Today in Sikh History :17th August

17th August

==> WHERE IS JAITO? A village under Nabha, which falls on the Bathinda-Ferozpur railway line. It is 96 miles from Lahore and 17 miles from Bathinda.

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JAITO? On this place situated near a fort, is a historical Gurudwara of Guru Gobind Singh Patshah. Maharaja Hira Singh constructed the beautiful buildings of this Gurudwara. The sarowar is popularly known as "Gangsar". About a mile and a half north of Jaito is "Tibhi Sahib" Gurudwara, where Guru Gobind Singh Patshah used to organize and participate in the evening recitation of Rehras. Both Gurudwaras have extensive land sanctioned to it by the Nabha rulers. Additionally, extensive financial resources are made available on an annual basis from the Nabha rulers and the surrounding villages. A maela celebration is held every 7th of Pooh month (Dec.-Jan.) and Katak (Oct.-Nov.) Puranmashi. Jaito’s markets are well renowned. People come from far distances to buy and sell their herds.

WHY AKALIS COURTED ARREST? The key issue involved was resoration of Maharaja Ripudaman Singh of Nabha. Maharaja of Nabha, well-known for his pro-Tat Khalsa Proclivities, had a dispute with Maharaja of Patiala, known for this pro-government role. Although Maharaja of Nabha had absolutely no dispute with the government, as a result of mediation, he was forced to abdicate in July 1923. Col. Michin, with the help of troops and armoured cars, took the Maharaja by surprise on July 8, 1923 and taunted him with the query, "Where is that Akali?" The news of deposition by the government raised a strom of protest against the Government’s interefernce in Nabha and was decsribed as a challenge to the Akali movement. As a result tensions mounted. The Akalis, in defiance of state orders, continued to hold diwan indefinitely. The Nabha police in order to arrest all the Akalis, including the one reading the holy Granth Sahib, was said to have disrupted the Akhand Path on Sept. 14, 1923. This dispute took such a tragic shape and got so inflames by Feb. 21, 1924 that several people lost their lives. After sixteen shaheedi jathas apart from one from Bengal and another from Canada, the agitation process was completed two years later, on August 6, 1925, after the concurrent bhog of 101 Akand Paaths.

-Ref. Mahan Kosh
"The Sikhs in History," by Sangat Singh, 1995

==> Principal SATBIR SINGH was in his sixties. He was the younger brother of Inderpal Singh, one of the thirteeen members, who had founded the All India Sikh Students’ Federation (AISSF). He was born in Jhehlum (now in Pakistan). He did his graduation and M.A. from Khalsa College, Amritsar, and was engrained in religious studies and interpretation of Gurbani and came under the influence of well-known theologians namely: Prof. Sahib Singh and Principal Jodh Singh. He joined Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jullunder as a lecturer and did a remarkable job in nourshing the Federation in that institution. He was elected president of AISSF on January 13, 1954 at the fifth Annual Session held at Ludhiana, and served the Federation in that capacity till November 31, 1954, when Bhai Harbans Lal (Khalsa Net member) was elected. He actively participated in the Punjabi Suba struggle and was arrested along with some other Federationists including Bhan Singh on July 4, 1955, and remained in Freozepur for about two and a half months (in jail). He was elected member of SGPC. Partap Singh Kairon then chief minister of Punjab, did not like his participation in the Punjabi Suba Struggle and at his stance, the President of the college management committe gave Satbir Singh two options: either to apologize for his past conduct or leave the college and Satbir Singh opted for the sack. After leaving the job, he acted as the Principal in Khalsa College, Yamunanagar, and later on, he became the Director of Gurmat College, Patiala.

Satbir Singh’s Contribution in Sikh Literature and History

Pricipal Satbir Singh was on the greatest scholars of his time. He has written 16 books in Punjabi on Sikhism. Some of them are:

	Sau Sawal
	Sada Ithas (2 parts)
	Balio Charag
	Puri Hoi Karamaat
	Kudrati Noor
	Khalse Di Vaasi
	Ashtam Balbira
	Partakh Hari
	Purkh Bhagwant
	Rashia Rehat
	Sidhant Te Shatabdian

His contribution in interpreting Guru Granth Sahib is very significant. He has Saar Visthar of Guru Granth Sahib in four volumes (short description of Guru Granth Sahib). In addition, he has provided detailed interpretation of Guru Granth Sahib in 15 volumes.

-Ref. Illustrated History of the Sikhs by Gur Rattan Pal Singh.