HARNAM SINGH, BHAI

HARNAM SINGH, BHAI (1897-1921), son of Bhai Sundar Singh and Mai Uttam Kaur, was among those who fell martyrs at Nankana Sahib on 20 February 1921. The traditional occupation of the family was weaving, but Harnam Singh`s father and grandfather took to peddling cloth. Harnam Singh was hardly five years old when the family migrated to and permanently settled as drapers at Shahkot, an upcoming market town in Sheikhupura district.

He learnt Gurmukhi (Punjabi) at home and adopted tailoring as a profession. In 1914, he was administered the vows of the Khalsa by a group headed by BhaT Mahitab Singh Bir. Harnam Singh got up a preaching outfit comprising, besides himself, his younger brothers, Bachan Singh and Dalip Singh, and went around spreading the Singh Sabha ideology, administering the rites of amrit and performing marriages in accordance with the Sikh ceremony of anand, He participated in the liberation of gurudwaras at Sialkot (Babe dT Ber), Chuharkana (Khara Sauda) and Gojra.

Finally, he was one of the five volunteers of Shahkot who led by BhaT Santa Singh joined the jathd of Bhai Lachhman Singh Dharovalt for their march towards Gurdwara Janam Asthan, Nankana Sahib, where they attained martyrdom on 20 February 1921. HARNAM SINGH, BHAI (1901-1921), one of the Nankana Sahib martyrs, belonged to Chakk No. 38 Nizampur Deva Singhvala, in Sheikhupura district, which contributed the maximum number of volunteers (15) from any single village to the corps of martyrs led by BhaT Lachhman Singh Dharovall for the liberation of Gurdwara Janam Asthan.

Bhat Harnam Singh was born on 7 Magghar 1958 Bk/20 November 1901, the youngest son of Bhat ishar Singh and Mai Bhago. Of medium height and stoutly build, he excelled in rural sports such as weightlifting and wrestling. He however gave up the latter sport after imbibing the Khalsa pdhulto keep his vows inviolate. His presence at the reformists` divan held at Dharovall on 13 October 1920 proved a turning point in his life and he plunged himself into the Gurdwara Reform movement with all his energy.

He participated in the liberation of Gurdwara Khara Sauda. As the call came from Nankana Sahib, young Harnam Singh did not tarry a single day and forthwith joined the jathd of Bhai Lachhman Singh of Dharovall. He consoled his distraught mother with the words that she had two other sons in the family. The ^Ad was massacred to a man by the killers on 20 February 1921. BIBLIOGRAPHY Shamsher, Gurbakhsh Singh, Shahidi Jivan. Nankana Sahib, 1938

References :

1. Sham.sher, Gurbakhsh Singh, Shahidi Jivan. Nankana Sahib, 1938.