SHIROMANI GURDWARA PARBANDHIK COMMITTEE: WORKING AND ACHIEVEMENTS (1925-1984) A THESIS Submitted to the faculty of SOCIAL SCIENCES PUNJABI UNIVERSITY, PATIALA For the Degree Of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In HISTORY Supervisor Co-Supervisor Dr. Jaspal Kaur Dhanju Dr. D.S. Dhillon Professor Former Professor and Head Submitted by Jaspal Singh DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY PUNJABI UNIVERSITY, PATIALA 2009 CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the thesis ‘Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee Working and Achievements (1925- 1984)’ embodies the work carried out by Mr. Jaspal Singh himself under my guidance/supervision and that the work is worthy and fit for consideration for the award of Ph.D. Degree. Submitted by Jaspal Singh Supervisor Co-Supervisor Dr. Jaspal Kaur Dhanju Dr. D.S. Dhillon Professor Former Professor and Head DECLARATION I hereby affirm that the present work ‘Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee : Working and Achievements (1925-1984)’ in the present form of my Ph.D. thesis is exclusively my own work. Submitted by Jaspal Singh Supervisor Co-Supervisor Dr. Jaspal Kaur Dhanju Dr. D.S. Dhillon Professor Former Professor and Head AKNOWLEDGEMENT My indebtedness to my guide and supervisor Professor Dr Jaspal Kaur Dhanju, formerly Head Department of History, Punjabi University, Patiala, for her seasoned and generous help as well as keen interest in my present work is too deep for words. She watched my progress over the years and very kindly spared time for discussing several issues related to the subject under review for months together. Professor Dhanju has also gone through all my drafts with her habitual thoroughness and deep insight. She too very kindly permitted me the use of her personal library. I am and would be for the rest of my life grateful to her for her very scholarly suggestions during the course of the writing of my Ph.D. thesis. I am also grateful to Professor Dr D.S. Dhillon, formerly Head Department of History, who is my co- supervisor. It was entirely due to his encouragement that I finally undertook the present study. He too guided me with patience and kindness giving me liberty to pursue my own ideas. I am really grateful to him who despite his very busy schedule could go through the drafts of the present work. He also gave me most valuable suggestions which helped me to finally complete my work of Ph.D. I am equally indebted to the members of faculty of History Department, particularly the present Head, Professor Dr. Mrs. S.K. Dhillon and Professor Dr. Kulbir Singh Dhillon for their usual courtesy and ungrudging help that they have extended to me from time to time. I am equally thankful to Dr. M. Idris and Mr. Jashandeep Singh and some of my sincere friends (particularly Dr. Balraj Singh, Mr. Karamjit Singh, Dr. Parminder Singh and Dr. Jagdeep Singh), who have inspired me from time to time and given me stimulation to complete the present task. That despite I the constant and valuable criticism and suggestions given by my advisers several errors have crept in is entirely due to my imperfection. Here, I want to express my deep sense of eternal gratitude's to those authors, editors and writers of various books, research journals, articles published in the dailies and other periodicals which have been cited in my thesis. Secondly, it is my pleasant duty to record my thanks and gratitude to a number of educational institutions which I frequently visited in search of material that was available in their libraries throughout the course of my research. Here, I want to mention the names of some such Institutions; these are: National Archives of India, Janpath, New Delhi; Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, TeenMurti, New Delhi; Archives of contemporary history of India, Jawahar Lal Nehru University, New Delhi; library Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee; Library Khalsa College; Library Sikh studies Khalsa College; library Guru Nanak Dev University., Sri Amritsar; Desh Bhagat Yaadgar Library, Jalandhar; Dawarka Dass library, Madhya Marg, Chandigarh; Library Punjab University, Chandigarh; Bhai Kahan Singh Library, Punjabi University Patiala, etc. I thankfully acknowledge the help given to me by their custodians during my visits to these institutions time and again in search of material. I am really grateful to the Chairman and Member Secretary, Indian Council of Historical Research, 35 Ferozshah road, New Delhi, for granting junior fellowship for a period of two years which enabled me to complete my work. Without its financial assistance it would not have been possible for me to visit various institutions to consult the primary, contemporary and other related sources. In fact, I could complete this work because of the financial assistance given by this prestigious body. II I shall be failing in my duty if I do not thankfully acknowledge the blessings as well as the help of my parents and in-laws who not only proved helpful rather whenever they found me depressed they encouraged me and boosted my moral to complete the present work. In the end, I must acknowledge the pains taken by my better half Gurmeet Kaur who being a student of English has gone through the final draft of the present work and also for having given me invaluable suggestions and strength at every stage of this thesis preparation. She too gave me encouragement when I needed it and helped me check the type script. In fact, if any error of typing remains in this work, she shares the responsibility with me. In the end I wish to thank Mr. Ravi Yadav of Patiala for devoting several sleepless nights for typing this thesis. I also can't forget the help given to me by the office in charge of the History Department, S. Paramjeet Singh who was always ready to help me in the official requirements in regard with the present work. (JASPAL SINGH) III PREFACE The present study, “Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhik Committee: Working and Achievements (1925-1984)” has been under taken on the advice of my esteemed teachers, Professor Dr. Dalbir Singh Dhillon and Professor Dr. Jaspal Kaur Dhanju- formerly Heads Department of History. We are fully aware that Shromani Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee (hereafter SGPC) came into being as a statuary religious body of the Sikhs. This body was constituted in the midst of the Gurdwara reform movement, of course, having strong political moorings at the close of the second decade of the 20th century. It represented the Sikhs who constituted the third segment, of course very important one, of the society in the province of Punjab during the period under review. Initially this institution was constituted for the avowed objective of superintendence as well as the control of the Sikh Gurdwaras (religious institutions of the Sikh community). Earlier these had been under the domination of Mahants, who were the loyalists to the British. We know it well that the SGPC was constituted on November 15, 1920 A.D. By this time, the condition of the Gurdwaras was quite deplorable, as they had lost religious sanctity due to the corrupt and selfish Mahants, as they were interested in only in their own well being. The Sikhs never wanted their religious institutions to be governed by such elements that were neither sincere nor devoted to the Sikh community and their religion. Therefore, the formation of this body soon gathered importance and became quite prominent among the Sikhs. Though apparently a religious body, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee since its birth has been articulating the socio- religious, cultural, economic as well as the political interests of the IV Sikhs, because these features of the society can not be divorced from each other. Not merely some of its office bearers and members have been politicians of accomplished and high repute but many of the veteran Sikh political leaders have also been taking keen interest in its affairs and activities related to various walks of life of the Sikh community. Being the supreme custodian of the Sikh Gurdwaras, the SGPC enjoys enormous power and prestige in the State of Punjab, particularly among the Sikh Community and also others in general. Doubtlessly, at present it is considered as the ‘mini-Parliament’ of the Sikhs. The SGPC has always remained secular and liberal in its character and approach as well as thinking. It has never hesitated to take stern action against such elements which have tried to harm the interests of the Sikhs, their religion and identity. It has established Sikhs missionary institutions for the training of its preachers. It also runs professional schools and Colleges, numerous workshops, hospitals and dispensaries. It has worked a lot for the emancipation of the women of Sikh community in particular and others in general in Punjab. Looking to the significance of the existence of this body the present study has proved meaningful and of great worth, if we keep in mind the recent crises related to the identity of the Sikhs. Its working, contribution and achievements have given some definite direction to solve the present problems of socio-religious as well as of politico- economic significance. Moreover, the present work carries special importance, because no serious work so far has been done on the emergence and working of the SGPC in totality, though references to its works and activities can be traced out in some writings related to the Akali Party. Of course, about its formation and initial activities some details are available in its own publications but its contribution and V achievements in the socio-religious, cultural, educational, politico- economic life of the Sikh community in particular and others in general have not been studied analytically so far. More over the SGPC has not kept itself confined to the issues related to the state of Punjab and the Sikh community; rather it feels concerned with all those issues which affect the prosperity and peace of the country.