Life Stories

He was a general in the army of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the Sikh Empire. He oversaw the operations in the Gurdaspur District. His headquarters were in Batala. Sangat Singh was rewarded 300-acre (1.2 km2) estate from Maharaja Ranjit Singh for bravery in battle when Sangat Singh conquered a post in the Afghan region and brought back the Golden Sword of the Afghan ruler to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The estate is now known as Sangatpur in Batala, Gurdaspur District, India.

220 years after Gurbaksh Singh, another individual gave his life in another last stand defending the sanctity of the Darbar Sahib. To understand the reasons why Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bhindranwale was forced to make the last stand its important to appreciate the historical context.

After losing their kingdom to the British, the Sikhs quickly became the most prosperous community in British India, forming a substantial proportion of the British Indian Army and helping surpress the Mutiny of 1857. Following tremendous sacrifices in the First World War, Sikhs expected a measure of autonomy, however in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919, the British fired on a gathering of peaceful protestors, killing over 300 Panjabi's in the process. The Sikhs then formed the largest proportion of freedom fighters - in fact 90% of all revolutionaries hanged by the British were Sikh. The Sikhs also introduced the notion of courting arrest in large numbers with their Gurdwara Reform movement in the 1920's, an event that directly led to Mahatma Gandhi adopting similar tactics. As the Second World War approached the Sikhs put differences aside to fight against the Nazi's in Europe and the Japanese in Burma, meanwhile the Gandhi led Congress and the Jinnah led Muslim league continued to fight against the British. Despite being masters of Panjab prior to the arrival of the British, the colonial rulers dictated that Sikhs did not make up a substantial part of the population and therefore would not be getting their own country back. Furthermore, they split the homeland of Panjab in two, two thirds going to Pakistan and a third going to India. Sikhs were then told to pick a country.

The Congress leader, Jawahar Lal Nehru made promises to court the Sikhs and wrote in the Lahore Bulletin of 1930 "the brave Sikhs of Panjab are entitled to special considerations. I see nothing wrong in an area of set up in the north of India where the Sikhs can also experience the glow of freedom."

Baaj Singh, alongside Ram Singh, Binod Singh, his son Kahan Singh and Fateh Singh are generally accepted to be the 5 Singhs dispatched from central India to return to Panjab as Banda Bahadur's advisory council to carry out a struggle against Mughal rule and to punish the local governor, Wazir Khan, who had ordered the execution of the Guru's two young sons.

Baaj Singh was present in all of Banda Bahadur's campaigns, with his most documented battle happening at Sirhind in 1710. Following the tactics developed by the Guru, Banda split his forces into 2 wings (subdivided into 5 misls) and commanded the centre himself. The left wing was commanded by Binod Singh and the right by Baaj Singh. Whilst the left wing struggled, the right wing was more successful, managing to slice through the Mughal ranks. Baaj Singh cornered Wazir Khan on the battlefield and Mughal battle comentator Mir Mohammed Ahsan described how after an exchange of spears and arrows, the two warriors raced towards each other, with Baaj Singh struck in the arm, Fateh Singh arrived at this critical juncture and sliced Wazir Khan in two from the shoulder to the waist. For his bravery and success in the battle, Baaj Singh was appointed Govenor of Sirhind.

After much campaigning, a schism developed between a number of the 5 Singhs that had travelled north with Banda Bahadur. The Singhs, led by Binod Singh and Kahan Singh took exceptions to some of the changes Banda had began making; Rattan Singh Bhangu in his book Panth Prakash comments that Banda had begun changing the traditions greeting of Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh to Darshan Fateh, wearing red uniforms instead of blue, and advocating a vegetarian diet, all of which Binod Singh's Sikhs, referring to themselves as the Tat Khalsa, or true Khalsa grew to resent. There is much debate about how many of these changes actually happened, and the role of the Mughal Court in creating this schism but by the Siege of Gurdas Nangal, a sizeable number of Sikhs had left Banda Bahadur.

Shaam Singh was born in 1790, at the dawning of the independent Sarkar Khalsa. His father, Nihaal Singh had originally served under the Bhangi Misl before joining Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Shaam Singh was educated to a high level, learning Gurmukhi, Persian and English and was given the command of 5000 men. He took part in many victorious battles of the Sikh State (Sarkar Khalsa) including the battles of Attock, Multan, Peshawar as well as conquering Kashmir.

Eventually Shaam Singh became one of Ranjit Singh's most trusted advisors, arranging a meeting between the Maharaja and the British under Lord William Bentick in 1831 at Ropar. His influence was further extended when he married his daughter to Maharaja Ranjit Singh's son, Nau Nihal Singh.

Following the death of Ranjit Singh, Shaam Singh, considered a loyalist was positioned in the furthest corners of the Sikh State whilst the Dogra brothers put into plan their designs to take the throne. Shaam Singh was completing expeditions at the edge of the Sarkar Khalsa whilst the Dogra's murdered their way to become de factor leaders in Panjab. It was after the death of Nau Nihaal Singh, Shaam Singh's son-in-law and Ranjit Singh's grandson that convinced Shaam Singh to return to the plains of Panjab. Shaam Singh then led a campaign against the Dogra's driving them out of Panjab, defeating and killing Hira Dogra. The Dogra's, under British pay, were hoping to create chaos and bring the British into Panjab to support their quest for the throne. Shaam Singh, wise to Sikh weakness against British arms convinced the Sikh's to take care of their own house before fighting external enemies and looked to lead a final campaign against Gulab Dogra.

Shamshad Begum (14 April 1919 – 23 April 2013) was an Indian singer who was one of the first playback singers in the Hindi film industry. She had a distinctive voice and was a versatile artist, singing over 6,000 songs in Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Punjabi languages and of them 1287 songs were Hindi film songs. She worked with maestros including Naushad Ali, S. D. Burman, C. Ramchandra and O. P. Nayyar. Her songs from the 1940s to the early 1970s remain popular and continue to be remixed.
Shamshad Begum was born in Lahore, British India (present-day Pakistan) on 14 April 1919 the day after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in nearby Amritsar. She was one of eight children, five sons and three daughters, born to a conservative muslim family of limited means. Her father, Mian Hussain Baksh Maan, worked as a mechanic and her mother, Ghulam Fatima, was a pious lady of conservative disposition, a devoted wife and mother who raised her children with traditional family values.
In 1932, the teenage Shamshad came in contact with Ganpat Lal Batto, a Hindu law student who lived in the same neighbourhood and who was several years older than her. In those days, marriages were performed while the bride and groom were very young, and Shamshad's parents were already looking out for a suitable alliance for her. Their efforts were on the verge of bearing fruit in 1934 when Ganpat Lal Batto and Shamshad made the decision to marry each other. In 1934, despite strenuous opposition from both their families due to religious differences, 15-year-old Shamshad married Ganpat Lal Batto. The couple had but one child, a daughter named Usha, who in due course married a Hindu gentleman, Lieutenant Colonel Yogesh Ratra, an officer in the Indian Army.

Sucheta Kriplani was a Gandhian, Indian freedom fighter and politician. Joined Indian National Congress and became the first woman Chief Minister of an Indian State (UP) and also founded the All-India Mahila Congress in 1940. On 15th August 1947, she sang Vande Mataram in the Constituent Assembly. So, these are the forgotten women freedom fighters who are an inspiration to us.

Sukha Singh and Mehtab Singh were the first of the generation that grew up in the shadow of 1716 when organised Sikh political power was destroyed. In this era, Sikhs had either left for the jungles and mountains of Panjab, becoming roving bands of guerilla fighters or had moved into employment as soldiers outside of Panjab.

One such band of guerillas were based in the deserts of Rajasthan led by one Shaam Singh. In 1740 this band of warriors were visited by Bulaka Singh and Tej Ram from Panjab. The two narrated stories of the state of Sikhi in its ancestral home, mentioning how Singhs no longer visit Harimander Sahib and that the entire temple complex had been turned into a brothel under the control of Massa Khan Rangar. In response, Mehtab Singh stood up and started questioning the Sikhs in Panjab, wondering where their pride and strength had gone. Bulaka responded that Mehtab had fled from Panjab to Rajasthan and therefore was in no position to questions those Singhs who had stayed behind. On hearing this Mehtab Singh vowed to bring back the head of Massa Rangar. Another Singh, Sukha, also arose and said he would accompany Mehtab Singh back to Amritsar and complete the task,

The two assasins dressed up as Muslim landlords from Patti and headed on their long journey north. On reaching Amritsar, they tethered their horses to a berry tree and went inside. As they entered the main hall, they saw Massa Rangar smoking sheesha and surrounded by his harem. The Singhs threw a bag on the floor and told them they were here to pay their revenue from Patti. Massa Rangar leaned down to pick up the bag and in a flash Mehtab Singh cut the head of Massa Rangar and threw it in a sack. Sukha Singh meanwhile attacked the surprised company of Rangar and within seconds the Singhs threw off their disguises and jumped onto their horses, riding away shouting 'Akaal'.

Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Dutt; 6 June 1929 — 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director and politician. He was the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports in the Manmohan Singh government (2004–2005). He was a former Sheriff of Mumbai. He is the father of actor Sanjay Dutt and politician Priya Dutt.
In 1968, he was honoured by the Padma Shri by the Government of India. In 1984 he joined the Indian National Congress party and was elected to the Parliament of India for five terms from the constituency of Mumbai North West.
Sunil Dutt was born on 6 June 1929 in a Punjabi Hindu family as Balraj Dutt to father Diwan Raghunath Dutt and mother Kulwantidevi Dutt. in Nakka Khurd, Punjab Province, British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan). When he was five years old, Dutt's father died. When he was 18, the Partition of India began inciting Hindu-Muslim violence across the country. A Muslim friend of Dutt's father named Yakub, saved their entire family. The family resettled in the small village of Mandauli on the bank of the river Yamuna located in Yamuna Nagar, Punjab, which is now a district of Haryana. Later he moved to Lucknow with his mother, Kulwanti devi Dutt, and spent a long time in Aminabad during graduation. He then moved to Bombay (present-day Mumbai), where he joined Jai Hind College as an undergraduate and took up a job at the city's BEST Transportation Engineering division. He graduated with B.A. (Hons.) in History in 1954.
Starting out in radio, with his command over the Urdu language, Sunil Dutt was hugely popular on the Hindi service of Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia. He moved to act in Hindi films and got introduced to the industry in 1955's Railway Platform.

Tara Rani born in a simple family in Saran, Bihar and got married to Phulendu Babu. They joined the Quit India Movement of Gandhi Ji in 1942, regulated protests and planned to raise the Indian flag on the roof of the Siwan Police Station. They managed to gather a crowd and began their march towards the Siwan Police Station, shouting ‘Inquilab’. When they were marching towards them, the police opened fire. Phulendu was hit and fell to the ground. Undeterred, Tara bandaged him with the help of her sari and continued to lead the crowd towards the station shouting ‘Inquilab’ while holding the Indian flag. Her husband died, when Tara came back but she continued to support the freedom struggle.

Benoy Krishna Basu was born on 11th September 1908, in the village of Rohitbhog in Munshiganj district, now in Bangladesh. After passing the matriculation exam, he enrolled in the Sir Salimullah Medical College (erstwhile Mitford Medical School). Influenced by Hemachandra Ghosh, a Dhaka-based revolutionary, Benoy joined the ‘Mukti Sangha’, a secret society connected to the revolutionary Jugantar party.
Dinesh Gupta was born on 6th December 1911, in the tiny village of Josholong in Munshiganj district, now in Bangladesh. While studying at the Dhaka College, he joined the Bengal Volunteers, a group mobilised by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in 1928, during the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress.
Born Sudhir Gupta in the village of Purba Shimulia (East Shimulia), in Dhaka’s Bikrampur region, Badal Gupta was inspired by Nikunja Sen, who taught at the Banaripara School of Bikrampur. He joined the Bengal Volunteers as a member, and found his calling in revolutionary activities.
Badal was influenced by the revolutionary activities of his two paternal uncles, Late Dharani Nath Gupta, and Nagendra Nath Gupta, both involved in the Alipore Bomb Case, and imprisoned along with Rishi Aurobindo Ghosh.
The Bengal Volunteers, organised by Subhash Chandra Bose, came into being during the 1928 Kolkata session of the Indian National Congress. Led by Major Satya Gupta, the group continued its activities even after the Kolkata session of Congress ended.
Thus the Bengal Volunteers marched on in their quest to liquidate infamous British officers. Gupta spent time in Midnapore, training local revolutionaries in firearm usage. They were known for their revolutionary exploits.
‘Operation Freedom’ launched in 1930 protested against police repression in different Bengali Jails. In August 1930, the group planned to execute Lowman, the Police Inspector General. Benoy ultimately shot him, at the Medical School Hospital in Dhaka, escaping to Kolkata soon after.
The three comrades, Benoy, Badal and Dinesh, decided to kill N S Simpson, as well as other Britishers, to strike terror into the heart of the Raj’s official circles. This was to be an attack on the Writer’s Building, the Secretariat, in the heart of Kolkata.
It is interesting to note that the Writer’s Building, designed by Thomas Lyon in 1777, still serves as the Secretariat Building of the state government of West Bengal. The purpose of this construction was to accommodate junior servants of the East India Company.
The calm December day was suddenly disrupted, and mayhem ensued. Three young men dressed in European attire came from the shadows and opened fire from their revolvers. They were after Col N S Simpson, IG Prison-Calcutta. The Britisher was known for the brutal oppression of political prisoners.

Source- https://www.thebetterindia.com/154654/benoy-badal-dinesh-writers-building-kolkata-news/

Tirot Sing, also known as U Tirot Sing Syiem born in the year 1802 and died in the year 1835, was one of the chiefs of the Khasi people in the early 19th century. He drew his lineage from the Syiemlieh clan. He was Syiem (chief) of Nongkhlaw, part of the Khasi Hills. His surname was Syiemlieh. He was a constitutional head sharing corporate authority with his Council, general representatives of the leading clans within his territory. Tirot Sing declared war and fought against British for attempts to take over control of the Khasi Hills.
He died on 17 July 1835. His death is commemorated in Meghalaya as U Tirot Sing Day.
The British had gained control over the Brahmaputra valley after concluding the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826. Between their possessions in Sylhet and the newly acquired possessions in Lower Assam intervened the Khasi Hills. They wanted to construct a road through this area to connect Guwahati with Sylhet to save weeks of travel and malarious country.
David Scott, the agent to the British Governor-General for the Northern Territory, found out that U Tirot Sing was interested in regaining possessions in the duars (passes into Assam) in return for the permission for the road project. After a two-day session of the durbar (court), the assembly agreed to the proposal of the British. Work on the road started. When Balaram Singh, Raja of Ranee, disputed U Tirot Sing's claims to the duars, he went with a party of armed men in December 1828 to establish his claim. He was confident that the British would support him; instead, he was confronted by a party of sepoys who blocked his passage. When news came that the British were reinforcing forces in Assam, U Tirot Sing convened a Durbar again and passed orders for the British to evacuate Nongkhlaw. The British did not pay any heed, and the Khasis attacked the British garrison in Nongkhlaw on 4 April 1829. His men killed two British officers, and thus unleashed the fury of British retaliation. Military operations against U Tirot Sing and other Khasi chiefs started immediately.
In the Anglo-Khasi War, the Khasis lacked firearms and had only swords, shields, bows and arrows. They were untrained in the British type of warfare and soon found that it was impossible to engage in open battle against an enemy who could kill from a distance. Therefore, they resorted to guerrilla activity, which dragged on for about four years.
Tirot Sing fought with native weapons such as a sword and shield. He was shot at by the British and had to hide in a cave and tend for his wound. He was eventually captured by the British in January 1833 and deported to Dhaka. The location of his hiding place was given by a chief of his who was bribed with gold coins by the British. He died on 17 July 1835. His death anniversary is commemorated every year as a state holiday in Meghalaya.

Kumaran also known as Tiruppur Kumaran or Kodi Kaatha Kumaran (4 October 1904 – 11 January 1932) was an Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter who participated in the Indian independence movement.
Kumaran was born in Chennimalai in Madras Presidency, British India (present-day Erode district in Tamil Nadu). His parents were Nachimuthu and Karuppaayi. He founded Desa Bandhu Youth Association and led protests against the British.
He died from injuries sustained from a police assault on the banks of Noyyal River in Tiruppur during a protest march against the British government on 11 January 1932. At the time of his death, he was holding the flag of the Indian Nationalists, which had been banned by the British giving rise to the epithet kodi Kaatha Kumaran in Tamil which means 'Kumaran who protected the flag'.
A commemorative stamp was issued by India post in October 2004 on his 100th birth anniversary. A statue has been erected in Tirupur in his honor which is often used as a focal point for public demonstrations.
Kumaran also known as Tiruppur Kumaran or Kodi Kaatha Kumaran (4 October 1904 – 11 January 1932) was an Indian revolutionary and freedom fighter who participated in the Indian independence movement.
Kumaran was born in Chennimalai in Madras Presidency, British India (present-day Erode district in Tamil Nadu). His parents were Nachimuthu and Karuppaayi. He founded Desa Bandhu Youth Association and led protests against the British.
He died from injuries sustained from a police assault on the banks of Noyyal River in Tiruppur during a protest march against the British government on 11 January 1932. At the time of his death, he was holding the flag of the Indian Nationalists, which had been banned by the British giving rise to the epithet kodi Kaatha Kumaran in Tamil which means 'Kumaran who protected the flag'.
A commemorative stamp was issued by India post in October 2004 on his 100th birth anniversary. A statue has been erected in Tirupur in his honor which is often used as a focal point for public demonstrations.