Beards that were once crimson black have now become snowball white as the seasons of warmth have all but come and gone, seasons of misery and pain have been tackled and lived through, but unfortunately the wounds of those who came before us could not be effectively treated, their wounds are yet to be soothed and dressed. Something must come from their dedication and their pyar (or love)...
'It is high time that we should make up our mind to devote wholeheartedly for the cause of the Sikh Homeland.' - Dr Jagjit Singh Chohan (Private Correspondence to Sardar Davinder Singh Parmar) - 16/05/1972
Many sacrifices have been made by our elders and they have worked immensely hard for us to be where we are now. Whilst doing this, they never forgot the woes of their fellow countrymen - 5,000 miles away in the Panjab...
'Such a heroic man, the Singh does not accept the world as it is, but he fights against it to change it and out of this basic attitude springs his desire for political power, though unlike Schubarts heroic man, he is free from lust for power and pride, service and humility, being his watchwords, and in his social and political activity he does not stray away and away from God...' Sirdar Kapur Singh (Parasharprasna)
Charles De Gaulle (Former President) told the French that they had lost a battle but not the war... (18/06/1950)
The Turbaned Ambassador in Ecuador
Ecuador, The Republic of Ecuador is a nation state in north-western South America, bordered by Colombia in the north, Peru to the east and south and the Pacific Ocean on the west.
Ecuador was colonised by the Spanish in the 16th century and achieved independence in 1820 as part of Gran Colombia from which it emerged as its own sovereign state in 1830. It is also of importance to add that Ecuador is highly dependent on commodities such as petroleum and agricultural products.
Having interviewed a dozen or so individuals prior to this meeting with Sardar Jagtar Singh Mundra, the Ambassador of the Unborn Republic, the Republic of Khalistan to the Republic of Ecuador, I have been amazed at the heroics of those fearless Sikhs who raised their voices against oppression and organised themselves to campaign for an independent Sikh homeland named, The Republic of Khalistan, knowing too well that there could be a threat to their livelihood.
On June 10th, 1984, more than 20,000 Sikhs nationwide converged in central London where they displayed their anger at Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of the Indian Union and her government in New Delhi following the battle & siege at Sri Darbar Sahib (or the Golden Temple) in Amritsar, Panjab in which thousands of civilians including women and children were massacred.
And so, on June 23rd 1984, a meeting was held at the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Southall, an epicentre of Sikhs outside of the Panjab, India. Sikhs from across the nation & Europe attended this meeting and all attendees unanimously supported the establishment of an independent Sikh Homeland to exist. Beant Singh, the General Secretary of the Gurdwara at the time said ‘we have no future in India, there is no alternative now but to form a separate state.’
It was stated in 'A Case for a New Sikh Hindu Province in the Punjab' : The Sikhs, 95 per cent of whose world population resides in the Punjab will become politically extinct. A people who, not hundred years ago, were the rulers of this land and would become subservient to those whom they had conquered and ruled. This is unjust; unfair and preposterous and shall not be permitted. Therefore by the right of self determination, by the right of majority and by the inherent right a culturally homogenous people to live their own life, the division of the Punjab is absolutely essential. - Giani Kartar Singh
Giani Kartar Singh pressed the demand for a Sikh State in 1944 but was seemed to be an 'impossible demand' by all Sikh parties. The Shiromani Akali Dal on March 22nd, 1946 formalised the demand and passed a resolution for a Sikh State. Master Tara Singh, the legendary Akali Leader saw the Sikhs as a distinctive community, he said, 'the Sikhs must be preserved and they could be preserved only in a 'homeland' of their own.' Following the Siege at Sri Darbar Sahib it became apparent that the Sikhs ought to once more have a political power of their own, for the protection of the Sikh symbols of distinction.
On June 23rd, 1984, the Republic of Khalistan Government in Exile was born to act as the hands, the ears and the mouth of the Sikhs. Dr Jagjit Singh was given the portfolio of President of the unborn republic, Babbar Gurmej Singh Gill was given the portfolio of Prime Minister and Sardar Seva Singh Lalli was also chosen alongside Sardar Bhagwant Singh Uppal & Sardar Harbhajan Singh Golar to form a committee of five.
The Government in Exile worked on many different avenues, they worked to create international diplomatic connections to which they succeeded in doing, with an 'understanding' with the French & the Ecuadorians, to working on educating the Sikh Masses through the printing of literature relating to the Sikh Thought, to educating the world on the political climate in Panjab and of Human Rights Violations which were rampant ad committed by the Indian State, to holding press conferences, solidarity conferences with other marginalised groups and through lobbying Members of Parliament.
'Figures compiled independently show that across the nation more Indians are the victims of their own army or police each year than, for example, the total number of Chileans who died during the seventeen year dictatorship of Agosto Pinochet. A Chilean Presidential Commission reported in 1991 that about two thousands people had been tortured to death by Pinochet's police. Nearly a thousand more than that died in only three days in New Delhi in the November 1984 politcally inspired massacre of Sikhs that followed Mrs. Gandhi's assassination by Sikh bodyguards. - Barbara Crossette (India - Facing the Twenty-First Century)
The Khalistan Government in Exile vis a vis The Khalistan Council was a very successful umbrella body of committed Sikhs to the righteous cause of liberating the Sikh Homeland.
Jagtar Singh was nominated by the Khalistan Council to represent the interests of the Republic of Khalistan in Ecuador, a role he undertook from late 1985 to early 1987 alongside Sardar Kesar Singh and Sardar Hardial Singh Gill. These figures were nominated at a meeting hosted by the Council at the Central Gurdwara Khalsa Jatha, Shepherds Bush, London, the oldest Sikh Gurdwara in the country.
Casa De Khalistan (or Embassy of the Republic of Khalistan) officially opened on October 3rd, 1985 and the opening was attended by many Ecuadorian government officials.
I visited Jagtar Singh in June 2019 and I remember the day quite well. It was a Sunday and I was making my exit from the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, Great Barr, Birmingham. I thank Manpreet Singh, General Secretary of the World Sikh Parliament (U.K. Chapter) for kindly supplying me with the phone number of Bhai Harcharan Singh Tanque of the Sikh Missionary Society, Southall. After speaking with Bhai Harcharan Singh, a close confidant of Jagtar Singh over the phone, he supplied me with the contact details of Jagtar Singh.
At the time I had no clue of who Bhai Jagtar Singh was or what is history was, I had simply not heard of his name prior. After two minutes of conversing with Jagtar Singh, he supplied me with his address and stated that he was available anytime on any day for a meeting.
Almost instantly after speaking with him on the phone, I decided to make the commute to meet him. Once I arrived outside his home, I was very happy to see a Khalistan sticker on the door which gave me a sigh of relief that yes, I have come to the correct home. Jagtar Singh opened the door and we all greeted one another with an elated Guru Fateh, a Sikh greeting.
In Derby, the ‘Gagan Damama’ monthly magazine was published by Jagtar Singh and companions, this magazine was distributed amongst Sikhs nationwide and consisted of articles relating to Sikh Philosophy, Sikh History and current affairs affecting the Sikh Nation in their homeland. I was very lucky to come across this particular edition from 1970 and two other editions in my late paternal grandfathers belongings who was a Sikh Scholar and also the General Secretary of the premier Sikh Political Party in the U.K., the Shiromani Akali Dal.
'Since Maharaja Ranjit Singhs time, Sikhs undoubtedly carried "the idea of Sikh rule in the Panjab not as a plot but as a romantic yearning. Now however, the idea was acquiring a concrete quality through its constant discussion in the press and the fact that evidence was now available - through newspapers, radio and the television.' - Robin Jeffrey (Whats happening to India)
Though paper-based literature seems to be on the 'downfall.' It is amazing to see how much content was piled into these periodicals. It seems as though many political figures of the past have taken to the pen especially in Sikh circles, including Master Tara Singh, the editor of Sach da Tandoora, Teja Singh Samundri, the editor of the Akali, Davinder Singh Parmar, the editor of The Khalistan Times, published in Tottenham/Southall, Jagtar Singh Mundra, the editor of Gagan Damama Monthly as mentioned above and I guess I add my own name alongside these Gentleman with the penning of The Khalistan Bulletin published by the Aston University Khalistan Society and edited by myself during my term as President.
'The creation of a new print culture played a major role in the successes of the Singh Sabhas and the Chief Khalsa Diwan. Railways, the post, telegrams, and a myriad of print agencies and newspapers were the key to organisation and mobilizing public opinion. By the early 1900s Sikhs outside the Punjab also had rudimentary network creating increasingly transfer of news, ideas and funds between Panjab and those far away.' N. Gerald Barrier ( Sikhism in a Global Context)
The Times of India on July 29, 1985 reported that a ‘high level delegation from Ecuador’ is here (in the U.K.) at the invitation of Dr Jagjit Singh. The delegation was led by Dr. Carlos Julio Arosemana who was the 31st President of Ecuador from November 7th, 1961 to July 11th 1963.
Carlos Julio Arosemana Monroy was born on August 24,1919 and died on March 5th 2004 at the age of 84. Arosemena came from ‘one of the most prominent families in Guayaquil’, one of Ecuador’s main ports and one of its largest cities. His term as President ended in a military coup in 1963 after having ‘survived two efforts to impeach him.’ Following this he was sent into exile in Panama however within a few years he founded his own ‘revolutionary’ party and began running for office again. It is said that even ‘in old age was a respected figure, whose advice was sought by established and aspiring politicians alike.’
It is unknown how Arosemena and Sat Aatma Singh, an Italian Sikh met, however it was following a meeting with Aatma Singh that Arosemena started to learn about the Sikhs of the Panjab. Aatma Singh was in effect the mastermind behind the whole project. Bhai Seva Singh Lalli of the Republic of Khalistan Government in Exile, a confidant of Jagtar Singh recounts that Arosemena enjoyed drinking and even during meetings with the Khalistan Council he would exit briefly for a drink and then return.
I did ask Sardar Jagtar Singh Ji many questions about his work in Ecuador, unfortunately he didn’t remember much as his age now seems to be catching up with him.
He resolutely stated that his/the mission is for the establishment of Khalsa Raj...
Many of the original Sikh Homeland Protagonists have either expired many years ago or have expired in the past few years, nevertheless I hope these articles will ensure that the lives of our predecessors remains immortal and add clarity to our period missed out of the history books.
'He who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building.' - Machiavelli
The Sardar of Iron
As I have been calculating the woes of the Sikh people and making the entry of the forgotten few into the history books, I did not think that I would find something or someone who would be so close to myself and had been so involved in this political movement, which was the liberation of the Sikh Homeland.
Sardar Jaswant Singh Dhadhi was a companion of my late Paternal Grandfather ,Giani Pritam Singh Rahi. My Grandfather had a keen interest in Sikh Philosophy & History and had spent much time studying at the Shaheed Sikh Missionary College in Sri Amritsar Sahib, Panjab. Post Partition (1947), my Grandfather stayed in Malaysia where he carried out the duties of a Granthi (or Sikh Priest) in Ipoh, Perak under the watchful eye of Giani Mann Singh Jhor, a Sikh Intellectual & Scholar.
Following Malaysian Independence (1957), my Grandfather made the long voyage from Calcutta to Oldbury, England.
And it was this background & skillset that my Grandfather had, that made him and his companions travel from city to city, Gurdwara to Gurdwara to sing ballads of former glories and of the enchanting stories of the Sikh Gurus & Saints.
During my time at University, I made ample time to study Sikh History and to perhaps, understand my place in the world through the lens of contemporary Sikh History.
I had the opportunity to formally meet with Sardar Jaswant Singh Dhadhi on September 15th, 2018. Uncle Ji was 92 then but he had the energy as if he were still in his youth. After this visit, I would meet Jaswant Singh Ji many times at the Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha Gurdwara on Soho Road, Birmingham, the place I would visit during my lunch break from university and every time I would see him, a shot of energy would pass through my veins simply upon gazing up at him.
I spent a considerable amount of time with both Jaswant Singh Ji and his wife as they narrated their life stories. As one ages, the past unfortunately doesn't seem to be as clear
as it once was, something I've seen through many of the interviews I've conducted.
Whilst Uncle Ji was narrating his stories, Mata Ji (his wife) would ask him and myself and state ‘what did he achieve or rather what did the Khalsa Panth achieve’, unfortunately as one reads the chapters of contemporary Sikh History, one cannot help but feel very disheartened at some of the episodes of the past especially where intrigue & betrayal loomed. Whether that be in the aftermath of the death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, to the betrayal of the Akali Leader post 1984. But Uncle Ji did not reply to Mata Ji's comment but rather just smiled, a smile that is imprinted in my mind and showcased the revolutionary love that he possessed.
Sardar Jaswant Singh Dhadhi has and continues to live his life as per the teachings of the Sikh doctrine. Uncle Ji narrated how he courted arrest with his Jatha (group) in the Panjabi Suba Movement of the 1960s and how their time in jail passed, through reading the Asa Di Vaar Bani (verses of Sikh Script sung during the early hours of the morning) and there being Dhadhi Varan, the singing of ballads in the evenings. After talks between leaders of the Indian Congress Party and leaders of the Shiromani Akali Dal, the premier Sikh Political Party, all Sikh Political Prisoners were released after 6 months of stay in Prison.
Whilst on the topic of the Panjabi Suba and of forgotten stories, I think its important to also shed light on the Martyrdom of Nand Singh.
'On 13 April 1967, the day of Baisakhi, a granthi (or sikh priest) of the village Bahadurpur in the Amritsar district of the Panjab, burnt himself alive. Before this deliberate act he had written a few letters, including one to Sant Fateh Singh, a Sikh Leader. For a long time now, he wrote in one of his letters, 'The Sikh leaders have rescinded solemn vows of self-immolation on one pretext or the other. I cannot bear this insult to the Panth.'
Born and brought up as a Telugu-speaking person, Bhai Nand Singh mentions in his letter that he had heard of the glory of the Khalsa and come to the north to be initiated as a Singh. He became acutely aware of the tradition that a Sikh should die in a righteous cause and become a martyr. He decided therefore to court martyrdom to keep the tradition alive and to bring sense to the Sikh leadership.' - J. S. Grewal (Master Tara Singh in Indian History)
'Today Bhai Nand Singh, the martyr, has become the light house of the Panths' ascendant spirit. - Master Tara Singh
The name 'Nand Singh' is synonymous to Sikh Freedom Fighters. According to Bhai Santokh Singh, a Bhai Nand Singh attained Shaheedi (or martyrdom) at the Battle of Chamkaur in 1705.
A Singh of the famous Gadar Party was also named Nand Singh, he was sent to the Andaman Islands where as a result of torture he breathed his last. Babbar Nand Singh was charged with the murder of Subedar Genda Singh, he was awarded the death sentence and was hanged alongside Amar Shaheed Bhai Kishan Singh Gargajj, the leader of the Babbar Akalis.
Now back to the narrative...
Sardar Jaswant Singh Dhadhi then shortly after in 1963 made the long commute to London where he lived for a year, Bhai Sahib then moved to Birmingham where he lives to this date. Jaswant Singh was a very talented Carpenter and did considerable work at the the Baba Deep Singh Gurdwara formerly known as The Khalsa House and also at the Park Road Gurdwara, Birmingham as pictured which was the home of the Akalis led under the aegis of Giani Bakshish Singh, a personality discussed in the articles below...
The Events of the early 1980s, were events of a delicate nature, another Morcha (or struggle) was launched by the Sikhs of the Panjab under the aegis of Sant Bhindranwale and the Akali Leaders
Sikhs were once more being incarcerated as they were in the Panjabi Suba Movement & in the Emergency. The early 1980s was no different and once more, did the Akalis of the U.K. fulfil their duties.
Sardar Jaswant Singh Ji can be seen on the far right of this image below where he is seen chained with his compaions outside India House, Aldwych. Only Uncle Ji remains out of his five fellow companions, and he is one of the very few early Sikh Homelanders who are still with us.
Rare are those who are committed in bringing much needed change to the world as we see it, rare are those who fight for righteousness, rare are those who breath light when darkness prevails.
Sardar Jaswant Singh Dhadhi is one of those rare individuals...
ਮੇਰਾ ਜੀਉ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਸਭੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਆਗੈ ਜਿਨਿ ਵਿਛੁੜਿਆ ਹਰਿ ਗਲਿ ਲਾਇਆ
‘My soul and body all belong to the Guru; I was separated, and He has led me into the Lord's Embrace.’ [ANG 172 SGGS]
While in their lifetime they failed to see the fruits of the seeds they had sown, for generations to come after them, tales of their bravery will be recalled and the nationalist fervour will once more be instilled in the hearts and minds of many to come.
The Doctor's Aide
So far in the search for lost history relating to the Sikh Homelanders and in particular the character of the lost Doctor, Dr Jagjit Singh Chohan, the search has taken me to many different geographical locations and I anticipate that I will need and have to cross certain man-made borders to be able to paint a clearer portrait of the Doctor. In January 2019, I was able to meet and converse with Sardar Balbir Singh Ji Khela, a close confidant of Dr Chohan. Sardar Balbir Singh's ‘robh’ (or attire) reminded me of the Akalis (the immortals) of old who really were willing to sacrifice themselves for the betterment and chardikala (or elated emotions) of the Khalsa Punth. My head bows in front of these great warriors.
Q -What is your message to the Sikh youth of today.
A - I used to say - the youth, they are our arms, we can do whatever we wish to, but the youth are the diamonds of the Sikh Panth and only their heads will we bore fruits. And in future, you will have to take care of everything.
Our movement will only continue if the youth take control of everything, otherwise our movement will not flourish. Dr Sahib (Dr Jagjit Singh Chohan) always used to say that we must bring the youth to the forefront and to keep them together with us, so that they could control the movement after we are gone. And now he is gone and now is our teyaari in also departing. My message is always, that our youth are our arms, they are going to take the movement further.’ (Translated from Panjabi to English)
Sardar Balbir Singh Khela arrived in the British mainland in late 1956 and was accompanied by his two brothers and his mother, for his father was already residing here. As with many Sikh migrants, they often found the small district of West London often dubbed ‘mini Panjab’, Southall as their new home. Balbir Singh in his early days worked in a rubber factory and then later worked in installing pipes underground. It was in those days, that race relations were an issue and the figures titled ‘skinheads’ would make their opinions known regarding those of ‘colour’ and those who looked different.
As early as the 1970s was there talk of an independent Sikh state, (see the below listed article)
Balbir Singh at this early stage was not an avid supporter of a free and independent Khalistan, for many sacrifices were made for to free what we now call India, Bangladesh & Pakistan and for that reason, many Sikhs wanted to live ‘amicably’ with their counterparts, something that unfortunately would not materialise.
Balbir Singh first met Dr Jagjit Singh Chohan at the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara on June 23rd, 1984, the day The Khalistan Council vis-à-vis Khalistan Government in Exile was formed, as discussed at the start of this article. Sardar Ji tells me that on this occasion there was a lot of Sangat (or devotees) at the Gurdwara on that date and everybody present was in high emotions as one can expect.
Balbir Singh as with many Sikhs around the world had started to work for the creation of an independent Sikh State and after attending conferences and meetings hosted by the Khalistan Government, Uncle Ji became closely acquainted with Dr Jagjit Singh Chohan and worked closely with him for 18/20 years and would accompany him to conferences in the U.K. but also in Switzerland & Austria.
Dr Jagjit Singh returned to the Panjab in 2001, ending 19/20 years of exile in London. At this time Balbir Singh became ill and was kept in Hospital post bypass surgery which meant that he wasn’t able to say goodbye to his companion, the lost doctor
Balbir Singh to this day keeps the dream of an independent Sikh Homeland alive and has continued to work towards this aim since 1984.
‘Everybody makes mistakes, let us unite, we will unite.’
Our shared predecessors had taken root, germinated, blossomed and born fruit. May that fruit remain ripe.
Without nationhood, people sneer at you on the bus; people jeer at you for what you are. It is not enough to be a people. In order to have respect, you must have a nation.
Statelessness is a state of mind, and it is akin to homelessness.
A people can become completely human, completely themselves, only when they have a place of their own.
The thought that everything our predecessors fought for has collapsed and everything they fought for in the last fifty years ago has been smeared by Indian state propaganda. Nothing since has turned out as we had hoped after analysing our shared history, and we have begun rewriting the history of our emotions rather than heal from past trauma and past incidents. Never the less, one day, will come, where all of our predecessors will be remembered and be publicly honoured...
ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ
"Khalistan belongs to us. It is being illegally occupied by India" said Mr Parmar. "We intend to be absolutely law-abiding in our actions. We have no ideas for creating problems in Britain." (Feb 1983 - Khalistan Times)
'Davinder Singh Parmar arrived in London in late 1954 and began to promulgate the view that Sikhs require an independent Khalistan in order to ensure their survival as a community.' As Parmar recalls only one person supported him during the early stages of the movement, but never the less he continued to write newspapers, distribute pamphlets and debate his fellow Sikhs regarding Sikh separatism' - Therese Sun Gunawardena
Simranjeet S. Rahi
21/03/2021
In Love & Respect for...
Sardar Jagtar Singh Mundra, The Turbaned Ambassador in Ecuador
Sardar Jaswant Singh Dhadhi, The Sardar of Iron
Sardar Balbir Singh Khela, The Doctors Aide
The Author of this article delivered a research lecture at the Nishaan Research Conference in December 2020 titled 'The Khalistan Council in Quito, Ecuador :Who, When, Why, How - An Unusual Tale', the video recording of this shall be available soon and will discuss the events of the Khalistanis in Ecuador in much more depth.
Many Thanks
S. Anokh S. Dhillon, Vancouver (Grandson of S. Bikram S. Dev)
S. Seva S. Lalli, Gravesend (President - Republic of Khalistan Government in Exile
1984Museum Team
Commenti