GURMAT TRACT SOCIETY

GURMAT TRACT SOCIETY, dedicated to propagating Sikh religion and history, was founded at Lahore in 1925 by Giahl Kartar Singh Piukh, who changed his pen name from “Piukh” to “Hitkari” in 1929. It published low priced monthly tracts in Punjabi, in Gurmukhi script, for distribution among the Sikh masses. The themes usually were the lives of the Gurus, Sikh teachings, Sikh shrines and persons of importance in Sikh history. The Society planned to publish books and pamphlets in LIrdu and Hindi as well.

The first tract in the series was Atmak Shakti de Sachche Shahanshdh, which was published in November of 1925 to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. Giani Kartar Singh was able to maintain a regular flow of a tract a month for over twelve years. About 40 per cent of them were from his own pen. Among other contributors to the series were Bhai Mohan Singh Vaid, Giani Khazan Singh, Sant Sampuran Singh, Sodhi Tcja Singh, Charan Singh Shahid, Giani Thakur Singh, Giani LalSinghSamundari, Nihal Singh Advocate, Balwant Singh Chatrath, Raghblr Sing Hbtr, Firoz Dm Sharaf, Bibi Harnam Kaur of Nabha and Giani Kartar Singh`s own young daughter, Amrit Kaur, the famous latterday Amrita Pritam.

Mehar Singh Chawla and Nihal Singh provided financial support. The Society also started, from May 1932, a monthly magazine, Gurmat, in which its tracts were serialized. The publications of the Gurmat Tract Society, in simple Punjabi, created new popular readership for the language, thus helping to disseminate widely information about Sikh religion and history.