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Panth will forever remember S.
Gian Singh Punia’s contribution
He was close
to Sant Bhindranwale, suffered but never waivered from Sikh struggle
WSN Network
 SAN FRANCISCO:
Well known leader of the Sikh struggle, Jathedar Gian Singh Punia,
is no more. he passed away at his residence in village Punia in
Machhiwara of Ludhiana district on November 13. He was 72.
Born in 1937 to
Mata Dhan Kaur and father Jeeva Singh, Jathedar Punia went to
Kalgidhar Khalsa School, Ghulal, dabbled a lot in kabaddi and later
joined his father in the traditional vocation of agriculture before
shifting to
Calcutta
where he joined transport business.
He proved to be
a successful businessman and shifted to Mumbai where he remained
president of Gurdwara Sahib Dadar, Gurdwar Sahib Chemboor and many
other social organizations too.
In 1976, when
Maharashtra reeled under a severe famine, Jathedar Punia pushed all
his trucks and resources in serving the people. The Maharashtra
Government was so impressed with his zeal to serve the common people
that it honored him with the award of Executive Magistrate.
Around this
time, he got in touch with the Damdami Taksal and became a disciple
of Sant Jarnail Singh ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. In 1978 when
Nirankaris martyred 13 Sikhs in most brutal fashion, Sant
Bhindranwale demanded that the Badal government should act against
those who have killed innocent Sikhs. Instead, the regime helped the
Nirankaris. Sant Bhindranwale then began a massive struggle against
the Nirankari enemy of the Sikhs. Bhai Gian Singh Punia played his
role in that struggle.
When Sant
Bhindranwale went to Bombay’s Gurdwara Dadar Sahib for Gurmat
Parchar, the then government acted in most suspicious manner and
some 15,000 policemen surrounded the Sant but Bhai Gian Singh Punia
managed to extricate Sant Bhindranwale from such a siege and in a
time span of 22 hours got him to Amritsar in his car.
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Bhog in Village
Punia, also at Stockton
Bhog of Sri
Akhand Path Sahib is being organized in his village Punia on
November 25 near Samrala-Machhiwara road in district Ludhiana.
Also, in the land of the Gadri babas, at Gurdwara
Stockton,
California,
a gathering has been convened ion December 6, Sunday, to pray for
his eternal peace and express the panth’s gratefulness towards such
a soul.
Those desirous
of conveying their condolences may contact his daughter, Bibi Daljit
Kaur, wife of Bhai Harminder Singh Samana, in California
at 209.481.7750.
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In 1984, when
Indira Gandhi’s government carried out Operation Bluestar and
Operation Woodrose and created mayhem in Sri Harimandir Sahib and in
38 other gurdwaras and demolished Sri Akal Takht, S. Simranjit Singh
Mann resigned from the service of the government in protest.
The regime
immediately issued warrants against him. S. Mann went immediately to
S. Punia in Calcutta. Later, when S. Punia saw how the Congress
regime of Rajiv Gandhi presided over the killings and burning of
Sikhs in Delhi and elsewhere, it proved to be the last straw. From
that moment on, S. Punia became an integrated part of the ongoing
Sikh struggle.
No wonder the
government unleashed its inhuman aspect and confiscated all trucks
and bulldozers and other machinery and assets of S. Punia besides a
28 acre piece of land in Aurangabad. His brothers, their wives and
children were also victimized. It is now well known that when the
Punjab Governor Varinder Verma issued the statement that no women
will be hauled to police thanas, the sister-in-law (brother’s wife)
of S. Punia was being tortured in Landa Kothi in Sangrur. The news
was finally published in the Tribune, thanks to the bravery of Major
Singh Matran who was a witness to that torture.
His brother,
Maan Singh’s legs were broken by Khanna’s CIA staff merely because
he had dared to attend the Anand Karaj ceremony of Gian Singh
Punia’s daughter. His nephew Ranjit Singh, all of 13-14 years of
age, was also made to pay and was kept in jails for many years and
underwent torture.
S. Punia’s wife
Sardarni Gurdev Kaur was also kept in illegal confinement by the
Jalandhar Police for three months. She was frequently tortured; not
allowed to sleep and made to undergo much inhuman treatment. Jagpal
Singh spent many years in jail and suffered torture simply because
he was S. Punia’s brother. His other brother Avtar Singh became a
victim of the CIA staff, Karnal.
Sikh Nation will
forever be grateful to S. Punia for the kind of role he played in
the Sikh struggle, the unwavering faith in the face of extreme
hurdles and the sacrifice made by him and his entire family. When
lions will start writing the stories of the hunt, men like S. Punia
will be seen as much braver than the hunters.
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Sikh Youth of
America condoles Jathedar Punia’s death
FREMONT: Sikh
Youth of America has reached out to well known leader Bhai Harminder
Singh Samana who was bereaved by the death of S. Gian Singh Punia.
S. Harminder Singh is son-in-law of S. Punia.
SYA president
Gurinder Singh Maana, Dr Ranjit Singh, Kulwant Singh Khehra, Gurmel
Singh Dhesi and Manjit Singh Brar hailed the contribution of S.
Punia and said the good fortune to work so closely with Sant
Bhindranwale befell only very few people and S. Punia was among
them. Later on also, he kept playing a role in the Sikh struggle.
On behalf of the
Amritsar Times Media Group, publishers of the World Sikh News and
Amritsar Times newspapers and websites, S. Jasjeet Singh said S.
Punia’s life will always be a source of inspiration and beacon for
those determined to carry forward the struggle of the righteous and
for the coming generations.
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25
November 2009
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