Gurbachan Singh

Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji was born on December 10, 1930 in Peshawar (Pakistan). He was the third Satguru (Spiritual Head) of Sant Nirankari Mission succeeding Baba Avtar Singh Ji. [1]He gave away his life to uphold the noble message of human unity through spiritual enlightenment. [2]

Not to be confused with Gurbachan Singh Manochahal.
For the Indian Olympic athlete, see Gurbachan Singh (athlete).

Early life

Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji received discerning and affectionate parenting in a spiritual atmosphere from his parents, Baba Avtar Singh Ji and Jagat Mata Budhwanti Ji.

He was a prodigious student. He, however, could not pursue his studies further, because of the turmoil leading to Partition of India. Bhai Manna Singh solemnized the marriage of his daughter, Kulwant Kaur Ji, with him on April 22, 1947, at a simple ceremony. Kulwant Kaur Ji who subsequently became popular as Nirankari Rajmata Ji, marched shoulder to shoulder with her husband.

He was inclined towards human values of love, peace and humility since his childhood. At the time of partition, people were camping at Wah near border. The Camp Officer entrusted to young Gurbachan the job of looking after the inmates of the Camp. One day when it was announced on behalf of the Government that those desirous of migrating to India, could do so by aeroplanes, then available, all the devotees left for India, leaving their belongings to the care of Gurbachan Singh Ji. A few days later, he loaded all the belongings of the devotees in a goods train and reached India.

Following the migration, he started business in auto-parts, first in Jalandhar in Punjab and later in Delhi. Simultaneously, he took keen interest in congregations. He believed that one should earn his livelihood with honest hard-work and surrendering the result to almighty God. He would also drive Baba Avtar Singh Ji to the places of congregations both in the morning and in the evening.

Clashes with orthodox Sikhs

In 1978, the Nirankari mission[1] from Delhi and other parts of the Indian sub-continent gathered a congregation at Amritsar. A few orthodox Sikhs of Akhand Kirtani Jatha and Damdami Taksal marched from the Darbar Sahib to protest the Nirankari congregation, whom they considered heterodox. In the resulting violence, 15 individuals including thirteen Khalsa Sikhs and two Sant Nirankaris were killed.[3] The Jatha leader Bhai Fauja Singh was one among the killed.

Sixty-four followers of the Nirankari mission were arrested for the killings.[4] On 13 April 1978 the detained members of the Nirankari sect were released, after formal charges against them were rejected by the session-Judge of Karnal, who stated in his judgement "The case of the prosecution was intrinsically wrong. It was all frame-up and after thought."

On 25 September 1978, Gurbachan Singh arrived in Kanpur. A group of protesters arrived at the Nirankari Bhawan to protest against his presence.[5] On 28 September 1978, anticipating fresh trouble, the Punjab Government barred Nirankari Chief Gurbachan Singh from entering Punjab for six months. The Supreme Court later rescinded the ban.

On 6 October 1978, a Hukumnama by the Jathedar of Akal Takht was issued, calling upon Sikhs to socially boycott the Nirankaris.

Social Service

Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji as Head of the Nirankari Mission, worked tirelessly to uplift the spiritual and social status of mankind. He founded Nirankari Baba Gurbachan Singh Memorial (NBGSM) College and also initiated many schools where value based education was provided to children from all sections of the society. Two of his major revolutions were converting a wasteland to a lush green field and petrol engines to diesel ones to overcome scarcity of petrol. Apart from this he architected Nirankari Satang Bhawan’s, schools and dispensaries which is a great example of his architectural skills.[6]

Last Breath

In 1980, Ranjit Singh, a member of the Akhand Kirtani Jatha, managed to obtain employment at the Nirankari headquarters in Delhi as a carpenter. On the evening of 24 April 1980, he waited with an automatic rifle in a room of the guest house. Ranjit Singh shot Gurbachan Singh through a window when he returned from a public function at about 11pm. Ranjit Singh managed to escape. The First Information Report named twenty people for the murder, including several known associates of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was also charged with conspiracy to murder.[7] Ranjit Singh surrendered in 1983, and was in jail for 13 years. In 1990, while still in Tihar Jail, he was named the Akal Takht Jathedar,[8] and took over the post when he was released in 1996. According to a Hindustan Times report, Ranjit Singh said about the murder: "I have no regrets. I did it for the Panth (Nation)."[9] In 1997, the Delhi High Court upheld his conviction and cancelled the bail. Ranjit Singh refused to surrender. The government quickly ordered a remission of the remaining part of his sentence to avoid a confrontation.[10][11]

Gurbachan Singh was succeeded by Hardev Singh.

References
  1. "Articles, Poems and Plays – Montreal Branch". Sant Nirankari Mission. Delhi, India: Sant Nirankari Mandal (Regd.). Archived from the original on 25 July 2010. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  2. "Baba Gurbachan Singh: Biography: Nirankari Rajmata: Yug Pravartak : Nirankari Baba: Seva Dal | The Sindhu World". thesindhuworld.com. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  3. Brian Keith Axel (2001). The Nation's Tortured Body: Violence, Representation, and the Formation of a Sikh "Diaspora". Duke University Press. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-8223-2615-1. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  4. "Punjab: The Knights of Falsehood – Psalms of Terror". South Asia Terrorism Portal. New Delhi: Institute for Conflict Management. 31 December 2001. Retrieved 13 December 2010. External link in |work= (help)
  5. "Sikh History:Kanpur Massacre 1978". Gateway to Sikhism. Archived from the original on 6 December 2010. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  6. "Founder of the College". Nirankari Baba Gurbachan Singh Memorial College. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  7. Puneet Singh Lamba (6 June 2004). "Biographies – Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale: Five Myths". Toronto, Ontario: The Sikh Times. OCLC 284842558. Retrieved 13 December 2010. After the assassination of the Nirankari leader Gurbachan Singh on April 24, 1980, Bhindranwale is universally acknowledged to have remarked that if he ever met Bhaii Ranjit Singh, the suspected killer, he would weigh him in gold (i.e. reward him with his weight in gold).
  8. India Today The Nation [Newnotes] (20 October 1997). "Chandigarh: Brittle Peace". India Today. New Delhi: India Today Group. ISSN 0254-8399. OCLC 2675526. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  9. Thapar, Vishal (14 February 1999). "Sikh politics at a key turn". Hindustan Times. New Delhi: HT Media Ltd. OCLC 232114063. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 13 December 2010. Fundamentalism comes easy to Bhai Ranjit SinghCS1 maint: unfit url (link)
  10. Bhaii Ranjit Singh vs State, 1997 VAD Delhi 689, 69 (1997) DLT 188 (Delhi High Court 3 October 1997) ("(1) This is an appeal by the appellant Bhaii Ranjit Singh under Sub-section 2 of Section 374 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, against conviction by judgment dated 26th March, 1993 and order of sentence dated 27th March, 1993, passed by the Additional Sessions Judge, Delhi, in Sessions Case No. 33 of 1984.").
  11. Frontline (15–28 November 1997). "A Jathedar is free". Frontline. Chennai, Madras, India: Kasturi and Sons Ltd. 14 (23). ISSN 0970-1710. OCLC 12086614. Archived from the original on 8 October 2007. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
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