October 29th: Sahib Singh Ji

[SanmukhKaur]

On October 29th, 1977 Khalsa Panth lost a great scholar whose books will inspire Sikhs for generations to come. Professor Sahib Singh Ji was a role model for Sikhs and for everyone that came in touch with him and for those that read his autobiography. Professor Sahib Singh Ji life was journey should be researched and read by all Sikhs to learn how he became a sikh, his love for education and the struggle his life was.

Professor Sahib Singh Ji was born Nathu Ram and completed his education through high school as Nathu Ram. Professor Singh Sahib Ji was born in a Hindu family and was the eldest of six siblings. Being the eldest he was the closet to his father, so seeing his love for education his father sent him to school. It was his on his way to school that Nathu Ram first saw Sikhs. He was so fascinated by them that he started thinking about what name he would like to have if he was a Sikh, he settled for Sahib Singh. One day during summer vacation, his cousin how converted to Sikh knocked on Ram Nathu’s door and that was it. Ram Nathu had the urge to immediately take amrit and told his cousin the same. His cousin took Ram Nathu and his friend to the panj pyare and the received the gift of Amrit. Both the friends got to take on the Sikh names they had picked out earlier, while imagining to be Sikhs.

The very next day after taking Amrit Professor Sahib Singh Ji started learning Gurmukhi and soon he began reading Nitnem in Gurmukhi. Professor Sahib Singh had aptitude for languages; he knew Sanskrit, Persian, Gurmukhi, Dev Nagri, Landai and English. And that was right out of high school. Professor Sahib Singh Ji was a bright student that learnt fast, the people around him recognized that and encouraged him. In early education it was his father, how always showed support and encouraged his son to the extent that before passing away he asked his family to allow his son to finish through high school. After his father passed away, Professor Sahib Singh Ji’s brothers at age 11 and 13 years old took all the responsibility of the house and paying for their elder brothers education. The family took on much loan to get Professor Sahib Singh educated. It was the burden of the loan that made it hard to comprehend higher education when his old classmate, Mohammed Ashraf, encouraged him to continue education. Professor Sahib Singh Ji left his post office and headed for college. The farewell he received from his family was a teary one, they didn’t know how they would manage and what would happen if Professor Sahib Singh JI didn’t make it through college.

But how could Professor Sahib Singh not make it through college? Professor Sahib Singh spent a good chunk of his life fighting for his life. Professor Sahib Singh Ji was born after few siblings before him had not survived. It was not sure whether he would survive or not but he did. Then again at age 8 he survived typhoid fever and the following year beat Small Pox. Part of his attraction to Sikhism had been how strong Sikhs are, compared to his fragile self. Professor Sahib Singh Ji also survived malaria and then the Spanish Flu that was killing thousands when Guru Ji sent a Sikh (a student of Professor Sahib) who choose to take care of Professor Sahib Singh Ji along with his ill family against Professor Sahib’s advise. It was nothing less then a miracle the arrival of the student at the time Professor Sahib Singh Ji’s most dire state, when his own family was so sick.

Maybe Waheguru Ji helped Professor Sahib Singh Ji survive all the tough situations life threw at him so he could write the wonderful books that would connect many to Sikhi. It was one day while taking part in the reading  of Akand Path, Professor Sahib Ji became fascinated with the Grammar of Gurmukhi. And from their began the journey to write books on Gurmukhi and Sikhi. The journey was not a easy one, money was at times a issue when SGPC and others refuse to publish his works because there would not be enough returns. But as always Waheguru Ji was on the side of Professor Sahib Singh Ji and things would work out. Professor Sahib Singh Ji will not be forgotten for a long time yet as his books continue to inspire and teach the many generations of Sikhs to come.