S Narain Singh’s (Our Grandfather)
S Narain Singh’s 93 year life spans the most momentous phase of modern Sikh history breathed his last on April 2nd, 1994. There may be many more Sikhs who have lived through these turbulent years. What distinguishes S Narain Singh from them is his deep involvement in many crucial events of the era.
Born on 26th November 1901 at Buta Singh Wala of Multan district (now in Pakistan), he was a witness to the transfer of the Akal Takht Sahib to a representative sikh body on 12th October 1920, the constitution of the first Shiromani Gurdwara Committee on 15th November, on same year. The ghastly massacre and consigning to fire the kerosene oil of 130 devout Sikhs in Gurdwara Janam Asthan Nankana Sahib on 20th February 1921.
In 1932, S Narain Singh was appointed the manager of the Gurdwara at Nankana Sahib and the fifteen thousand acre estate attached to these. He was implicated along with 12 other Sikhs in the case of the murder on 13th January 1933 of a poojari by reason of his position among the reformist Sikhs who continued to be the object of the ire of the traditional poojaris divested of the control of the sikh shrines. He and the other twelve accused were virtually retrieved from the gallows by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh’s intervention.
Narain Singh continued as a manager of the Nankana Sahib Gurdwara and its estate right till the partition of India in 1947. During the fifteen years of his stewardship of the estate its annual income increased from one lakh to over twelve lakh rupees.
During these years, too the Nankana Sahib management committee established the Nankana Sahib Sikh Mission at Hapur in district Meerutt of U.P. for the propagation of Sikhism in Western U.P., Particularly among the area’s backward classes. The Mission built several gurdwaras and schools in the area and initiated into Sikhism over two lakh men and women. S. Naraian Singh’s part in the enterprise as its principal executor was obvious. So too was his role in another spectacular endeavour – the establishment of ta Khalsa College and a printing press to run Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s paper, The Janata, at Bombay, both these, at Dr. Ambedhkar’s request. S Narain Singh personally supervised the construction of the college building which he got completed at an actual cost of Rs. 4,17,000/- against an estimated cost of Rs. 10 lakh. He also controlled and supervised the running of the college for nearly six years before it was taken over by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee.
On the partition of India, S. Naraian Singh migrated to Patiala where he took command of the Patiala State and later Pepsu Governments Schedule castes and Backward classes Welfare Departments. As the head of this department, he worked strenuously for the social, educational and economic uplift of the target classes and for the removal of untouchability.
In July 1963, Patiala Sikh intelligentsia decided to set up an organization to be known as Guru Nanak Dev Mission, for the dissemination of the Sikh Gurus’ message through a continuing stream of pamphlets and books or similar endeavors. S Narain Singh was persuaded to become the new organization’s secretary which in practice meant its sole agenda setter and executive. It is a most eloquent tribute to S. Narain Singh that the Mission has during the thirty years of its existence brought out no fewer than 435 pamphlets and 17 books. The first pamphlet entitled “Why I am a Sikh” and nearly 80% of the subsequent ones were authored by S. Narain Singh himself.
By the sheer force of his zeal and sincerity, S. Narain Singh was able to induct many academics – late Dr. Ganda Singh ws one and other erll placed persons into the mission, which in the course of time grew into an umbrella institution with several trusts, with a variety of benevolent objectives, functioning under it. The mother of Khalsa Memorial Trust holds annually an examination in Sikh history and divinity for college students at various centers all over India and awards prizes to top competitors. Dr. Ganda Singh Trust holds an annual historical research paper writing competition, award three prizes of Rs 3100, Rs 2100 and Rs 1100 to the top three competitors and holds an annual function at which some celebrated scholar delivers a talk on a Sikh historical subjects and the prizes are given away. The Gyani Dit Singh Trust holds periodic writers’ workshops. The Gyani Kartar Singh Trust, likewise holds public speaking workshops. The Bhagat Lachhman Singh Memorial Trust, the Akali Phula Singh Memorial Trust were also established. All these are trusts with modest endowments whose income is put to sagacious use in consultation with trustees frawn from different walks of professional life.
The catalogue of S. Narain Singh’s services will be incomplete without the mention of his involvement in two major educational institutions. These were Sant Gurmukh Singh sponsored Dera Baba Jassa Singh Committee, Patiala’s seminary for training Sikh missionaries which was the precussor of the present Gurmat College, Patiala and Guru Nanak Dev Modern School at S. Narain Singh’s village Buta Singh Wala on a 24 Kanal plot donated by hint. Of the former institution S Narain Singh was the secretary he continued to hold that position till after the institution was taken over by the Guru Nanak Foundation shifted headquarters to Delhi. Of the Guru Nanak Dev Modern School, he was the founder, the architect and the nursing parent.
Inspite of his crucial and permanent roles in major and, in a very real sense, historical occurrences and initiatives, S. Narain Singh remained an unassuming and withdrawn individual. But anyone with such long and rare record of service would inevitably acquire the aura of a venerable father figure. What makes him more of such a figure is his being the embodiment of the old lofty value system including utmost scruples in the handling of public money and disinterested initiative for the general good – initiative geared not even to the desire for personal recognition.