Giani Dit Singh: Difference between revisions

Bhai Ditt Singh

Giani Ditt Singh, a scholar, poet, editor , an eminent Singh Sabha reformer was born in April 21, 1853 at village Kalaur of district Fatehgarh Sahib.

Having moved from one centre of learning to another, Ditt Singh became learned enough to hold discussions with eminent religious scholars like Sadhu Dayanand. Being one of the founding members of the Singh Sabha of Lahore, he made the Singh Sabha a great movement through his speeches and writings. As an educator, he not only helped in the setting up of Khalsa College, Amritsar, but also wrote textbooks for the students of the college. Author of around 50 books, a major forum for his writing was the Khalsa Akhbar, in which he wrote on current issues. Giani Dit Singh was an editor of this prominent Punjabi newspaper of the time.

Giani Ditt Singh wielded a powerful pen and was equally at home in prose as well as in verse. He wrote more books and pamphlets on Sikh theology and history and on current polemics. He died at Lahore on September 6, 1901. The loss was mourned widely by the Sikhs.

A 15 member memorial committee was formed with Arjan Singh Bagarian as chairman. Notable memorials honoring his name were Giani Ditt Singh Khalsa Boarding House in Lahore and Bhal Ditt Singh Library opened at Sikh Kanya Mahavidyala Ferozepur by Bhal Takhat Singh, one of his former students and close friend. Giani Ditt Singh Memorial International Society, Chandigarh is regularly organizing functions in his memory .

Last year, the society released a book, ‘ Bhai Ditt Singh Giani: Jeevan, Rachna Te Shaksiat’ authored by Dr Karnail Singh Somal, who also born in village Kaluar. Karnail Singh had through his work, more than a 100 years after the death of Giani Dit Singh , attempted to take the reader back into the latter half of 19th century to elucidate events and personalities that helped shape Giani Ditt Singh . (Extracted from http://www.panthic.org/?y=2006&m=04&d=23 )