Sant Nirankaris

Time of origin: approximately 1930

FOUNDER

Shri Buta Singh Ji, Founder Sant Nirankari

Baba Buta Singh Ji

History & Today

This is an offshoot of Nirankari movement to which so many mainstream Sikhs today are so hostile. In the 1930’s, one Boota Singh (1883-1944) broke away from the main Nirankari movement. The reasons as to why exactly he decided to part from the Nirankaris were not doctrinal, but based purely upon personal and dietary reasons. Boota Singh became fond of drinking alcohol, which was not approved of by the parent body of Nirankaris.

In 1944, Boota Singh passed away and was succeeded by Avtar Singh, who upon arriving in Delhi, established the 'Sant Nirankari' movement as it is known today. Prior to the partition of India and Pakistan, the Sant Nirankari movement did not gather much of a following. Being from West Punjab themselves, the Sant Nirankaris preyed upon those distressed Sikhs and Hindus flooding in from west into India and Delhi. As such, their numbers increased due to the misfortune of those who had lost their livelihood and were seeking hope.

Upto the 1970’s, the Sant Nirankaris installed Adi Guru Durbar in their temples and termed themselves as ‘Sikh’. Dr Gopal Singh writes: ‘Upto recently (according to their own memorandum to the Delhi Education Act 73), they [Sant Nirankaris] claimed to be part of the Sikh Community.’ ‘History Of The Sikhs’, Dr. Gopal Singh, Pa.605

In time during the pontiff of Gurbachan Singh, who succeeded Avtar Singh, the Adi Guru Durbar was removed from their temples. This action was the result of criticism Gurbachan Singh was receiving from mainstream Sikhism. Mainstream Sikhs were unhappy that Gurbachan Singh was presenting himself as a self-styled Sikh Guru. To add to this, Gurbachan Singh wrote a text named ‘Avtar Bani’ in which he made many ridiculous claims. One claim was that his wife Buda was ‘Jagat Mata’ (mother of the world), his daughter-in-law was ‘Raj Mata’ (queen mother) and he himself was the Avtar of the Formless Almighty.

To further fuel the tension between Gurbachan Singh and the mainstream S.G.P.C., A.K.J., ‘Dam Dami Taksal’, etc. Sikhs, the Congress Party headed by Mrs Indira Gandhi stepped in. After the 1977 state elections in Punjab, Indira Gandhi’s Congress representative, Jail Singh (known as ‘Jaila’) lost out to Prakash Singh Badal, head of the Akali Dal. Badal led a fragile coalition, composed of his Akali Dal and the Bhartiya Jan Sangh, a right wing Hindu party.

Blaming the S.G.P.C. Akalis for her loss in 1977, Indra Gandhi desired revenge on them. She wished to retake Punjab from the S.G.P.C. Akalis and advised by Jail Singh, her eldest son, Sanjay Gandhi set about trying to perform this task.

The former S.G.P.C. Akali, and experienced politician Jail Singh, decided the best way to break up the S.G.P.C. Akali Dal/Bhartiya Jang Sang coalition was to wean the Sikh support away from the S.G.P.C. Akalis by propping up a another man. According to all independent sources, the man Jail Singh chose for this task was ‘Sant’ Jarnail Singh Bhindrawala.

Jarnail Singh always vehemently denied he had any association with the Congress or any political party yet, the historian Patwant Singh comments: ‘The person chosen for the role was Jarnail Singh Bhindranwala, a seminary preacher with a considerable knowledge of the Sikh scriptures. Seen at the outset as devout Sikh and man of God, he was built up without his knowledge - with all the Brahmnical subtlety and skill perfected over millennium into a charismatic leader who eclipsed the Akalis by utterances more fiery than their own: whose larger than-life image was repeatedly projected through cannily manipulated press, radio and television. It came to appear as if he represented the aspirations of all Sikhs, though millions of them had no interest in him or the Akalis.’ ‘The Sikhs’, by Patwant Singh Pa.232

Jaila played his clever card to destroy the Akali Dal/Bhartiya Jang Sang coalition by encouraging the Sant Nirankaris to hold a convention in Amritsar. This in turn gave Jarnail Singh a weapon with which to potentially smash the Akali Dal/Jang Sang coalition. Jaila was fully aware that the Sant Nirankaris were considered a heretical Sikh sect and perceived by most Sikhs as a enemy of Sikhism. When Sant Nirankaris asked the Punjab government permission to hold the convention in Amritsar, this put the Akali Dal in a predicament.

The Sant Nirankaris had strong intercaste links with the Jang Sanghias. By refusing the Sant Nirankaris permission to hold the convention, the Akali Dal would risk a bust up with the Jang Sanghias. On the other hand, if the convention went ahead the Sikhs would be upset. Jaila had played his card well and the Akali Dal decided to let the convention go ahead and weather the storm of Sikh protest.

On 13th April 1978, the Nirankari convention took place in Amritsar. A fanatical agricultural inspector named Fauja Singh, affiliated with the Akhand Kirtani Jatha and Bhindrawala marched through the streets of Amritsar to confront the Sant Nirankaris. They saw it their duty to stop what was in their eyes anti-Sikh preaching, however, along the way Bhindrawala and a few of his close associates slipped away. For this act, Bibi Amarjit Kaur, Fauja Singh’s wife and head of Babbar Khalsa called Bhindrawala a coward.

That day, 12 Sikhs including Fauja Singh and 3 Sant Nirankaris died in the ensuing clash. The 12 Sikhs were immediately declared as martyrs by Akhand Kirtani Jatha (A.K.J.), and Samparda Kartar Singh Sikhs (known popularly as ‘Dam Dami Taksal’). This situation presented Sanjay Gandhi and Jail Singh a with a potential political disaster.

The Congress Party began to whip up anti-Sant Nirankari sentiments amongst the Sikhs via their Congress-controlled Sikh temples in Delhi. Not wishing to alienate their coalition partners, the S.G.P.C. Akalis tried to play down the Sant Nirankari incident in Punjab. The Congress-held Gurdwaras in Delhi promoted Bhindrawala as a hero of the Sant Nirankari incident.

Meanwhile the Sant Nirankaris had their court case moved from Punjab to neighboring state of Haryana because they felt that in Punjab they would not get a fair hearing.

At that time, Haryana was having a dispute with Punjab over sharing of waters. Evidently, the majority of Sikhs felt that the Haryana courts would lean towards the Sant Nirankaris.

The Akali Dal allowed the Sant Nirankaris to move their case to avoid breaking up the coalition government. The Haryana court acquitted the Sant Nirankaris. Nirankari web site gives Nirankari version of above said and after math thus: ‘Quite predictably, the voice of truth first raised by Baba Buta Singh Ji and Avtar Singh Ji and now spread by Baba Gurbachan Singh was opposed by the orthodox. The rapid progress of the Mission under the divine leadership of Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji, in fact, upset these elements to the level of desperation. Baba Ji called upon them to first understand the Mission and then point out if there was anything wrong. But all his gestures fell flat on them. Nirankari congregations were disturbed at many places. Violent attacks were also reported from several centres. The worst in the chain was the attack on the Baisakhi Smagam in Amritsar on April 13th, 1978. Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji was scheduled to address the Samagam. But before he arrived, about 200 fanatics attacked the congregation. The police opened fire. Eighteen precious lives were lost. The incident was followed by a court case. Several Nirankari saints remained in judicial custody for more than two years before they were acquitted honourably. The case was declared to be false and fabricated. The court passed severe strictures against then government for filling a totally false case against innocent Nirankaris. The court held fanatics responsible for brutal attack on peaceful Nirankari congregation. While the case was on, Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji did not sit back due to the turmoil. He declared that such opposition Truth had always to face and the greatest quality of the saints is that they do not feel frustrated realising that the truth is on their side and it must triumph in the long run. There was, therefore, no let up in the activities of the Mission.’

The Haryana courts acquitted the Sant Nirankaris on grounds of self-defence. Jarnail Singh’s young militant followers and the militant wing of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha (A.K.J.), the Babbar Khalsa, found this unacceptable. Thus, owning to their extremist and highly warped logic led them to conclude that if the law courts of India were not willing to provide justice to the Sikhs, then the Sikhs should take the law into their own hands and deal out justice according to their own terms.

In a short space of time, the A.K.J. and Samparda Chowk Mehta militants made 2 failed attempts on the Nirankari Guru’s life: first in Kanput (Uttar Pardesh) and then later near the village of Durg (Madhya Pardesh).

On 24th April 1980, the Sant Nirankari Guru, Gurbachan Singh was shot dead at his house by a member of the A.K.J. named Ranjit Singh. Ten years later, Ranjit Singh would be elected as Jathedar of the Akal Takht by the S.G.P.C led by Gurcharan Singh Torha. On becoming Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Ranjit Singh claimed he had murdered Gurbachan Singh in order to defend Sikhism. Upon hearing this, Sikh militants began killing Sant Nirankaris at their discretion throughout Punjab and beyond India itself.

The late 1980’s and early 1990s saw these militant Sikhs carrying out genocide of Sant Nirankaris in the name of cleansing the ‘Sikh Panth’ of unwanted foes. Rather than weakening the Sant Nirankari movement, this mindless persecution served to elevate the Sant Nirankaris to the status of martyrs.

As fate would have it, over time, the Khalistani Sikh militant/terrorist groups were defeated by the Indian security forces, and the Sant Nirankari movement, lead by Baba Hardev Singh began to flourish in Delhi and the surrounding regions. Today, the movement has extended to as far as Europe and Canada. It is a well-known fact that persecution only serves to strengthen movements over time.

Prior to the Khalistani movement in the 1980s, there is no example of Sikhs persecuting ANY heretical movement within it ranks. Even the despicable Sikh sect, the Handalias, who caused so much harm to the Khalsa in the 19th century were allowed to die a natural and inevitable death.

As the truth is revealed, false movements fade away given time. Reasoned truth is the ultimate weapon against heresy, not violence and/or persecution. Furthermore, it has to be realized that heresy often arises when orthodoxy itself has some shortcomings.

After the incident of Vasakhi 1978, a agitation was started against the Nirankaris. Wherever the Nirankaris had their meetings, Gursikhs would go and protest peacefully. Thus Gurbachan Singh was unable to address the meetings held at Varanasi, Azamgarh and Allahbad.

On 25th September 1978, Gurbachan Singh reached Kanpur at 9.30p.m, flanked by police officers to protect him. The news having leaked out, the Sikhs started a protest march from Gurdwara Gobindpuri, which is at a distance of about 3 kilometres from the Nirankari Bhawan of Kanpur. Women and children also joined the protesters.

This time the Nirankaris again had made full preparations for the Sikhs. When the Sikh protesters reached near the Nirankari Bhawan, the Nirankaris greeted them with brickbats and gunshots. An armed volunteer of the Nirankaris attacked Jathedar Kishan Singh with a spear which pierced through his stomach. After this, a fight started. The police fired at the Sikh protesters, a result of which 13 Sikhs died, while 74 were injured.

This incident further increased the Sikhs resentment against Nirankaris and the government. On 28th September, the dead bodies of those killed at Kanpur were taken out in a huge procession. A day earlier, on 27th September 1978, the Sikhs of Amritsar, Delhi, Bombay, Lucknow, Kanpur and many other places observed a one-day protest strike.

The names of some of the Shaheeds are:- Bibi Darshan Kaur, Bhai Jagjit Singh, Bhai Harcharan Singh, Jathedar Karam Singh, Jathedar Kishan Singh, Baba Kashmira Singh, Bhai Manmohan Singh, Bhai Gurbir Singh, Bhai Balwant Singh, Bhai Gurjit Singh.

As tempers flared, the Punjab Government, on 28th September, 1978. banned the entry of the Nirankari Chief in Punjab for six months. But the Nirankari Chief challenged it in the Supreme Court and the ban was lifted.

On the 30th September, 1978, the Sikhs of Delhi organised a protest march and presented a memorandum to the Government of India to ban Nirankari 'Samagams' (congregations). On 4th November, 1978, the Nirankaris took out a procession in Delhi in connection with their annual conference. The Sikhs retaliated with a counter protest march that culminated in violence. The President of the Delhi Akali Dal, Avtar Singh Kohli, was hit on the head by a police tear gas shell and was killed. Besides him, Bhai Darshan Singh and a 13-year old Sikh boy Maninder Singh were also killed. Nine Sikhs were also injured. On 5th 6th November, 1978, disturbances broke out in some parts of Delhi and a curfew had to be imposed.

Jan Sangh (BJP) workers provided a protection force to enable the Nirankaris to continue their functions in spite of disturbances in the city. Many Arya Samajist leaders, including Lala Jagat Narain, gave speeches supporting the Nirankaris. This gave a new direction to the anti-Nirankari agitation. It dawned on the Gursikhs that the majority community in India was patronising the Nirankaris to finish off the separate identity of the Sikh faith.