October 2nd: SGPC is born

[SanmukhKaur]

The Betaj Badshah

 

                During the first meeting of General Members elected by Gurudwara Act of 1925 was held and the name Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee was coined. Baba Kharak Singh was elected President and Master Tara Singh Ji became the Vice President. For whatever SGPC might be today and with all its faults it still stands today because of its strong foundation. The foundation was laid by none other than the ‘betaj badshah’ (uncrowned king), Baba Kharak Singh. Baba Ji laid the foundation of SGPC  with bricks of education, love for Sikhi and love for one’s country.

                Baba Kharak Singh Ji become the virtual core of Sikh politics after Jallinvala Bagh Massacre of 1919 but before that he received the education that would guide him. Baba Ji studied hard and eventually made it to Law College at Allahabad to study law. Unfortunately, Baba ji could not complete their studies because of the death of their father and elder brother. Baba Ji studied as much as Waheguru Ji had written in his fate and came back to manage the family property. Baba Ji left a huge example to all the Sikh children, in fact to children around the world, that as long as you have a way to study, to study hard. Sikhs were taught by example to study hard, to achieve but not put education before family. Yes, we should put education before tv and other wasteful activities but never before family. Baba Ji studied hard as long as he possible could and never held grudges when his education was cut short.

                Back at his family home in Sialkot Baba Ji did not sit idle, he got involved in politics. Baba Ji’s life in the public eye started in 1912 as chairman of the reception committee of the 5^th session of the Sikh Educational Conference held at Sailkot. But Baba Ji really caught the public attention when in 1915 Baba ji walked to site of the Sikh Educational Conference instead of arrive in fanfare in a six horse carriage. At the conference Baba Ji refused to give permission for a proposed resolution to be moved at the conference wishing victory to the British in Word War 1. Breaking the norms, Baba Kharak Singh Ji became the virtual core of Sikh Politics after the massacre of Jallinvala Bagh of 1919. As part of Gurudwara Central Board which was later renamed SGPC on October 2^nd, 1935, Baba Ji did lots of selfless service for Sikhi. When the Punjab Government passed an order stating the keys to Sri Darbar Sahib will remain in the custody of the Deputy Commissioner of the district. One of the first actions of Gurudwara Central Board was to fight that order, the fight lead to the arrest of Baba Ji but it also forced the government to eventually free baba ji and countless other so they could give the keys back at a public function. Baba Kharak Singh Ji’s love for Sikhi, propelled him to help secure India’s freedom from the British.

                In one of his most stirring lectures Baba Ji stated, “In the fight for India's freedom, if you find a bullet in my back, do not count me as one amongst the 'Sikhs of the Gurus' and do not cremate my dead body according to the Sikh rites. A disciple of the Great Gurus is an ideal saint-soldier and it supposed to fight in the vanguard and face bullets in the chest — not in the back; we Sikhs shall never allow any foreigner to rule over the Motherland and we shall brook no injustice." That shows the love Baba Ji had for both Sikhi and India. Baba Ji spent many years in prison, where he went through countless tortures but never turned his back on his country or his religion. Baba Ji’s commitment to being a good Sikh and a good statesman had many leaders running behind him. He was contacted multiple times by Gandhi and Nehru and offered many government positions; he didn’t give a damn about any of them. He rejected them all and always did what was right, now where he could get more money. It was this attitude of his that made him so respected in Indian politics that Nehru left parliament session midway to go see baba ji when he heard Baba ji has passed on. His command over all those around him is what very few other Sikh has been able to replicate and what sets him apart in Sikh history.

                Baba Kharak  Singh Ji taught us with education, love for Sikhi and the country to which we belong, we can bring the world come running after us, not the other way around. Those three core values for the foundation of SGPC and they are what we need to bring back to our lives and too SGPC. All Sikhs (especially our leaders) need to learn about and take inspiration from Baba Kharak Singh Ji. Only then can we begin to bring back the glorious days of SGPC when it was respected by all.