Sardar Kartar Singh Virk Of Jhabbar (1874-1962) led the Akali movement of Sikhs and Gurdwara reform.The birth year of SardarKartar Singh in 1874 village Jhabbar , district Gujranwala Sandal Bar area was born in the house of father Sardar Teja Singh Virk, his family Virk Jat was a famous Zamindar family. His grandfather Sardar Mangal Singh Virk was in the service of Maharaja Ranjit Singh of Lahore.He received religious education (1906–09) at the KhalsaUpdeshakMahavidyalaya, a training institution for Sikh preachers at Garjakh.

In 1909, Kartar Singh became a preacher and later joined the Singh Sabha Movement. In 1919, he was arrested for anti-Government protests following the JallianwalaBagh massacre. He was awarded a sentence in the Andaman jail, but was later released after the announcement of the royal clemency.

In the 1920s, Kartar Singh led the Gurdwara Reform Movement, which aimed at transferring the control of Sikh gurdwaras from traditional clergy (Udasimahants) and Government-appointed managers to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). In 1920, a jatha (volunteer group) led by him seized the control of the Babe di Bergurdwara in Sialkot.He also played an important role in the SGPC’s takeover of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), the holiest shrine of the Sikhs. He further helped the Akalis seize the control of Gurdwara Panja Sahib (Hasan Abdal, November 1920), Gurdwara Sacha Sauda (Chuhar Kana, December 1920), Gurdwara Sri Tarn Taran Sahib (January 1921) and Gurdwara Guru kaBagh (near Amritsar, January 1921).

In 1921, Kartar Singh was arrested for protesting against the Nankana massacre, and again in 1924 for taking part in various Akali movement demonstrations. He was released in December 1928, because of poor health. He and his associates were involved in securing for SGPC the possession of properties attached to various gurdwaras, in accordance with the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925.

After the partition of India in 1947, Kartar Singh migrated to Habri village of Karnal district (in present day Kaithal district of Haryana). He was engaged in resettlement of refugees, and died in Habri, in 1962.

Reference:-

  • Sarabjit Pandher (2006). “Legendary Leaders”. Frontline. Kasturi & Sons. 23 (26): 392.
  • Kartar Singh Jhabbar”. Journal of Sikh Studies. Guru Nanak Dev University. 27 (1): 104. 2003.
  • S. S. Shashi, ed. (1996). Encyclopaedia Indica: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. Anmol Publications. p. 241. ISBN 978-81-7041-859-7.
  • Sher Singh Sher (1982). Glimpses of Sikhism and Sikhs. Metropolitan

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