On This Day
Today's Date is: April 23, 2024. Time: 22:07
August 1
1863 Maharani Jind Kaur, mother of Maharaja Dalip Singh, passed away in Kaesington, England and was cremated in Nasik Nagar on the outskirts of Bombay, India. She was arrested by the British government in 1847 and imprisoned at the Shaekhpura fort. After numerous efforts, she managed to join Maharaja Dalip Singh in England. She according to Lord Dalhousie " was the only woman in the Punjab with manly understandings."
1944 The Working Committee of the All Parties Sikh Conference met at Amritsar. It held that the C. Rajagopalachari's formula "was mainfestly unfair and detrimental to the best interests of the country and the Sikh Community." It regarded Gandhi's approval of the same as "breach of faith" on the part of the Congress leaders and violative of assurances given to the Sikhs at its Lahore session in 1929. ==> CR FORMULA: enunciated by C. Rajagopalachari, on July 10, 1944, with which Gandhi was in agreement envisioned, "Muslim contiguous districts in the north-west and east of India, wherein the Muslim population is in absolute majority" holding a plebiscite after termination of war on the basis of adult suffrage to decide the formation of a sovereign state separate from Hindustan, in return for Muslim League's cooperation for the formation of a provisional interim government for the transitional period. It envisioned transfer of population on a voluntary basis. -Ref. "The Sikhs in History," by Sangat Singh, 1995.
1980 Khalistan Flag Hoisted for the first time. The Sikh Youth Organisation, Dal Khalsa, hoisted the flag of Khalistan at the very spot where 13 GurSikhs fell martyr while defending the Guru Khalsa Panth against the Nirankaris, on April 13, 1978.
1981 Through Aug. 2, the All Canada Sikh Convention was held in Calgary that gave the Canadian Sikhs a national body, "Federation of Sikh Societies of Canada". Specific resolutions at the conference took the shape of projects for the first time.
August 2
1741 Sukha Singh of Mari Kambo and Mehtab Singh of Mirankot entered Harimandir Sahib, Amritsar. They were disguised as Muslims. While Sukha Singh kept guard, Mehtab Singh beheaded Massa Raangadh and escaped together.
1764 Baba Budha Singh Ji relinquished control and bestowed the control of Sirhind to Baba Ala Singh Patiala
August 3
1977 Kartar Singh Khalsa Bhindrawalia was seriously injured in a car accident.
August 4
1982 Gurbakash Singh tried to hijack Indian Airline plane to Lahore.
1982 Dharam Yudh morcha to seek Sikh demands was launched by Akali Dal. Additionally, the morcha initiated by Jarnail Singh Bhindrawalae, for release of Amrik Singh was also included in this.
1987 A convention was held in Amritsar. Despite risk to their lives at the hands of Indian police gangs, some Sikh leaders attanded the convention. The generals of the army of Khalistan, in this convention, confirmed their goal of total freedom from India. -Ref. THE SIKHS' STRUGGLE FOR SOVEREIGNTY, An Historical Perspective by Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer and Dr. Awatar Singh Sekhon. Edited By: A.T. Kerr Page 127.
August 5
1992 Bhagat Puran Singh Ji, a panthic sewak who devoted his entire live in service of mankind, passed away.
August 6
1923 Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) resolved to launch Nabha Agitation at Jaito.
1925 The Nabha agitation at Jaito was successfully concluded after performing 101 akhand path as a sort of penance for disruption of one akhand path two years earlier.
1947 Sikhs meet with British government regarding Vatican status for Nankana Sahib and other Gurudwaras.
1978 Dal Khalsa came into being at Gurdwara Akal-garh, Sector 35, Chandigarh. A large number of Sikh Youth Organisations participated in this meeting and discussed the affairs of the Panth. They decided to form an organisation in the name of "Dal Khalsa." Among the founders of the Dal Khalsa were :- Kapur Singh, Harsimran Singh, Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, Jaswant Singh, Manmohan Singh, Satnam Singh, Satnam Singh Chandigarh, Gurprit Singh, Rupinder Singh Nagari, Harinder Singh Mohali and Mohinder Singh of Delhi. According to this organization, the Sikhs in India are half-free and half-slaves and their salvation lies in getting an Indepdendent Sikh State. The Dal Khalsa proposed to contest the SGPC Elections to be held in March, 1979. It declaredly adopted the slogan of "Khalistan" and proclaimed that the Dal Khalsa stood for a sovereign Sikh State, not within the Union of India. The Indian Government tried to defame the Dal Khalsa by calling it an associate of Zail. In fact, the only person who had acquaintance with any Congress leader was Gajinder Singh, who later hijacked Indian Airliner to Lahore in 1981. He was not a founder Mukh Panchs (Member of Presidium).
1983 Amrik Singh and Baba Thara Singh were released. They were arrested on July 18, 1982. Jarnail Singh Bhindrawalae had organized a morcha for their release.
August 7
1765 Baba Ala Singh passed away.
1925 Gurudwara Act published in Gurdwara Gazette.
1942 Independent Punjab movement initiated.
1965 Fateh Singh, then President of Shiromani Akali Dal, met with the then Prime Minister of India, Sri Lal Bahadhur Shashtri. This meeting is considered a significant in resolving Sikh demands.
August 8
1881 Lord Ripon's statement exposed the Britishers true desires that they never wanted Sikhs to be the masters of their Gurudwaras. He wrote, " I think it would be politically dangerous to allow the management of the Sikh templaes to fall into the hands of a committee emancipated from government control." As such the mahants under the government thumb failed to become the honest interpreters of the wishes of the Panth. For example, they issued a Hukamnama from Sri Akal Takhat in 1915 condemming the Komagata Maru Sikhs. -Ref. "Babbar Akali Movement, A Historical Survey," by Dr. Gurcharan Singh, Aman Publications, 1993. Subsequently, they instituted the election system among Gurudwaras, the most evil system that has ensured friction and continued disunity among the Sikh community to date. There is no religious or spiritual group in the world where leaders are not appointed based on merit but rather elected based popular vote.
1898 Raja Bikram Singh of Fridkot, who published the "Fridkoti Teeka" passed away. ==> FARIDKOTI TEEKA: Teekas (commentaries) on Guru Granth Sahib have been written in one form or other ever since the compilation of Guru Granth Sahib. However, the first formal Teeka in line with the traditional interpretation of Sikh scriptures was written by Sant Giani Badan Singh Ji of Dera Sekhwan at the request and encouragement of Maharaja Bikram Singh of Faridkot. It took him six and a half years to complete it. It was completed in 1883. This Teeka was reviewed by a committee appointed by Mahant Shamer Singh of Patna. After incorporating the comments of this committee, the first edition of this Teeka was published [funded] by the Maharaja Balvir Singh of Faridkot in 1906 which was printed by the Wazir Hind Press (started by Bhai Vir Singh) at Amritsar. The second edition of this Teeka was published by Maharaja Harinder Singh of Faridkot in 1928. This Teeka is known as the "Faridkoti Teeka." It is still available in the market. Pandit Tara Singh Narotam, the contemporary of the author of Faridkoti Teeka, also started the Teeka, but he died when he finished it up to Basant Rag. Then some people borrowed it from his heir just to review the draft, but never returned it. Only the Teeka of Sri Rag is available from his draft which is in the possesion of very few researchers and scholars at this time. It is not generally available. - Ref. Gurmat Sahit Vivechan (Punjabi, published by Punjab Languages Department). This is an extremely useful book on the history of Gurmat literature. It contains 25 essays by top-notch scholars.
1922 Guru Ka Bagh morcha was launched.
1923 Third proclamation announcing rewards for the arrest of the Babbars was issued.
August 9
1922 Akalis arrested at Guru Ka Bagh.
1922 Babbar Akali movement launched.
1942 60,0000 Sikhs courted arrest under the "Britishers Leave India" movement.
August 10
1938 Kartar Singh Kirti and Gurdit Singh of Mandhali were sent to the scaffold for the murder of Anup Singh.
1992 Harjinder Singh "Jinda" and Sukhdev Singh 'Sukha' were hanged to death. They gunned down General Vaidya after his retirement from Indian Army. General Vaidya was the Chief of the Indian Army who ordered the attack on the holiest of the holy shrines at Amritsar and other places of religious importance in Punjab during 1984 operations.
August 11
1635 Sain Mia Mir passed away at Lahore.
1664 GUR GADHI, Patshahi Ninth, Guru Tegh Bahadhur Ji (ACTUAL DATE). Ninth Patshah, Guru Tegh Bahadhur Ji, ascended to Guru Gadhi.'
1976 The SGPC unanimously endorsed the Constitution of the Sikh Dharma Brotherhood, including the Articles of Organization, in its Resolution No. 697
1984 Government of India conducted a false "Sarbat Khalsa". In response, instead, Singh Sahiban called for a "World Sikh Conference" on September 2, 1996.
August 12
1922 Marked the begining of arrests and ruthless torture of GurSikhs in Guru Ka bagh Gurdwara.
1988 Through Aug. 12, a symposium entitled "Sikh Canadians: The Promise of the Challenge", was held in Tornto. The objective of the symposium, apart from promotion of the Sikh image among Canadians and loggying various levels of government, was to approve the Constitution of the Institute by the Sikhs gathered at the Symposium. A Cabinet Minister participated at the reception which was very well organized. Subjects discussed at the workshops were: Being Visible; Networking; Media Relations; and New Directions in Sikh Studies.
August 13
1986 Sardar Kapur Singh, National professor of Sikhism, passed away.
August 14
1634 Battle of Amritsar took place between Mughals and Sikhs, led by Guru Hargobind Ji.
1772 Sikh forces had crossed Indus and plundered Peshawar city. On this day Ahmad Shah died.
1892 Khalsa College Council eastablished at Amritsar.
1923 Babbars appeal to the people to swell their ranks. This appeal was distributed through "Babbar Akali Doaba" newspaper.
1930 Civil disobedience movement initiated in the Punjab.
1949 Sardar Kapur Singh I.C.S was suspended by government of Gopi Chand Bhargav on frivolous charges. His real crime was being a committed Sikh.
1984 Surinder Singh Sodhi, a right-hand man of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwalae, was killed by hired men of the Indian Government. -Ref. THE SIKHS' STRUGGLE FOR SOVEREIGNTY, An Historical Perspective By Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer and Dr. Awatar Singh Sekhon. Edited By: A.T. Kerr Page 110-119
August 15
1469 PRAKASH UTSAV, Patshahi First, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Guru Nanak Dev Ji Patshah came to this planet in Talwandi, also known as Nankana Sahib, situated about 48 miles westward from Lahore, Pakistan. He was born in the house of Kalu Chand Bedi and Mata Tripta. Today is the actual date of birth, though Guru Khalsa Panth observes it in Nov. NOTE:- this date is in contention. Some suggest an alternate date as Oct. 21, 1469.
1501 Guru Nanak started preaching the new religion, Sikhism.
1563 PRAKASH UTSAV(Birthday), Patshahi Fifth, Guru Arjun Dev Ji. (NOTE:- this date is in contention.)
1579 Guru Arjan Dev Ji married Mata Ganga, daughter of Bhai Kishen Chand of village Meo, district Jallandhar. The only child from this marriage was Guru Hargobind born in 1595 (Please NOTE that the exact date of this event is in question).
1634 Bhai Ballu Ji accepted Shahadat while fighting the Turks in Amritsar.
1790 Ranjit Singh became head of Sukharchakiya Misl.
1940 Master Tara Singh declares his opposition to the establishment of Sikh rule. Presiding over U.P. Conference at Lucknow, said "While opposing the Pakistan Scheme some Sikhs have lost their heads and they are preaching the establishment of Sikh rule. This will be adding to the confusion created by the Muslim League. Swaraj is the only solution of our country's misfortunes." -Ref. "The Sikhs in History," by Sangat Singh, 1995.
1980 The only Sikh Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank Ltd. was nationalised by Indira Gandhi simply because it had on its staff a large number of Sikhs. -Ref. THE SIKHS' STRUGGLE FOR SOVEREIGNTY, An Historical Perspective By Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer and Dr. Awatar Singh Sekhon. Edited By: A.T. Kerr Page 110-119.
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