Personalities
field hockey defender and midfielder Baljit Singh Saini
Baljit ("Baljeet") Singh Saini (born August 12, 1976 in Ropar, Punjab) is a field hockey defender and midfielder from India who made his international debut for the Men's National Team in 1995 during the Indira Gandhi Gold Cup. Baljit Singh Saini represented his native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, where India finished in eighth place. His older brother Balwinder Singh was also a field hockey international for India.
Baljit has won many awards. In June 2008 he vistied the USA again, while participating in tournaments. He participated in many tournaments throughout the USA, visiting many different states and cities during his triumphut run.
History Nanua Bhagat (Nanua Bairagi)
Nanua Bairagi
Nanua Bairagi , also known as Nanua Bhagat and Jamala Singh, was a renowned mystic, humanitarian and Sikh warrior of Punjab. He belonged to Saini community of Punjab.
Nanua as a humanitarian and spiritual mentor of Bhai Kanhaiya
Nanua was also the spiritual mentor of Bhai Kanhaiya, who in turn started "Seva Panthi " mission
Nanua as a poet-mystic
As a Darbari Kavi, or court poet, of Sikh gurus, his poetry left an imprint on the poetry style of Bulhe Shah. One of his famous hymns is given as follows :
I am Naught, O Lord, Thou art All!
I have seen all cloth, each shred,
To find all textures the self-same cotton.
Rama's light of love falls over all:
Fear not then dreadful Kala.
Rama runs through every nerve,
And Sohang, Sohang cry the pores!
I am naught, O Lord, Thou art All!
Sohang is apabransha of Upnishadic Soham (Sanskrit) which means "I am He". This is also termed as mahavakya in Upnishads and represents final union or gnosis of soul with Brahman, or the over-soul.
It is thus clear that Nanua's poetry synthesized both Vedantic and Sufi monisms into distinctly Sikh devotional practice, informed by direct discipleship and service of Sikh masters. His poetry also finds place in Sri Dasam Granth, which speaks volumes about his stature as a poet and his place among the preeminent Sikh mysitcs whose place in Sikhism is second only to ten Sikh Gurus.
Nanua as a close associate of Sikh gurus
Bhagat Nanua was a reputed Saini of the 17th century and Guru Tegh Bahadur is said to have had a great regard for him. Throughout his life he rendered his valuable services to Sikh Guru. He enjoyed the privilege of having close relationship with 8th , 9th & 10th Sikh Gurus . At the time of 8th Guru's death in Delhi, he arranged the cremation & later carried Guru ji's bone urn to Kiratpur Sahib. From there, along with Guru's family members he reached Baba Bakala as indicated by the 8th guru. After the cremation ceremony of 9th guru, he remained in the company of his master on various teaching missions. At the time of the last voyage of Guru Tej Bahadur ji to Delhi, he accompanied the convoy. After the martydom of the Guru & Sikhs, he arranged their cremation. He along with Bhai Jaita and Bhai Uda had found and carried Guru Tegh Bahadur's severed head to Anandpur Sahib.
Nanua as a baptized Sikh, warrior and martyr
As a baptised Sikh of 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, he was named Jamala Singh Nanuan. As a great warrior, his service was equal to his contemporaries, Bhai Bachittar Singh Minhas, Bhai Jaita and Bhai Sangat Singh Minhas, Mai Bhago.
He sacrificed his life in the Battle of Chamkaur Sahib. His son, Darbar Singh laid down his life in the battle of Agampur and another son Gharbara Singh was killed in the battle of Muktsar. His great grandson Kavi Jai Singh Saini had the privilege of being 'Darbari Kavi' at the court of Maharaja Karam Singh of Patiala.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sculpture Nek Chand
Nek Chand Saini is an Indian self-taught artist. He is famous for building the Rock Garden of chandigarh. Chandigarh, India, is an unlikely location for the world’s largest folk-art environment. Chandigarh, a stark 20th-century utopian dream city, was designed by the Swiss architect Le Corbusier. In the midst of this carefully planned, 1950s-style architecture lies The Rock Garden. The Rock Garden is a 40-acre garden comprising of meandering paths, courtyards, waterfalls, pavilions, theatres, plazas and thousands of sculptures created by self-tutored builder named Nek Chand Saini (b.1924). In the past few years, completing this monumental endeavour and guaranteeing its preservation has become an international effort involving many individuals and organizations
History Shaheed Bibi Sharan kaur Pabla
Shaheed Bibi Sharan Kaur Pabla
Sharan Kaur Pabla was a Sikh martyr who was slain in 1705 by Mughal soldiers while cremating the bodies two older sons of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh Guru, after the battle of Chamkaur. She was from the village Raipur Rani which is 2 KM from the famous town of Chamkaur.
Historical Background:
Guru Gobind Singh Escapes Chamkaur Fort
Guru Gobind Singh escaped the fort of Chamkaur on the night of December 22, 1705. According to a local legend, he briefly stopped at Raipur on his way to Machhiwara. Here he asked a lady by the name of Bibi Sharan Kaur Pabla to perform the last rites of the martyred Sikhs, which included two of Guru Gobind Singh's own sons , Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh .
Bibi Sharan Kaur Goes to Battlefield
Cremates the Sahibzadas and her Husband along with other Martyrs of Chamkaur
As the story goes, Bibi Sharan Kaur Pabla performed the last rites of the thrity two martyrs of Chamkaur including two elder Sahibzadas and her husband Bhai Pritam Singh Pabla.
Martyrdom of Bibi Sharan Kaur
According to one account, Bibi Sharan Kaur Pabla was so grief stricken that she herself jumped in the funeral pyre and ended her life.
According to another view she did not self-immolate but was slain by Moghul soldiers and thrown in the funeral pyre of Sahibzadas, when she and her other accomplices from Raipur, were caught cremating the bodies of Sahibzadas.
Jauhar style Self-Immolation
A third account says that she did indeed jump into funeral pyre in a Jauhar style self-immolation. Her own husband Bhai Pritam Singh Pabla, who was one of Guru Gobind Singh's warriors, was with the 10th Guru inside the Chamkaur fort resisting the Moghul attack. She had also discovered him among the dead.
She tried to cremate all the martyrs in a single funeral pyre. As soon as the funeral pyre was lit she was discovered by Moghul and Ranghar soldiers who wanted the bodies of the soldiers - martyrs according to Sikh tradition- to rot in open air in order to terrorise Hindu/Sikh population who refused to apostasize or give out the whereabouts of Guru Gobind Singh.
It is said that realizing that the intentions of the Moghul soldiers were to outrage her modesty , she jumped into the funeral pyre of the martyrs , which included her husband Bhai Pritam Singh Pabla, to save her honour.
Sharan Kaur was a Saini and there are a number of Saini villages around Chamkaur Sahib where the monumental battle between Sikhs and Moghuls took place . Pabla is one of the major clans of Sainis.
Possible Ancestor of Sardar Nanu Singh Saini of Phulkiyan
She is also sometimes linked as a possible ancestor with Sikh nobleman of Phulkiyan, Sardar Nanu Singh Saini, whose family later owned sizeable land in the village Raipur in addition to their other estates in Phulkiyan.
This village also has the funerary shrines or 'smadhs' of the following Sikh martyrs:
• Shaheed Jathedar Naunihal Singh
• Shaheed Mastan Singh
• Shaheed Santokh Singh
• Shaheed Malkiat Singh
Special thanks to www.sainionline.com for there great research
History Shaheed Mohinder Singh Saini, Babbar Akali
Mohinder Singh Saini (1904-1923) was a well-known militant and freedom fighter of Punjab. He hailed from the village Pandori Ganga Singh of district Hoshiarpur and was thus sometimes also called Mohinder Singh Pandori Ganga Singh.
He was martyred on September 1, 1923 in the famous Babeli Police Encounter.
Background: Joins and Quits Army
Mohinder Singh Saini was son of Sh. Labh Singh Saini and was born in 1904 in Pandor Ganga Singh, which is village famous for producing a number of distinguished freedom fighters. Like a typical Saini youth of his time he took up army career at a very young age but quickly developed deep hatred for British Imperialism. He quit the army and became actively involved in sedition.
Becomes a Babar Akali
Mohinder Singh Saini began his nationalistic work by first engaging in social service in his village where he first founded Pannchayat and Congress Committe. He was elected as Secretary of Congress and Jathedar of Akali Dal for Pandori Ganga Singh,
Later Jathedar Karam Singh of Daulatpur, who was aware of his patriotic views, persuaded him to join Babar Akalis. Mohinder Singh Saini used to distribute the copies of Babar Akali Doaba around his village.
Babbar Akali Influence on Shaheed Bhagat Singh
It is to be noted that Babar Akali Movement is not to be confused with parochial identity based politics which the Akali Dal of post 1947 Punjab got related with in public mind. Babar Akalis, although drawing inspiration from the altruistic Sikh traditions of public service and martyrdom, were completely secular in their outlook and had a pan-Indian vision of independence and national unity.
We find a very favorable view of Babar Akalis in the writings of Shaheed Bhagat Singh and it would seem that this movement and the examples of martyred Babar Akalis like Mohinder Singh Saini , Karam Singh Daulatpur etc had considerable influence on his own seditious activities. Shaheed Bhagat Singh's ancestral village, Khattar Kalan , falls in the same neck of woods as Pandori Ganga Singh in rural Hoshiarpur, which was the hotbed of insurrection in colonial era.
A Traitor Betrays the Babbars
Mohinder Singh Saini , along with three more Babar Akalis, namely, Karam Singh Daulatpur, Ude Singh and Bishan Singh Mangat , was being searched for arrest by colonial police. They had taken shelter near Gurudwara Chuanta Sahib in the village Babeli which then fell in Phagwara tehsil of Kapurthala state.
On September 1 , 1923 they were betrayed by one Anup Singh who had become a police informer. Prior to the fateful day Anup Singh was to accompany four of them from village Domeli to village Babali. On the way Anup Singh kept imploring the other four to let him go to see his ailing aunt. He was allowed to go and instructed to come back soon to join his comrades.
Little did the Babbar know that Anup Singh had already turned traitor due to the efforts of his uncle Bhog Singh who liked to curry favvor with the authorities.
The four Babbars waited in vain for Anup Singh's return and reached Babeli without him. Anup Singh , meanwhile, had sent a message for his uncle Bhog Singh with whereabouts of the Babbars.
The four Babbars instead of going to the house of one Mehar Singh where they usually stayed instead took shelter in the house of one Shiv Singh. When Anup Singh arrived in the Babeli he went to the house of Mehar Singh. On learning that Anup Singh was in Babeli now the Babbars sent him messages to join them , the but traitor did not respond and spent the night in rendering the weapons of the Babbars useless which were hidden in Mehar Singh's house.
Babeli Police Encounter
On September 1, 1923 a large contingent of mounted police , under the command of Suprindent of Police , Smith, came from Jalandhar and laid a siege on Babeli. Babbar were given the ultimatum to surrender. All of four Babbars audaciously refused the demand for surrender whole Anup Singh came out from Mehar Singh's house with his hands raised as per the script. He was taken into protective custody.
Babbars meanwhile found out that their weapons had been rendered useless by the traitor but this did not deter them. They unsheathed their swords and came out in open challenging the police. There were arguments between them and the police which went on for some time. The police did not dare to come near them.
Finally, Smith called in his firing squad and ordered them to rain bullets on the Babbars. After a violent scuffle in which a number of policemen were wounded , all the four Babbars jumped in the stream nearby instead of surrendering. Following of them were martyred midstream:
• Mohinder Singh Saini
• Karam Singh Daulatpur
• Ude Singh
Bishen Singh Mangat managed to reach the other side but was finally shot down. All of the Babars fought tooth and nail and their martyrdom inspired many other local youth to emulate their example.
Babars took care of the Anup Singh in 1936 when he was liquidated but not before the traitor had got many of his compatriots arrested or killed in encounters.
Some Other Freedom Fighters from Pandori Ganga Singh
1. Gonda Singh Saini (Babbar Akali, imprisoned and tortured)
2. Harnam Singh Saini s/o Sunder Singh (National Movement, imprisoned for 1.5 years)
3. Harnam Singh Saini s/o Rajmal (imprisoned for 2 years, INA veteran)
4. Hazara Singh Saini (Civil Disobedience, Babar Akali, imprisoned for 6 years)
5. Inder Singh Saini (Babar Akali, imprisoned for 7 years)
6. Kartar Singh Saini (Babar Akali, sentence not known)
References
• Punjab Peasant in Freedom Struggle, Volume 2, Master Hari Singh, People's Publishing House, New Delhi
• Flame of Freedom and Hoshiarpur District, O. P. Ralhan, Research India Publications, 1992
• History of the Babar Akalis, pp 494, 606, Bakhshish Singh Nijjar, Published by ABS Publications, 1987
• Who's who: Punjab freedom fighters, Volume 2, Fauja Singh, Chaman Lal Datta, Bakhshish Singh, Punjabi University. Dept. of Punjab Historical Studies
• Agrarian Scene in British Punjab, pp 71, By Hari Singh, Published by People's Pub. House, 1983
Special Thanks to www.sainionline.com. For there researsh.