of the country. His term as President was quite disturbing for him as Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister, although was required to brief him on important matters, did not reveal her plan for operation Blue Star (Attack on on Sri Harmandir Sahib & other Gurdwaras). Following the operation he was pressured to resign from his post by Sikhs. He decided against resignation fearing to aggravate the situation on advice from Yogi Bhajan. He was subsequently called before the Akal Takhat to apologize and explain his inaction at the desecration of the Harimandir Sahib and killing of innocent Sikhs. Indira Gandhi was assassinated on 31 October in the same year, and he appointed her elder son Rajiv Gandhi as Prime Minister.
In 1986 he exercised the Power veto with respect to the Indian Post Office (Amendment) Bill, passed by Rajiv Gandhi, imposing restrictions on the freedom of press.
The most active politician of Punjab and the Chief Minister remaining for the longest period is S. Parkash Singh Badal. He has been dominating the Punjab Political Scene since 1970. In 1970, he was the youngest Chief Minister of any state in India and remaining chief minister continuously for 10 years he was the oldest Chief Minister in India. He is an able administrator, a seasoned politician, a good orator, with a soft voice and good sense of humor. By remaining chief minister & President of Akali Dal he became very powerful and as such he extended his control over SGPC, then on Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and also on Patna Sahib Gurdwara Management. Although, he has always shown precedence of politics over religion, the Sikh Memorials created under his patronage, particularly those of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur (in commemoration of the 3rd Centenary of his martyrdom) and Khalsa heritage memorial complex at Anandpur Sahib, will be appreciated among the religions works attributed to him. His decision to fight the Punjab Assembly Election even at this age of 90 years shows his strength as a politician. His son Sukhbir S. Badal was the deputy Chief minister of Punjab when Akali Dal was replaced by Congress with chief minisiter Capt. Amrinder Singh (Second Term) He Was also the chief minister from 2002 to 2007. |
| (30) Question:- |
When did the Sikhs start feeling improvement in their affairs after the period of turmoil in Punjab? |
| Answer:- |
When the Congress Government at the Centre as well as in the state was successful in suppressing the terrorist activities, the position in Punjab became a little better, although, many new questions had arisen. These new questions were concerned with the killing of innocent Sikh youth, the false encounters and enforcement of unwarranted laws against the Sikhs. The Sikhs being hardworking people again setup their business/profession and their hard work started yielding results. When P.V. Narsimha Rao became the Prime Minister of India in June 1991, he appointed Dr. Manmohan Singh as the Finance Minister. It was due to Dr. Manmohan Singh's efforts that the Indian economy took a new shape and became a market driven economy in place of the mixed economical model of earlier Prime Ministers. Dr. Manmohan Singh made a name as the Finance Minister by steering India through the 1991 economic crises. This raised the prestige of Sikhs among the people. A large number of Sikh youth had shifted to foreign countries like Canada, USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand and East Asian Countries like Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. They started making their fortune in those countries and by dint of their hard work rose to high positions in different spheres of life. When Sonia Gandhi became active in Congress Party and the congress won the elections in 2004, she made Dr. Manmohan Singh the Prime Minister of India. With this post occupied by a Turbaned Sikh, the Sikhs came to be recognized all over the world. Although, Dr. Manmohan Singh never became partial with the Sikhs, but due to his presence in the high office, many Sikhs who deserved to get the top positions got their due on merits. It was for the first time that two Sikhs became Chief of the Army. It was again for a first time that a Sikh got appointed in the Supreme Court as a Judge at such an age that he was sure to become Chief Justice of India. Later on, he became the first Sikh Chief Justice of India. Even in foreign countries, Sikhs were considered and appointed on important diplomatic positions. In religious sphere also many such events took place that brought the Sikhs into world news. For example, the Kaar Sewa undertaken by the Sikhs for removing the mud and silt from the tank of the Golden Temple in March 2004 showed their enthusiasm and religious fervor. Lakhs of people did this service by coming from various parts of the world. The anniversaries that were celebrated in 1999 (300 years of creation of Khalsa), 2004 (the first installation of Adi Granth at Amritsar, 2008 (300 years of Guru Gaddi Diwas of Sri Guru Granth Sahib), 350th Birth Centenary of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 2016 and recently 550th Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. All these celebrations world over raised the prestige and glory of Sikhs. Their service to mankind at all the places in the world at all difficult times also attractive the world attention. The very fact that the Langar had been served even outside Gurdwaras at various places showed as how the Sikhs not only believed but also acutally wore engaged in the welfare of all. Even during Corona period, the langar has been served to lakhs of people who could not have food due to loss of their jobs or migration from one place to another. It may be noted here that for detailed achievements of Sikhs in various fields including the Langar tradition may be read from Sanstha's project publications
1. 500 Sikh Role models from different walks of Life
2. Some Prominent Gurdwaras & Sikh organizations of the World
You may also visit our another website for this purpose at www.sikhpride.org. |
