Sunder Singh Lyallpuri

Sunder Singh Lyallpuri ( pa, ਸੁੰਦਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਲਾਇਲਪੁਰੀ; 1878 - 3 March 1969) was a leading Sikh member of the Indian independence movement, a general of the Akali Movement, an educationist, and journalist. Lyallpuri played a key role in the development of the Shiromani Akali Dal, and in the Gurdwara Reform Movement of the early 1920s and also founding member of Central Sikh League.

Family history and early life

Sunder Singh was born in 1878 into a Kamboj farmers' family of village Bohoru in Amritsar. His father's name was Lakhmir Singh Sandha and mother's was Ram Kaur. During colonisation of Bars, Sandha family along with many others moved to Sheikhupura District (now in Pakistan) where they were allotted lands in the new Bar Chenab colony currently known as Faisalabad. In memoriam of their ancestral village in Amritsar, the colonists named their new settlement in Sheikhupura also as Bohoru (Chak No 18 Bohoru). Sunder Singh was married in 1901 to Bibi Sant Kaur, daughter of S. Mangal Singh of Nizampur.

Education and early activities

Sunder Singh Lyallpuri had received his basic education in Shahkot (Pakistan) and then obtained B.A. (Honours) from Khalsa College Amritsar and B.T. from Government College Lahore. Lyallpuri was invited for personal interview for the position of tehsildar (''revenue officer'') but he sat in chair in front of Commissioner without his permission. This caused a verbal scuffle between him and the English officer so that he was sent back without being interviewed. On pressure from his relatives, he later took a position in Indian postal services but here too he was entangled with his English boss. The senior officer called him into his office for inquiry and did not offer him a chair to sit on which again hurt the pride of Sunder Singh. Lyallpuri concluded that his self-respect would not allow him to serve the British Indian government.

Khalsa Youngman Association

Chenab colony of Lyallpur was a new colonial settlement and so was Lyallpur itself. Sunder Singh made Lyallpur his land of action and henceforth was nicknamed as Lyallpuri. It was a time when the Hindu Arya Samaj movement was ruling supreme in Punjab and the Sikh masses were coming to its fold in large numbers. To counter this phenomenon, Sunder Singh Lyallpuri started educating the Sikh masses about Sikhism and its history. In association with S. Harchand Singh Ryees and some other well-wishers, Lyallpuri founded the ''Khalsa Bhujangi Sabha'' (Khalsa Youngman Association), the members of which played a leading role in the Sikh affairs and for the country as a whole. It was this association which had started the Gurdwara Rikabganj Morcha which was later supported by broad Sikh community and won the victory for the Akalis.

Sacha Dhandora and Anand Marriage Act

At that time, there was extreme illiteracy and ignorance in the Sikh community. Lyallpuri realised the urgent need to awaken and educate the community. He therefore started a weekly newspaper ''Sacha Dhandora'' and started publishing patriotic songs and Sikh-ideology related nationalistic articles. In those days, Tika Sahib (Wali Ahid) Ripudaman Singh of erstwhile Nabha State was making outstanding contributions towards Sikhism and his views on Sikhism were routinely published in Sacha Dhandora. This had brought Master Lyallpuri and Tika Sahib together. Tika Sahib was also a member of the Imperial Council from 1906 to 1908. Together they worked on the draft for '' Anand Marriage Act'' which was later submitted to the Special Committee for review. Since Tika Sahib ceased to be member of the Council after 1908, and in the meanwhile, Sardar Sunder Singh Majithia had become a member of the Imperial Council in his place, therefore, Majithia continued to pursue the matter and the Bill got finally enacted on 22 October 1909. The Sikh marriage called ''Anand Karaj'' was introduced from the time of the Sikh Gurus but it got statutory recognition only after the passage of the ''Anand Marriage Act 1909''. According to the centrally approved Sikh Code (''Sikh Reht Maryada''), persons not professing the Sikh faith cannot be joined in wedlock by the Anand Karaj ceremony.

Morcha for Rakabganj Wall

Along with S Harchand Singh, Teja Singh Samundri, S. Sardul Singh and master Mota Singh, Master Lyallpuri played a crucial role in the Rakabganj Gurudwara Morcha through ''The Akali'' (''Punjabi Daily'') and compelled the Government to yield. The write-ups in ''The Akali'' published by Lyallpuri played a very important and effective role in electrifying the Sikh community and rousing it into action for Gurdwara Rakabganj Morcha.

Educationist

Sardar Harchand Singh was a good friend of Lyallpuri. Both realised the need for education among the Sikh community. So they opened first primary school in the building of ''Singh Sabha Lyallpura'' which soon was converted to Lyallpur High School. This noble action also brought several important people like Teja Singh Samundri, Master Tara Singh, S. Harchand Singh, Master Sunder Singh and Prof Niranjan Singh and Jathedar Buta Singh together who had played important roles in Sikh history. Slowly, the High School became the well-known Lyallpur Khalsa College. Other schools founded by Master Lyallpuri or which he helped in founding were: High School Chak No 41 Jhang Branch Khalsa High School Sangla Hill Sheikhupura, Khalsa High School Nwana Pind (Sheikhupura), Khalsa High School Kutia Baba Chetan Das (Sheikhupura), Khalsa High School Jai Chak (Sheikhupura), Kaumi High Schoolh Jhelum, Kaumi College Jhelum etc. Sir Sikander Hyat, the Prime Minister of undivided Punjab, Giani Kartar Singh, Mangal Singh Gill, Gopal Singh Kaumi, Sir Joginder Singh, Qazi Abdul Rehman etc., are some of the well known students of Master Lyallpuri. Some of the Kamboj and other Singhs who fell as martyrs in Saka Nankana had been students of Lyallpuri.

In several of the schools he had founded and served, he offered his services free in exchange for only two meals and a pair of personal clothes.

Martial Law 1919

In view of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 13 April 1919, almost entire Punjab was placed under martial law including Lyallpur. There were no untoward incidents except destruction of telephone and telegraph wires near Lyallpur Railway Station. But a huge mass of dry husk near the station caught fire and as a result 2-3 people burnt alive. It was a coincidence that Lyallpuri was on the station at the moment. Early morning on 22 April, English police fully loaded with machine-guns laid siege to Lyallpur and arrested 12 people including Lyallpuri.

Lyallpuri was tried for charges of arson, violence and murder. The charge was not proved, but still Lyallpuri was sentenced to death by hanging. Lyallpuri's case was taken up by famous lawyers like Pt. Moti Lal Nehru, C. R. Das and Pt. Madan Mohan Malviya. Later, under special Government proclamation, the death sentence was commuted to fine and imprisonment. But the nationalist lawyers like Malayia continued to pursue the case and finally the sentence was reduced to a fine of Rs 1200 and imprisonment of 1.5 years, for which he was deported to Cellular Jail, Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The fine was paid by Lyallpuri's father by mortgaging/selling his land.

Founder of ''The Akali'' Daily

After release from jail, Lyallpuri held a meeting of his friends which included Sardar S. Harchand Singh, S. Sardul Singh Kaveeshar, Giani Hira Singh Darad, S. Mangal Singh Gill (Tehsildar), S. Pratap Singh Gujjaranwala and S. Teja Singh Samundri in the house of S. Sardul Singh Kaveeshar. Based on the decision of the meeting, Master Lyallpuri founded a Punjabi daily which was named ''The Akali'' after ''Baba Akali Phula Singh''. ''The Akali'' daily was meant to protect the rights of Sikhs and provide a political voice for their interests. The first issue of ''The Akali'' appeared on 21 May 1920 with Lyallpuri as its Owner, Manager, Publisher and Chief Editor. He was assisted by Giani Hira Singh Darad and S Mangal Singh Gill etc. It was the first Punjabi daily to be published and in its very first issue, it had outlined in its editorial note its programme advocating: (1) ''Panthic control over the Gurdwaras; (2) Panthic control of Khalsa College, Amritsar; (3) repairing the demolished wall of Gurudwara Rakabganj, Delhi; (4) creation of religious and political awakening among the Sikh masses and to line them up for more effective roles in India's struggle of independence; and (5) creation of a Sikh organisation and choosing its members democratically through elections based on Panchayat rules''. The writings in ''The Akali'' were so effective and bold compared to the Urdu