Sahidi Saka Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib is a city of 80,000 in Pakistan’s Punjab province, where Gurdwara Janam Asthan (also called Nankana Sahib Gurdwara) is located. The shrine is built over the site where Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was believed to be born in 1469. It is 75 kms to the west of Lahore, and is the capital of Nankana Sahib district.
The city was previously known as Talwandi, and was founded by Rai Bhoi, a wealthy landlord. Rai Bhoi’s grandson, Rai Bular Bhatti, renamed the town ‘Nankana Sahib’ in honour of the Guru. ‘Sahib’ is an Arabic-origin epithet of respect.The Janam Asthan shrine was constructed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, after he visited Nankana Sahib in 1818-19 while returning from the Battle of Multan.
Efforts to free Nankana Sahib
The SGPC came to existence in November 1920, a month after Sikhs removed partial restrictions on Dalit rights inside Golden Temple in Amritsar.
It started gurdwara reform movement which was aimed at taking possession of historical Sikh Gurdwaras, which had turned personal property of the priests, who were called mahants. These mahants were also accused of running practices from gurdwaras which were not approved in Sikhism.
Mahant Narain Das was in control of Gurdwara Nankana Sahib. Newly formed SGPC asked him to improve the administration of gurdwaras in
October 1920. However, the mahant took it as challenge to his authority and started equipping himself with arms and fortified the gurdwara. SGPC leader Lachman Singh Dharowal was attacked by mahant’s men inside gurdwara on birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in presence of British officials in November 1920. But no action was taken against the mahant. Sikh leaders made attempts to bring mahant to the negotiation table but their efforts failed.
The February massacre
Meanwhile, all the mahants and other groups, who were in control of Sikh gurdwaras, also organised themselves and started holding meetings against any move of the SGPC to take control away from them.
They called “Sikh Sanatan Conference” in Lahore on February 19, 20 & 21, 1921. Some motivated Sikh leaders took it as an opportunity to take control of the Gurdwara Nankaka Sahiba as Mahant Narain Das would be busy in Lahore.
Master Tara Singh and other Sikh leaders tried to stop the Sikh jatha on the way to Nankana Sahib but failed to convince the leaders leading the jatha.
Mahant Narain Das also came to know about jatha coming to Gurdwara Nankana Sahib as he was all set to leave for Lahore by train and returned back.
The unarmed Sikh jatha entered inside the gurdwara and with a plan to take possession of gurdwara in a non-violent manner. On the other side, the mahant was all prepared for an armed attack and he leashed his men equipped with fire arms, sticks and sharp-edged weapons on this jaths.
As the jatha entered the gurdwara, all the gates were closed. Around 60 Sikhs were killed in the main hall. 25 bodied were found in a single room. A 12-year-old survived the attack after he managed to hide under the palanquin on which Guru Granth Sahib was installed.
Many got bullet shots. Some injured Sikhs were even burnt alive in boiling water during the attack. Others were chased down to a railways track nearby and killed there. Total number of causalities stood between 150 to 200.
SGPC joining non-cooperation movement angered British
The Biritsh government was not amused with the decision of SGPC leadership to be part of a political movement. Sikh leaders Kartar Singh Jhabbar, Teja Singh Bhuchar, Tara Singh Thethar, Bhai Lakha singh and others were arrested from Nankana Sahib for allegedly taking illegal control of gurdwaras on March 15, 1921.
In May 1921, SGPC asked Sikhs to wear black clothes and turbans as protest against British government. At Nankana Sahib, two big utensils were kept which were used to colour the turbans black. Arrested Sikh leaders were released after five months.
The court found Mahant and his men guilty in just six months and main accused were sentenced to death. Later, death sentence was commuted to life term. Mahant was released from jail in 1930.
However, Nankana Sahib Gurdwara agitation was just a big leap in Gurdwara Reform movement followed by Guru Ka Bagh Morcha and other agitations till Sikh Gurdwara Act came into existence in 1925.