Teja Singh Samundri
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Teja Singh Samundri (1882–1926) was a Sikh religious reformer and one of the founder members of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and played an important role in the Gurdwara reform movement.[1][2]
Biography
[edit]Samundri was born to Deva Singh and Nand Kaur on 20 February 1882 at Rai Ka Burj in Tarn Taran tehsil, Amritsar district, Punjab.[2] His village was Chak 140 GB.[citation needed] He acquired the toponymic suffix Samundri after he shifted to Samundri in Lyallpur district.[2] He was never formally educated past the primary-level.[2] He served in the British Indian Army for three-and-a-half years, reaching the rank of Dafadar (junior commissioned officer) in the 22nd Cavalry.[2]
After serving in the military, he returned to his native village and joined the Chief Khalsa Diwan.[2] He then established two Khalsa schools, both located in Sarhali in the Amritsar district.[2] He was also a founder of the Akali daily newspaper periodical.[2] In 1920, Samundri became a founding member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, where he later rose to the position of vice-president of the SGPC.[2] In the aftermath of the Nankana massacre, the British handed-over control of the Nankana Sahib shrine to the reformist Sikhs, with Samundri becoming a member of the new management committee of Nankana Sahib.[2] During the Akali movement, he was arrested for his role in the Chabian Da Morcha (lasting from November 1921 to January 1922) agitation by the British.[2] He was arrested again on 13 October 1923 due to participating in a joint SGPC-Akali campaign to restore the recent reposed Maharaja Ripudaman Singh to the throne of Nabha State after his excommunication by the British.[2] The British declared that the SGPC and Akali Dal were illegal entities, thus fifty-nine leaders of both organizations were arrested, including Teja Singh, being charged with "waging war against the King".[2] He was shifted to Lahore Fort for his trail.[2]
Teja Singh died in custody on 17 July 1926 due to a heart attack.[2]
Family
[edit]Teja Singh had a son named Bishan Singh, who was the founding vice-chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University and also served as the principal of Khalsa College in Amritsar.[2] Teja Singh's grandson is Taranjit Singh Sandhu.[2]
Legacy
[edit]The building that houses the headquarters of the SGPC within the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar is named Teja Singh Samundri Hall after him.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ Yudhvir Rana (15 January 2017). "SGPC founder Samundari's kin quits AAP | Punjab Election News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Singh, Harmeet Shah (30 March 2024). "BJP's Amritsar candidate Ambassador Sandhu: An envoy of Sikh legacy at the centre of Sikh faith". India Today. Retrieved 2 February 2025.
Further reading
[edit]- Siṅgh, Piār (2004). "TEJĀ SIṄGH SAMUNDRĪ (1882–1926)". In Singh, Harbans (ed.). The encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Vol. IV (2nd ed.). Punjabi University. pp. 340–341. ISBN 978-81-7380-530-1. OCLC 1075343372.
- Singh, Parm Bakhshish; Ghai, R.K., eds. (1997). "TEJA SINGH SAMUNDRI". Martyrs of the Punjab. Vol. 1. Punjabi University. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-81-7380-434-2.
- Nijjar, Bakshish Singh (1974). "SAMUNDRI, TEJA SINGH (1881–1926)". In Sen, S. P. (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. IV. Institute of Historical Studies. pp. 32–33. OCLC 955694568.
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source of information; http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/personalities/sewadars/teja_singh_samundri.html[1]
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- ^ Bajwa, Sandeep Singh. "Teja Singh Samundri". www.sikh-history.com. Retrieved 31 May 2018.