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A religious gathering
was held at Akal Takht, Amritsar on
15th-16th November 1920 A.D. In this
a committee of one hundred and seventy-five
members was formed which was named Shiromani
Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee. This
was a religious organisation with the
aim of reform in Gurdwara management
and uplift of the religious moral and
cultural level of the Sikhs. As such,
the committee was taking the management
of the Gurdwaras in their hands.
The committee of the Sikhs wsa in control
of managment of Sri Darbar Sahib, Amritsar
since the 13th October 1920 A.D. The
managment of Gurdwara, Taran Tarn fell
under Sri Darbar sahib but the priests
had become self-willed being far away
from Amritsar. They divided the ihncome
of the Gurdwara among themselves. Many
of the priests had become extremem alcoholics
and drug addicts. They used to say openly,
"Gurdwara is our shop. One may
come if he wishes and anybody who does
not like may not come."
In the full congregation at Akal Takht
on the 24th January, 1921 A.D., a lady
said, "The priests of Gurdwara
Tarn Taran threw my son into the pool
after tieing a stone round his neck
and teased and molested my daughter
inside the Gurdwara." Hearing this,
the Committee decided to take the management
of Gurdwara, Tarn Taran into their hands.
On the 25th January, 1921 A.D., Bhai
Teja Singh Bhuchar with a Squad of forty
Singhs reached Gurdwara Tarn Taran at
8 A.M after reciting Guru's word for
two hours in Gurdwara, the squad told
the priests the purpose of committee.
A meeting took place between the Singhs
of the squad and the priests at 4 P.M,
when another Squad led by Kartar Singh
JhabbarM also reached there. In this
meeting Singhs placed five conditions
before the priests. At 8.30 P.m., a
priest came and informed the squadm,
"All priests are ready to accept
the conditions of committee. Let some
prominent persons of the squad come
inside the Gurdwara and get their signatures
on them."
Bhai Sharan Singh and some other Singhs
went inside Darbar Sahib (court hall).
Brickbats started raining on the Singhs
sitting in the congregation from an
adjoining house. Intoxicated priests
attacked the Singhs who had gone inside
with choppers and clubs. The Singhs
remained calm. The priests put out the
lamps inside the Gurdwara and put curtains
on the doors so that the happenings
inside may not be seen from outside.
Out of the Singhs who had gone inside,
seventeen were injured. Bhai Hazara
Singh of Aladinpur, district Amritsar
and Bhai Hukum Singh of Wasaoo Kot,
district Gurdaspur attained martyrdom.
They were the first martyrs of the Gurdwara
Reform movement. On arrival of more
squads on 26th January, the priests
handed over the management of the Gurdwara
to the Prabhandak Committee.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Copyright © Santokh Singh Jagdev
"Bed Time Stories"
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