Jan-March 2006 - Institute of Sikh Studies

86ABSTRACTS OF SIKH STUDIES : JAN-MARCH 2006 / 537-38 NSBHAI LADHA SINGH JI OF FARIDKOTGURCHARAN SINGH *When I am attempting to write impressions about our illustriousgrandfather, Bhai Ladha Singh of Faridkot, my resources are scanty.My parents or others who knew him are no more and there is hardlyany literature where his life was narrated, except a small bookletdistributed at the time of his death, which only gives a very sketchyview of his life. There is a brief reference of his association withAkali Kaur Singh in a biography by Himmat Singh (Guru Nanak DevUniversity). There is a reference in biography of Bhai Takhat SinghZinda Shaheed (famous for setting up Sikh Kanya Mahavidyala atFerozepur) written by Col Dalvinder Singh & published by SikhMissionary College, Ludhiana, regarding association of Bhai LadhaSingh in the parchar cell of the Institution. And introduction to 1stVol of Faridkot Wala Teeka (translation of Guru Granth Sahib) by BhaiBadan Singh jointly with Bhai Ladha Singh also reminds me of him. Ihave to mainly fall back on my own memory and a few wordsexchanged with some of the persons who came in contact with him.There is a portrait of him in colour and some photographs preservedin our family album, which remind us of him. We talk of him atfamily gatherings. There is a gurdwara built by him and now namedafter him situated in our Basti (Manjeet Inderpura, Faridkot). There isour ancestral home left by him as our inheritance, a few hundred booksfrom his personal library which bring back old associations. Otherwisetime has its toll; the present generation with its own struggle forexistential concerns, and changed priorities has no time to rememberhim.Even as a little boy at the time of his death, I cannot forget that* Er (retd), # 142, Phase IV, SAS Nagar, Mohali - 160 059