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Childhood
He was born in 1952,
the village Poonia, District Nawan Shaher, Punjab. His father
Sardar Gulzar Singh and mother Bibi Surjeet Kaur were both
Amrithdhari gursikhs. Bibi Surjeet Kaur’s father Sardar Makand Singh
had fought in Free India movement and played an integral part in the
‘Babbar Akali Dal’ movement before Independence. As a condition of
his daughter’s marriage he insisted that the boy must be Amritdhari
and that is how Sikhi came into the family.
From an
early age Bhai Sahib was engrossed and attracted to the spiritual
life and enjoyed doing seva (sweeping shoes) at the local gurdwara
and being amongst nature and animals.
Move to the
United Kingdom
Bhai Sahib was 15
years old when he moved to the United Kingdom, his father and
brothers lived in Dudley (West Midlands, UK). He studied science at
the Dudley College of Technology and later he went on to complete
bachelors degree in metallurgical science at Sheffield University.
He would regularly join with his father and visit the Smethwick High
Street Gurdwara. In the early 1970’s there were very few gursikhs in
Birmingham area and they would travel by bus to reach the gurdwara
as many families did not own cars during those early days.
Amrit
During that time when Bhai Sahib was
approximately 19-20 years he
approached one of the
(Naam rasiya) Gursikh “when should
a sikh take Amrit?, for which that
gursikh replied: “Pavan Aramb
Satgur Mat Vela” – meaning that
as soon as the body has breath,
you should think about the guru.
Bhai Sahib was so moved by
this gursikh’s bachan that during
the Akhand Kirtani Jatha Rehnsbahi
at Smethwick High Street Gurdwara
he took amrit, along with his younger
brother Bhai Ajaib Singh,
Bhai
Kuldeep Singh and his sister Bibi Kirpal
Kaur and brother in-law Bhai Surjeet Singh.
Jathedar of Akhand Kirtani Jatha (1978 to
1984)
Bhai Sahib became blessed with the naam ras and kirtain from that
time onwards. In 1978 he was appointed the Jathedaar of Akhand
Kirtani Jatha (U.K.) and served in this role until 1984. During this
time Bhai Sahib played an active role in kirtain parchaar in the UK
and Europe. He was self taught kirtani and had a sweet and melodious
voice, he was softly spoken and touched many lives. As there were
very few gurdwara’s at that time Bhai Shib would organise regular
rehnsbahi kirtain and amrit sanchaar’s at his home residence.
Family
Bhai Sahib was married to Bibi Balbir Kaur in 1973, at Barking
Gurdwara, London. He has three children, his eldest daughter Bibi
Jatinder Kaur, who is married to Bhai Ramjet Singh (Brisbane,
Australia), his second daughter Bibi Daljit Kaur, who is married to
Bhai Jaspal Singh (son of Bhai Onkar Singh, Leicester) and his son
Bhai Kulwant Singh who is married to Bibi Gursunder Kaur (from
Italy).
Chaldha Vaheer Jatha
Seeing the footage and carnage from the 1984 attack on the Akaal
Takht, Bhai Sahib made a conscious decision which compelled him
towards undertaking Sikhi parchaar (tatt gurmat parchaar).
Particularly, he was conscious that the Indian government would do
whatever it could to exterminate Sikhs, the only option to counter
that attack was to create more Sikhs who lived in the western
countries (outside of Punjab). At this point he established ‘Chaldha
Vaheer Jatha’ with its key mission to undertake International Sikh
missionary work. At this Bhai Sahib resigned from his employment and
self funded all of the travels and expenses with parchaar. He spread
the word of Sikhism through Kirtain, parchaar, countless amrit
sanchar's and youth gurmat camps. During the 20 years of seva Bhai
Sahib was a Pioneer Sikh Parcharaks (Missionary) who travelled to
many countries including: Europe (Holland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark,
Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Ireland,
Italy, Spain). Bhai Sahib resided in Amsterdam, Holland from 1980 to
1982 and assisted the sikhs there to establish the first gurdwara in
Holland.
In 1986, Bhai Sahib undertook his first world tour with a small
jatha including the late Bhai Rama Singh (who was very close to Bhai
Sahib), Bhai Prithipal Singh, Bhai Hardiyal Singh and Bhai Shabeg
Singh (Sydney). The world tour included: Australia, New Zealand,
Fiji, Malaysia and Singapore. Bhai Sahib was the first parcharak to
have ever travelled to these countries, as a consequence many sikhs
took amrit during that time. From 1986 to his last days in 2000,
Bhai Sahib travelled around the world including the following
countries as well: USA, Canada, Kenya, Philippines, Indonesia,
Bangkok, Thailand, Pakistan and Bangladesh. His parchaar included
gurmat camps for children and youth as he believed it was critical
to ensure that the next generation remained in Sikhi saroop and hold
strong Sikh identity.
In November 1994, Bhai Sahib travelled to Nankana Sahib (Pakistan)
for the first time and so moved at being at the birthplace of Guru
Nanak Dev Ji, that he continued to visit each year until 2000. Bhai
Sahib from his daswand would take gurmat parchaar material for the
Sikhs living in Nankana Sahib, who lived in harsh poverty (e.g.
clothes, gutka (in Urdu), keratin audio, books). They loved Bhai
Sahib dearly as he would converse with them and explain to them
about Guru Nanak Dev ji’s and how to be a sikh. Bhai Sahib
established the ‘Guru Nanak Model School’ for the Sikh children of
Nankana Sahib, this school provides Sikh children (approximately 100
Sikh families reside at Nankana Sahib) to learn about Gurbani,
Gurmat, Kirtain, Tabla and Sikh History. He enjoyed listening to the
children recite gurbani when he visited each year.
Final Journey :10 November 2000
Bhai Sahib always remained humble. He was very close to all gursikhs
and did not engage in petty politics of jatha-banday, he maintained
that respect and love for gursikhs regardless of which maryada they
followed. During the days leading up to him leaving the UK for his
annual yatra to Pakistan, Bhai Sahib requested for his family to
meet him. He had also phoned gursikhs indicating that this was his
“akree fateh”. His health deteriorated while he was on the yatra at
Nanakana Sahib and Bhai Sahib insisted that he wanted to return to
his home village (Poonia). However, his health became worse, Bibi
Balbir Kaur took him to Jallandhar Hospital, and he suffered a heart
attack at the Jalandhar hospital. Bhai Sahib had always desired to
be cremated the ‘proper’ way and this was maintained by many
gursikhs (Bhai Talwara Singh, Bhai Mehar Singh, Bhai Ram Singh, Bhai
Jasbir Singh Rode) arriving for the antam sanskar. The former Akaal
Takt Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti performed the Antam Ardaas.
Bhai Sahib’s contribution to the Sikh Panth was given the highest
honour in April 2004, by being the first non-resident of Indian to
have his portrait installed at the Ajayab Ghar Sikh National Museum
in Amritsar. The former Akaal Takt Jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti
and the former head granthi and now current Akaal Takh Jathedaar
Bhai Gurbachan Singh performed the ardaas and unveiling of Bhai
Sahib’s portrait.
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