Rich tributes paid to Satguru Ram Singh
From Vimal Sumbly
Tribune News Service

RAYIANA (LUDHIANA), Jan 29 — Glowing tributes were paid to Satguru Ram Singh, the founder of the Kuka movement, on his 186th birth anniversary here today.

A simple but impressive function was organised here in his native village, which was attended by hundreds of people belonging to different sects and ideologies.

The state government had declared Satguru Ram Singh’s birth anniversary as a holiday today and had organised the function to mark the event. However, the Namdhari sect leader Satguru Jagjit Singh did not attend today’s function since he was said to be in Delhi. The Finance Minister, Capt Kanwaljeet Singh, who was scheduled to preside over the function, also failed to arrive here till late in the afternoon.

The Minister for Information and Public Relations, Mr Natha Singh Dalam, announced that a life-size portrait of Satguru Ram Singh would be installed in the Central Hall of the Punjab Assembly before the beginning of the budget session. He also promised that work on all memorials of Namdhari martyrs would be completed this year.

Mr Dalam said the Union Minister for Railways, Ms Mamata Banerjee, had conceded the plea of the Punjab Government and approved the installation of a life-size portrait of Satguru Ram Singh at Ludhiana Railway Station. He said Satguru Ram Singh’s portrait would always serve as a source of inspiration for the coming generations, reminding them of his great sacrifice for the freedom of the country.

The minister said Satguru Ram Singh was a master organiser and moblised the masses for non-cooperation and boycott of all government institutions. At the same time, he also waged a war against the evil social customs prevailing in the country at that time. The British feared the Namdhari so much that they blew up a number of them through canons at Malerkotla.

He announced that the state government had drawn up a comprehensive plan for the development of Bhaini Sahib, the headquarters of Namdharis and the Raiyan, village the birth place of Satguru Ram Singh. A development board had already been set up for the purpose and a sewerage project costing Rs 40 lakh was being laid out in Bhaini Sahib.

The state government had also set up a Satguru Ram Singh Chair at Guru Nanak Dev University, which would carry out research on philosophy. The state government had approached the Union Human Resource Development Ministry for including the contribution of Namdharis in the freedom struggle in school syllabi.

Mr Surinder Singh, vice-president, Namdhari Darbar, appreciated the efforts of the government in setting up Namdhari memorials.