Amrik Singh | |
|---|---|
 Bhai Amrik Singh (left) with Harbhajan Singh Khalsa and Baba Nihal Singh, 1980 | |
| President of AISSF | |
| Preceded by | Hari Singh[1] |
| Succeeded by | Manjit Singh[2] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1948 |
| Died | June 6, 1984. Amritsar, India |
| Spouse(s) | Bibi Harmeet Kaur |
| Children | Satwant Kaur, Paramjit Kaur, and Tarlochan Singh |
| Parent(s) |
|
Amrik Singh (1948 – June 6, 1984) was the President of the All India Sikh Students Federation, killed in the army operation in Golden Temple, Amritsar, on June 6, 1984.[3]
Amrik Singh was the son of Giani Kartar Singh Bhindranwale, the 13th leader of the Damdami Taksal.[4] He was well versed in Gurbani and Sikh literature, and devoted much of his life to Sikh progressive activities. He had passed his Masters in Punjabi from Khalsa College in Amritsar after which he began research work on his Ph.D. thesis.
Amrik Singh was a prominent leader of the orthodox Sikh faction along with Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. He contested the 1979 Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) election, backed by Bhindranwale, but lost to Jiwan Singh Umranangal.[5]
On 26 April 1982, he led a campaign to get Amritsar the status of a "holy city". During the agitation, he was arrested on 19 July 1982 along with other members of the Damdami Taksal. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale began the Dharam Yudh Morcha to implement the Anandpur Resolution which primarily requested more autonomy for the Punjabi's, arguing that they were being oppressed and treated unfairly by the Indian government. As part of the Morcha, he also demanded freedom for Amrik Singh[6] and other prominent Sikhs.
Biography
Amrik Singh was born in 1948 as the son of Giani Kartar Singh Bhindranwale, the 13th leader of the Damdami Taksal.[7] Manjit Singh was his younger brother.[8] Amrik Singh studied at Khalsa College[9] and received his MA and was on his way to completing his PhD before pursuing promotion of Sikh teachings.
Arrest
On July 19, 1982 Amrik Singh was arrested for vehemently pleading the case of the arrested workers causing offense and attention to Chenna Reddy,[10] the Governor of Punjab, as well as a possible connection in the attack on Joginder Singh Sandhu, a senior Nirankari leader.[11][12]
Sant Jarnail Singh started a morcha (agitation) on July 19, 1982 for the immediate release of Bhai Amrik Singh and had popular support throughout Punjab, including support from Akali Dal, Darbara Singh, and the farmers of Majha's country side.[13] Harcharan Longowal, leader of the Akali Dal than announced that his morcha would also be for the release of Amrik Singh and the 45 original demands presented to Indira Gandhi. Upon news of Akali Dal's new morcha for the release of Bhai Amrik Singh Jarnail Singh agreed to discontinue his agitation and join the Akali Dal's planned Dharm Yudh Morcha which began on August 4, 1982.
Amrik Singh was released in the summer of 1983 and subsequently honoured at the Akal Takht with flowered garland saropas (robes of honour).[14]
References
- ↑ Singh, Gurrattanpal (1979). The Illustrated History of the Sikhs, 1947-78: Containing Chapters on PEPSU, AISSF, Evolution of the Demand for Sikh Homeland, and the Princess Bamba Collection. Chandigargh. p. 65.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ↑ Chima, Jugdep (August 1, 2008). The Sikh Separatist Insurgency in India: Political Leadership and Ethnonationalist Movements. New Delhi: SAGE Publications India. p. 132. ISBN 9788132105381.
- ↑ Khanna, Hans (1987). Terrorism in Punjab: Cause and Cure. Chandigarh: Panchnad Research Institute.
- ↑ Akbar, M. J. (January 1, 1996). India: The Siege Within : Challenges to a Nation's Unity. UBSPD. p. 183. ISBN 9788174760760.
- ↑ "Akali leader Umranangal passes away". The Tribune. Chandigarh. 1998-11-08. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
- ↑ Crenshaw, Martha (November 1, 2010). Terrorism in Context. Penn State Press. p. 383. ISBN 9780271044422.
- ↑ Akbar, M. J. (January 1, 1996). India: The Siege Within : Challenges to a Nation's Unity. UBSPD. p. 183. ISBN 9788174760760.
- ↑ Chima, Jugdep (August 1, 2008). The Sikh Separatist Insurgency in India: Political Leadership and Ethnonationalist Movements. New Delhi: SAGE Publications India. p. 132. ISBN 9788132105381.
- ↑ Kumar, Ram (April 1, 1997). The Sikh unrest and the Indian state: politics, personalities, and historical retrospective. Ajanta. p. 22. ISBN 9788120204539.
- ↑ Grewal, J. S. (October 8, 1998). The Sikhs of the Punjab, II.2 (Revised ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 222. ISBN 9780521637640.
- ↑ Kaur, Harminder (January 1, 1990). Blue Star Over Amritsar. Ajanta Publications. p. 69.
- ↑ Sharda, Jain (1995). Politics of terrorism in India: the case of Punjab. Deep & Deep Publications. p. 166. ISBN 9788171008070.
- ↑ Chima, Jugdep (August 1, 2008). The Sikh Separatist Insurgency in India: Political Leadership and Ethnonationalist Movements. New Delhi: SAGE Publications India. p. 132. ISBN 9788132105381.
- ↑ Rastogi, P. N. (1986). Ethnic Tensions in Indian Society: Explanation, Prediction, Monitoring, and Control. Delhi: Mittal Publications. p. 138.