Teja Singh Akarpuri
Encyclopedia
Teja Singh Akarpuri was born in the Gurdaspur
district of the Punjab
. His father was Pala Singh and mother Partap Kaur. He matriculated from Khalsa Collegiate School, Amritsar
, in 1911, and enlisted in the 24th Sikh Battalion of the Indian Army the following year. Leaving the Army, he became a patvari in the revenue department of the Punjab at the end of 1914. He was promoted ziledar in 1918.
The Nankana Sahib
massacre of February 1921 proved a turning point in the life of Teja Singh. He resigned from government service and joined the Akali agitation. The SGPC appointed him administrator of Gurdwara Premsati at Kamalia, in Montgomery district, now in Pakistan.
In 1921, he was appointed Jathedar
of Akal Takht, Amritsar
.
He was president of Sri Nankana Sahib
management committee from 1935 to 1938.
In the Punjab Assembly elections in January 1937, he contested the Batala
constituency as a nominee of the Shiromani Akali Dal, but lost to Sir Sundar Singh Majithia
, leader of the Khalsa National Party.
He was again elected a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in 1939.
In 1940, he became president of the Shiromani Akali Dal and presided over the first Sarb Hind Akali Conference at Atari
, in Amritsar
district, on 10 February 1940.
Jathedar Teja Singh Akarpuri was a member of the first Lok Sabha
from 1952 to 1957 representing his native district, Gurdaspur
. He died at his ancestral village Akarpura on 20 November 1975.
Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur is a city in the state of Punjab, situated in the northwest part of the Republic of India. It is located in the center of and is the administrative head of Gurdaspur District. It was the location of a fort which was famous for the siege it sustained in 1712 from the Mughals...
district of the Punjab
Punjab (British India)
Punjab was a province of British India, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British rule. With the end of British rule in 1947 the province was split between West Punjab, which went to Pakistan, and East Punjab, which went to India...
. His father was Pala Singh and mother Partap Kaur. He matriculated from Khalsa Collegiate School, Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, in 1911, and enlisted in the 24th Sikh Battalion of the Indian Army the following year. Leaving the Army, he became a patvari in the revenue department of the Punjab at the end of 1914. He was promoted ziledar in 1918.
The Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib , earlier known as Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi, is a city in the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is named after the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev, the central figure in Sikhism who was born here, so it is a city of high historic and religious value and is a popular pilgrimage site...
massacre of February 1921 proved a turning point in the life of Teja Singh. He resigned from government service and joined the Akali agitation. The SGPC appointed him administrator of Gurdwara Premsati at Kamalia, in Montgomery district, now in Pakistan.
In 1921, he was appointed Jathedar
Jathedar
Jathedar means "leader" and refers to a leader of a jatha . Among the Sikhs, a Jathedar is an ordained leader of the clergy and leads a Takht, a sacred and authoritative seat....
of Akal Takht, Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
.
He was president of Sri Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib
Nankana Sahib , earlier known as Rai-Bhoi-Di-Talwandi, is a city in the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is named after the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev, the central figure in Sikhism who was born here, so it is a city of high historic and religious value and is a popular pilgrimage site...
management committee from 1935 to 1938.
In the Punjab Assembly elections in January 1937, he contested the Batala
Batala
Batala is a municipal council in Gurdaspur district in the state of Punjab, India. It is located about 30 km from Gurdaspur, the headquarters of the district....
constituency as a nominee of the Shiromani Akali Dal, but lost to Sir Sundar Singh Majithia
Sundar Singh Majithia
Sardar Bahadur Sir Sundar Singh Majithia CIE was an Indian landowner and politician.He was educated at Aitchison College, Lahore, and the Government College, Lahore...
, leader of the Khalsa National Party.
He was again elected a member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee in 1939.
In 1940, he became president of the Shiromani Akali Dal and presided over the first Sarb Hind Akali Conference at Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
, in Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
district, on 10 February 1940.
Jathedar Teja Singh Akarpuri was a member of the first Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
from 1952 to 1957 representing his native district, Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur
Gurdaspur is a city in the state of Punjab, situated in the northwest part of the Republic of India. It is located in the center of and is the administrative head of Gurdaspur District. It was the location of a fort which was famous for the siege it sustained in 1712 from the Mughals...
. He died at his ancestral village Akarpura on 20 November 1975.