Nankana Massacre: 101 years come 20 February

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Nankana Sahib Massacre (also known as Saka Nankana), a massacre that took place at the Nankana Sahib, February 20, 1921 which was then British India but now Pakistan. The top left corner of the picture is Bhai Dalip Singh (1894-1921), one of the martyred Sikhs. – By Parminder Singh, Punjab (Source: Panjabi Digital Library)

By Bhagwant Singh | Opinion |

In the midst of the pandemic and the grips of the farmers protest in India, the Sikh community missed out and was unable to commemorate one of the most painful and at the same time defining event in both, the history of Sikhs and the independence of India. It may be an opportune time to commemorate this year, with an Ardas at all our gurdwaras at 10:42 am GMT on 20 February 2022 which will be exactly 101 years since the event. This is as it is featured in our Ardas when we recall the Shahids who were martyred in the service of our gurdwaras.

After the fall of the Sikh Raj following the death of Maharajah Ranjit Singh, the British quickly annexed Panjab. The authorities made every effort to ensure that the Sikhs would not organise themselves as that could lead to their expulsion from Panjab and the Indian subcontinent. They kept a watchful eye on all the places of worship and made every effort to prevent the Sikhs from organising themselves. The members of the Sikh royal family including Maharajah Dalip Singh were shipped to the UK to prevent them from being used to galvanise support from the public.

The British Sarkar used the divisions in the community to their advantage. They played one community against the other and cultivated relationships with members of different sects to keep the people in check. One such sect was the Udasis. These Udasis looked after the gurdwaras when the Sikhs had to abandon them and flee from the Moguls in the 1700s. The Udasis stayed on as mahants after the fall of the Mogul Empire. They became the head priests at a large number of gurdwaras including Nankana Sahib and Harmindar Sahib in Amritsar. They professed themselves as Sikh scholars which gave them a lot of sway over Maharajah Ranjit Singh and through him onto the wider community. Some of them became mahants at a number of historic gurdwaras. 

During his reign Maharajah Ranjit Singh generously assigned swathes of land to these gurdwaras. The gurdwaras raised revenue that was used for the upkeep and benefit of the gurdwaras The mahants took charge and used the revenues as they pleased. They began to put their own practices and rules in place including the caste system to the point of preventing lower caste Sikhs from offering parshad at Harmandir Sahib. 

The Jallainwalla Bagh Massacre on 13 April 1919 set the tone for reform in the Sikh establishments and the end of British rule in India. The restrictions on people of lower castes at Harmider Sahib was overturned after strong protests in 1920. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandak Committee (SGPC) was formed on 15 November 1920 with the aim to free all the historic gurdwaras from clutches the mahants. Now the Sikhs had a platform to take action to redress the injustices that were going on in Panjab as a result of the excesses of the British officials and their cronies including the mahants.

The mahants were protected and in exchange they were used by the British to subjugate the Sikh community. The mahants at the same time confused the public by introducing Hindu rituals and idols into gurdwaras.  The mahants at Nankana Sahib was reported to have raped devotees, consumed alcohol and had dance performances by the ladies from the kothas at the Gurdwara.

Soon after its inception, the SGPC started to agitate for management of the gurdwaras to be transferred from the mahants to the Sikh community. This was built upon the ongoing socio-religious programme of liberating Sikh shrines from Udasi priests and mahants, initiated by the Chief Khalsa Diwan in 1902.  They negotiated with the mahants at a number of gurdwaras who agreed. At other Gurdwaras there were clashes and two Sikhs were killed and 17 injured at Tarn Tarn Gurdwara which was the first success of the SGPC. However, Naranjan Das the mahant at Nankana Sahib flatly refused to budge. He assembled a band of 400 mercenaries and thugs to keep any challenge to his authority under check. He also had the protection of the District Commissioners and police to carry on his desecration of the sacred Nanakana Sahib Gurdwara and its premises.

The SGPC decided to meet the mahant on 3 March 1921 to advise him to hand over the charge of Nankana Sahib gurdwara to the committee. However, the committee received information from its own intelligence that the mahant was planning to invite the Sikh leaders at Nanakana Sahib and have them killed. A meeting of the Sikh leaders was called at Gurdwara Khara Sauda on 16 February 1921 to chalk out the course of action. It was decided that groups of Sikhs would go in jathas (squads) and take charge of the gurdwara. The Sikh leaders had learnt that Narayan Das was going to Lahore for a Sanatan Conference to meet other mahants to discuss their strategies to counter the plans of the SGPC to take the gurdwaras away from them. This conference was scheduled from 20-22 February 2021.

Bhai Kartar Singh Jhabbar and Bhai Lachaman Singh Dharowali were chosen to lead jathas of 50 members each to reach Nanakana Sahib on 20 February 2021 while Narayan Das was away in Lahore. The plan was for Bhai Lachman Singh to leave first with one Jatha Amritsar for Nankana Sahib and Bhai Kartar Singh was to catch up with him with his jatha. After doing the Ardas the first jatha of 50 Sikhs began their journey to Nanakana Sahib on 19 February 1921.  Enroute they met with other jathas and their ranks grew to 200. At Chanderkot Jhal, Jathedar Lachhman Singh as planned waited for Bhai Kartar Singh Jhabber and his jatha. However, Kartar Singh Jabbar returned to Amritsar following the instruction of the SGPC after the committee received information that Narayan Das had returned to Nankana Sahib and had gathered guns, swords, cleavers and paraffin. He had also engaged Pathans and thugs with the view to slaughter and burn the Sikhs who came to teach them a lesson so that they would never challenge his authority. 

The SGPC sent two representatives, Variam Singh and later Dalip Singh, to urge the Jatha to stop and return to Amritsar. They waited in vain and finally Jathedar Lachman Singh decided to cancel the plan to march on to Nankana Sahib. However, Jathedar Tehal Singh stepped forward and addressed the jatha. He reminded everyone that “the prayers have already been said and the action plan had already been sealed with Guru’s Hukum (command), it is now only right to move forward”. He added that “all the members of the jatha shall keep calm under the most extreme provocations.”(1) From here Jathedar Tehal Singh took command of the jatha and resumed the march to Nankana Sahib. Variam Singh and Paul Singh who were sent to caught up with the jatha to stop it from going ahead by the SGPC begged them not to proceed to Nankana Sahib. Lachman Singh responded that they had done the Ardas and the hukam has been received and they will go have to press ahead. Dalip Singh also tried in vain and even presented the letter that was written by the President of the SGPC to the Jathedar. His response was that “we are going in peace and we cannot but act according to the guru’s Hukam”. The combined jatha of 200 Sikhs arrived at the gates of the Gurdwara at 5.45am on 20 February 1921. They proceeded into the Gurdwara to recite Japji Sahib followed by Asa Di Var Kirtan. 

Once the sangat had settled down at the instruction, Narayan Das the mayhem began. There was shooting outside the Darbar. The mahant’s mercenaries began the orgy of shooting, swinging swords and chopping the bodies of the dead and injured with cleavers. They poured the paraffin on the bodies of the dead and injured and set them on fire. A group of the mahant’s men forced open the door of the Darbar and opened fire. Bhai Lachaman Singh was sitting at the palanquin doing chor sewa when he was shot repeatedly. Some bullets ripped into the Guru Granth Sahib. Bhai Sahib put his body forward to take the shots to shield the Guru Granth Sahib from the bullets. While wounded he was wrenched from his seat and taken out of the Darbar Sahib. He was then hung from a tree, drenched with paraffin and set alight. An 8 year old child, Darbara Singh, who was from Bhai Lachman Singh’s village had accompanied the jatha. He hid in a cupboard in the Darbar. Unfortunately, he was discovered, dragged out of the Darbar and was thrown into the flames from the already burning bodies.

The carnage is said to have gone on for more than six hours before at least 150 people, men, women and children were mercilessly killed. One 12 year old boy escaped death by hiding under the palanquin on which the Guru Granth Sahib was placed in the Darbar.

Bhai Dalip Singh, another leader of the SGPC, who was sent to make the final attempt to stop the jathas, finally arrived at the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib. However, he was too late. The carnage was already in full swing. He saw Narayan Das orchestrating the slaughter of the unarmed, innocent people in the courtyard of the gurdwara. Bhai Dalip Singh pleaded Narayan Das to stop and even said that the Sikhs have a big heart and they will forgive him if he stops.  All that Narayan Das did was ask him on whose side he was and when Bhai Dalip Singh just repeated his plea to stop, Narayan Das shot and killed him at the entrance of the gurdwara.

On the same day, news reached Amritsar that 20 Pathans had been arrested, the gurdwara had been locked and Nankana had been handed over to the army. The army had cordoned Nankana Sahib to prevent any attempt to take over gurdwara. Immediately, Bhai Kartar Singh Jhabbar rushed to Nankana Sahib. He arrived with his jatha on 21 February. Deputy Commissioner Mr. C M King warned him that if he tried to enter the city with his jatha the army would open fire on them. Kartar Singh Jhabbar and his jatha of 2,200 Sikhs took no heed of the threat from the Commissioner and kept on moving towards the city. After a standoff, and when it became clear that the Sikhs were ready to march towards the armed soldiers and overpower them, another Deputy Commissioner who was onsite, handed over the keys of Gurdwara to Bhai Kartar Singh Jhabbar.

On the 22nd/23rd February, the bodies were cremated according to Sikh tradition. The charred, mutilated bodies were collected and torn limbs and pieces of flesh picked from wherever they were. The walls and floors of all the rooms and the Darbar were stained with blood while scores of butchered and bullet riddled bodies were scattered in the Darbar and adjoining rooms. 

A huge funeral pyre was made. Bhai Jodh Singh, in a measured speech, advised the Sikhs to remain cool and patient and endure the calamity with the fortitude with which their ancestors had faced similar situations. The Sikhs who were killed, he said, had cleansed with their blood the holy precincts so long exposed to the impious activities and influence of a corrupt regime of the mahants.

An Urdu newspaper called ‘Zamindara‘ wrote in its editorial of 23 February 1921, “what more proof of shamelessness of Muslims is required than that they have helped the Mahant. O, Shameless Muslims, isn’t the cup of your shamelessness and impudence full as yet? You used your guns and swords against those who went to Nankana Sahib to perform religious duties. You are not fit to be called Muslims. You are worse than infidels.” (6)

News of the Nankana Sahib massacre shocked the country. Sir Edward Maclagan, Governor of the Punjab, visited the site on 22 February 1921. Mahatma Gandhi, along with Muslim leaders Shaukat ‘Ali and Muhammad ‘Ali, came on 3 March 1921 when an Akand Path was held. Princess Bamba Duleep Singh, daughter of Maharaja Duleep Singh, came accompanied by Sir Jogendra Singh, to offer her homage to the memory of the martyrs.

Narayan Das, 20 Pathans and 26 members of his group were charged for their crimes on 21 October 1921.  However, only the mahant and two of Pathans and 4 others were given the death sentence for this heinous crime of more than 150 murders. The High Court sitting on 3 March 1922 delivering its judgement on Narayan Das’s appeal, reduced his sentence to life imprisonment. He was released from prison in 1930. (10)

On 20 February 2022 at 10.42 GMT, in particular and every time we recite the verses “those who made sacrifices in the service of the gurdwaras” during the Ardas, do remember the 150 Sikhs who made such painful sacrifices at Nankana Sahib the birth place of Guru Nanak Dev Ji on 20 February 1921. 

References

  1.  95th Anniversary Of Nankana Massacre Observed At Gurdwara Nankana Sahib (Sikh24.com, 23 February 2016; Retrieved 20 April 2016)
  2. Dictionary of Martyrs India’s Freedom Struggle (1857-1947) Vol. 1 Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh (1920-1947) Part II. Indian Council of Historical Research/Manak Publications. 2011. ISBN 978-81-7831-298-9.
  3. Martyrs of Nankana Sahib massacre remembered in Pakistan (Times of India, 22 Feb 2017)
  4. Sikh Gurdwaras in History and Role of Jhabbar, Karnail Singh See Link Archived 2007-06-15 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Shamsher Gurbakash Singh, Shaheedi Jeewan, 1938, p 356; Sher Singh Sher, Glimpses of Sikhism and Sikhs, 1982, p 207
  6. Sahni Ruchi Ram, Struggle for Reforms in Sikh Shrines (Ed Ganda Singh), p 81
  7. The Times, March 11, 1921 (A History of the Sikhs, Vol II, p 200, Khushwant Singh)
  8. Nankana Sahib Massacre – The Sikh Encyclopedia Bhai Dalip Singh, a respected Sikh who was well known to Narayan Das, came to intercede with him to stop the bloody carnage. But he killed him on the spot with a shot from his pistol. Six other Sikhs coming from outside were butchered and thrown into a potter`s kiln. Firewood and kerosene oil were brought out and a fire lighted
  9. 1921 Nankana Massacre (or Saka Nankana) | Discover Sikhism
  10. Revisiting Nanakana Sahib massacre after 100 years (The Times of India, 21 Feb 2021)

Bhagwant Singh, who currently resides in Manchester, UK, was born in the British Naval Base in Singapore. Graduated with a BSc in Physics in 1974 from the University of Singapore, he was the Founding Chair of Sikh Sewaks Singapore. He worked for 25 years in science communications and 15 years in secondary school education. He is currently retired and assisting a Sikh charity called Manchester Sikh Foundation which runs a project called Feed My CITY, which distributes hot meals and food parcels to people in need in Manchester. He is interested in Sikh philosophy, community affairs and Panjabi language.

RELATED STORY:

Blood Screaming From The Ground: Massacre in Amritsar (Asia Samachar, 14 Nov 2018)

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2 COMMENTS

  1. Excellent informative article Veerji!
    My maternal grandfather was one of those who went to reclaim the Gurdwara Sahib after the carnage. He was studying veterinary medicine at Lahore. The British declared an exam for all students so that they could not go to Nankana Sahib. All students finished the exam within an hour and left early to go to Nankana Sahib for the mission. When I was growing up our Nanaji told us about this event.
    Thank you very much for putting it in context and explaining it in such an easy to understand language.

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