By Devinder Singh Chahal | Opinion |
I was glad to receive the book Sr. Tarlochan Singh _ A Historic Journey through Honorable Sr. Bajit Singh, a prominent Sikh in Canada. He lives across the river in Montreal, and I live in Laval.
The book’s front cover is very impressive, showing Sr Tarlochan Singh receiving the highest reward, Padam Bhushan, from the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind. The picture on the back cover is of the 10 awardees with the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Home Minister. Sr. Tarlochan Singh is sitting second from the left.
We have some similarities. Sr. Tarlochan Singh was born in 1933 in Dhundial, now in Pakistan, while I was born a year before him in 1932 in Lyallpur (Faisalabad, Pakistan). We both migrated to India when India and Pakistan were declared independent countries. We both passed Matric in 1949, and he passed M. A., and I passed M.Sc. from Punjab University in 1955. He entered politics, and I entered science.
It is impossible to cover his achievements and awards received by him since there are so many. He was a Member of Parliament and chairman of the National Commission for Minorities and Human Rights. Besides, he has been involved in many organizations. He has resolved some Sikh issues because of his influence since he has been working with Presidents and Prime Ministers of India. He was very close to Atal Bihari Bajpayee, Prime Minister of India, and was able to bring together the Akali Party and BJP In 1996. He is the man who introduced the Anand Marriage Act in Parliament; it was passed in 2012.
BOOKS PUBLISHED
Sr Tarlochan Singh has published 12 books on different subjects. The title of each book is photographed on page 26.
There are many fans of Sr. Tarlochan Singh because of his intellectual personality and dedication to the work assigned to him. There are many messages and appreciation from dignitaries from all walks of life.
Messages: General J.J. Singh, Lord Rami Ranger CBE, Dr. P. S. Pasricha, Satgur Udhey Singh, and many more.
Appreciations: Singh Sahib Giani Joginder Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takht; Kuldeep Nayer, a Journalist; Kiran Kiki Kapany d/o Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany, and many more.
RASHTRAPATI BHAWAN UNTOLD STORIES
He was the Press Secretary of Giani Zail Singh, President of India, and was a witness to the unprecedented happening of Blue Star, the Genocides of Sikhs in Delhi, the becoming of Rajiv Gandhi as the Prime Minister of India, and the President and Prime Minister conflict.
Giani Zail Singh, President of India, was on a tour to Yemen when he received the news of the assassination of Indra Gandhi, Prime Minister of India. The journalists, traveling back to India with the President, advised Giani Zail Singh not to appoint Rajiv Gandhi as the Prime Minister of India, but he said to Sr. Tarlochan Singh that he would appoint Rajiv Gandhi as the Prime Minister. On arrival at Delhi, he rushed to the All-India Medical Institute, where Indra Grandhi’s body was kept. On his way, he met many people with mashals (sticks with burning flames). Since there was insufficient security, some people with mashals attacked Sr. Tarlochan Singh’s car. They broke the windows and threw a mashal inside his car. His driver was very clever; he threw the Mashal back at them and drove him home safely.
Soon Rajiv Gandhi was appointed as the Prime Minister of India. Strangely, Sr. Buta Singh, the Minister, was not invited to the oath ceremony. Giani Zail Singh was very much hurt to see the genocides going on in Delhi and other parts of India. He called Rajiv Gandhi, the Prime Minister, many times, but he did not return any calls. Giani Zail Singh, President of India, was not invited to address the condolence at the India Gate Lawns; instead, the Vice President, Sri R. Venkatraman, was invited to address the condolence.
Rajiv Gandhi asked Giani Ji to transfer Inderjit Bindra, Joint Secretary to the Rashtrapati Bhawan, back to Punjab. Inderjit Bindra was a close associate of Giani Ji since the time of the Punjab Government. Rajiv Gandhi also done away the tradition of PM calling on President to brief him after the foreign trips. Giani Ji’s foreign trips were also curtailed.
The journalist Kuldeep Nayar convinced Giani Ji not to sanction the Postal Bill, which was seen as an attempt to curb the freedom of speech. He kept the file pending. If he has sent it back for discussion thereafter, he must approve even if he did not like it. Since file remained pending the Postal Bill ultimately died of its own death.
The disrespect by Rajiv Gandhi against Giani Ji was becoming an open issue. Some Congressmen and media persons approached the President to remove Rajiv Gandhi from the post of Prime Minister. Mr. V. C. Shukla in collaboration with other Congress leaders and BJP Maharani Vijayraje Scindia played a significant role. Asok Sen, former Law Minister, was willing to take an oath of Prime Minister. However, one day Mr. Shukla told Giani Ji that Vice-President, Sri R. Venkataraman, is willing to be sworn in as the Prime Minister. When this news reached Rajiv Gandhi, he immediately appointed Vice-President Sri R. Venkataraman as President two months ahead of due time by ignoring all formalities. Media was publishing news about the conflict between Rajiv Gandhi and Giani Ji every day. Even some news about impeachment of President by some Congress leaders was also on front pages of newspapers. Rashtrapati Bhawan was kept under complete surveillance of the Intelligence Agencies.
VISIT TO AMRITSAR
After Blue Star, Giani Ji went to Amritsar. Sr Tarlochan Singh accompanied him. He was told not to take any press person or photographer with him. After they returned, Prem Bhatia, Editor, The Tribune, Chandigarh, and Sr. Khushwant Singh called Tarlochan Singh to find out about the situation in Amritsar. He told them that there was colossal damage to the Akal Takht, bullet marks on Darbar Sahib, and curfew in the city. Both Prem Bhatia and Khushwant Singh published this news. A day later Indra Gandhi met the president, Giani Zail Singh and played the recoding what Tarlochan Singh told Prem Bhatia and Khushwant Singh. Indra Gandhi blamed Tarlochan Singh for performing anti-national activities that harmed the interest of the country. She wanted strict criminal action and his immediate arrest. Giani Ji was able to persuade Indra Gandhi not to take such severe action. Finally, Tarlochan Singh was sent on leave and was told to stay at his residence.
GENOCIDES OF SIKHS
Sr. Tarlochan Singh said that Indra Gandhi was shot in her home on 31st October at 6:30 AM. There was no report of any protest in the city or elsewhere. Mohinder Singh Sathi, Mayor of Delhi, told Giani Ji that Arun Nehru called a meeting of Congress leaders and directed them to launch an anti-Sikh tirade to prove that there was so much resentment in the public on the death of Indra Gandhi. He further narrated the involvement of the Haryana Government and Delhi Police. Giani Ji was stunned to note that Sathi was hooted upon as Mayor of Delhi in the official rely on India Gate.
The Section on His Profile Action is full of letters from dignitaries from all walks of life, receiving awards and honors from various Sikhs Institutes in India and foreign countries.
KHUSHWANT SINGH REPORTS IN HINDUSTAN TIMES
In 1978 India Government decided to set up the National Commission of Minorities (NCM) under Minoo Masani (a Parsi), comprising a Muslim, a Christian and a Sikh. Thereafter, mostly it was Muslim Chairmen of NCM because of majority of Muslims who were being targeted by anti-Muslim gondas. Although they were retired Chief Justices, Judges, and Governors, they were unable to do any favor to Muslim for being branded communalists. For the first time, a Sikh Tarlochan Singh, hitherto Vice-Chairman looking after his own community’s interest, has been made Chairman of NCM.
During student life, Tarlochan Singh was very active in politics. He prevented Jawahar Lal Nehru from speaking in a Gurdwara. He was imprisoned in jail many times. Later he joined the government service. He served under the Punjab Chief Minister. He was Director of Publicity of Asian Games, Managing Director, and Chairman of Tourism of Delhi State. For four years, he has been Press Secretary of President, Giani Zail Singh. If there was one person who saved Giani Ji from being ostracized by the Sikh community by being Tankhaiya by the Jethadar, it was Sr. Tarlochan Singh.
Rest of the book is full his photographs various dignitaries of India and foreign countries. A separate section deals with his family.
The Historic Journey of Sr Tarlochan Singh is worth remembering by the Sikh Community.
Devinder Singh Chahal, PhD, a retired Professor of Microbiology, is the president of the Canada-based Institute for Understanding Sikhism. Relying on his long life as a Sikh, his training as a scientist and his love of the Guru, Prof Chahal has dedicated an enormous amount of energy trying to reform Sikhi by demonstrating the incorrect interpretations of the Aad Granth. Click here for his work. His most recent book is NANAK and His Philosophy.
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