Author Topic: Khalsa deewan (Read 1587 times)

PuNjAbAn_KuRhI · « **on:** August 24, 2008, 12:38:05 PM »

Khalsa Diwan

Singh Sabha, a reform group of Amritdhari Gursikhs sought the eradication of the wrong practices in reestablishing the true traditions of Gursikhism. Their initial efforts for religious propagation and education resulted in the establishment of â€œSri Guru Singh Sabhaâ€, Amritsar in 1872. Sardar Thakar Singh Sandhawalia was its president and Giani Gian Singh its secretary. The main objectives of the Singh Sabha were to inculcate love for Sikhism among those who called themselves as Sikhs or Khalsa. It aimed at preaching the principles of the Sikh religion and to restore it to its pristine purity and glory by propagation of knowledge through religious books magazines and papers.

The Singh Sabha aroused much interest among the Sikhs and a vigorous campaign was set on foot to achieve its objectives Thus even though Sri Guru Singh Sabha at Amritsar came into being in 1873 and started reformative work but due to acute differences between three of its premier founders they could not pull on together. While Kanwar Bikram Singh was a committee reformer, Baba Khem Singh Bedi besides being wedded to reform, was keen to getting himself recognized. Thakar Singh Sandhawalia had the Sikh spirit and zeal which sometimes colored his discretions and many a time he took extreme decisions which were not pragmatic in that situation. Due to the differences the activities of Singh Sabha came to almost a standstill.

About three years later Bhai Gurmukh Singh, a dynamic and energetic missionary entered the field of Panthic service and gave birth to Singh Sabha Movement. He was the greatest figure in the said movement. Thus Sri Guru Singh Sabhas began to be founded in various places. Bhai Gurmukh Singh succeeded in 1877 in getting Punjabi recognized as a subject of study at Oriental College Lahore. He was appointed as an assistant professor in the college. He brought reconciliation between the prominent leaders of Sri Guru Singh Sabha Amritsar and also founded Singh Sabha Lahore on November 12, 1879 and affiliated it to Singh Sabha, Amritsar. It was presided over by Diwan Buta Singh and he was its secretary.

While Amritsar Singh Sabha was dominated by Sikh chiefs and Sardars, the Lahore Singh Sabha was more democratic in character as its members were drawn from the Sikhs of all classes, including the so-called low ones. However, great caution was exercised in keeping away apostates and opponents of Sikhism. In November, 1880 he started a Punjabi weekly called 'The Gurmukhi Akhbar' for propagation of Singh Sabha ideals. He himself was its proprietor and editor. Professor Gurmukh Singh, besides having a strong and dynamic personality, had a clear vision of Sikhism as conceived by the Gurus. He worked untiringly to restore Sikhism to its original state without compromising its tenets. As a result various Singh Sabhas were established and affiliated to Singh Sabha Lahore. In the beginning Singh Sabhas held their meeting in Gurdwaras but later Mahants and Pujaris, due to their own self-interest, did not allow Singh Sabhas to use the Gurdwaras. Therefore Singh Sabhas constructed their own Gurdwaras and had their own Granthis, Ragis and preachers to spread the message of the Khalsa with a view to restore it to its original shape.

The warming up of the Singh Sabha activity was discernible by a decision to establish Khalsa Diwan at Amritsar . This came into being in 1883 to oversee the functioning of over three dozen Singh Sabhas. There were, however, differences over the provisions of the constitution of the Khalsa Diwan. These resulted in a break; with Lahore Singh Sabha spearheading a Khalsa Diwan at Lahore with a membership of all except three of the Singh Sabha affiliated to it. Suffice to say that the Singh Sabha Lahore became the focal point of the Sikh reform movement.

The Singh Sabha movement played its historic role by exposing the evils which had crept into the social and religious life of the Sikhs. It reclaimed Sikhism from "a state of utter ossification and inertia and articulated the inner urge of Sikhism for reform and gave it a decisive direction." It not only checked the relapse of the Sikhs into Hinduism but also retaliated by carrying proselyting activities into the Hindu camp. One of the major achievements of Lahore Khalsa Diwan was to take the Sikhs out of Arya-Samajist grip. Swami Daya Nand founder of the Arya Samaj came to Punjab in 1887. In the earlier days, Singh Sabha and Arya Samaj used to preach together in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib. Giani Ditt Singh was one of the greatest speakers and writer who worked shoulder to shoulder with Arya Samaj . But shortly afterwards Swami Daya Nand started denouncing Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Nanak Dev and attacked Sikh Gurus and Sikh religion. Such attacks by Arya Samajists greatly annoyed Bhai Jawahar Singh and Giani Ditt Singh and they broke off with the Arya Samaj . They had great dynamic personalities and had intense desire to serve the cause of Sikhism. They came under the fold of Professor Gurmukh Singh and started a newspaper in Punjabi called Khalsa Akhbar. Giani Ditt Singh wrote scores of articles, pamphlets and books and created a strong opinion in favour of Singh Sabha movement. Giani Ditt Singh worked untiringly to restore Sikhism to its pristine purity and glory. A large number of Hindus were baptised and the Sikh population which was 17,06,165 in 1881 rose to 21,02,896 in 1901 and never dwindled again. Thus the Singh Sabha movement proved to be the Ã©lan-vital in the regeneration of the Sikh society.

In 1888, Khalsa Diwan was established in Lahore. Subsequently, on Nov. 10, 1901, Shiromani Gursikhs gathered at Ramgarhia Bunga , Amritsar , and laid the foundation of Chief Khalsa Diwan. This organization actively corrected numerous traditions in Gursikhism and continues to do so till today.

Lahore Khalsa Diwan suffered grievous losses; in 1896 the death of President Sardar Atar Singh ; two years later in 1898 it lost its main guide secretary Professor Gurmukh Singh ; and September 1901 passed away the great scholar and writer Giani Ditt Singh . After the death of the above dynamic leaders, only Amritsar Khalsa Diwan was left in the field to serve the cause of Sikhism. Sardar Sundar Singh Majithia took the pain to organize a new Panthic organization under the name of Chief Khalsa Diwan which was founded on October 30, 1902 . Sundar Singh Majithia was secretary and Bhai Sahib Bhai Arjan Singh was its president. The active and tireless secretary of Chief Khalsa Diwan had persuaded a number of Singh Sabhas to join the Diwan. The main objectives of the Diwan were religious and secular education reformation and improvement of the Sikh community and representation of its needs to the Government. Sardar Sunder Singh Majithia worked hard and enthusiastically for the Diwan and good of the Khalsa College , whose secretary he became in 1902.

Chief Khalsa Diwan also did great work in getting Sehajdharis baptised as Singhs. Sardar Sunder Singh Majithia and Harbans Singh Atari went to Sindh with Parcharak Jathas. The Sindhis were won over to the Great Gurus. Many high noble families of Sindhis came into fold of Sikhism and thus Sindhis' love for Gurbani became proverbial.

The Diwan also spread the message of Sikhism in various other places like Shikarpur, Karachi , Poona , Sasaram in Bengal , Calcutta and Rangoon. Chief Khalsa Diwan thus served the Sikh Panth to a great extent through spread of secular and religious education and by bringing a socio-political awakening among the Sikhs.

Author Topic: Khalsa deewan (Read 1587 times)

PuNjAbAn_KuRhI

Khalsa deewan

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