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Avtar Singh Brahma
Avtar Singh Brahma (1951 – 22 July 1988) was a Sikh militant ( kharku) and one of the main founding figures and the second leader of Khalistan Liberation Force, founded in 1986, during the insurgency in Punjab, India. Avtar Singh became known for his encounters with the police, Operation Mand being particularly notable. Avtar Singh has been reputed for never attacking civilians. He was popular amongst rural Sikhs who considered Brahma a Robin Hood-like figure and had also been credited with reading gurbani 18 hours a day. Early life Not much is known about Avtar Singh's early life. What is known is that he was born in 1951 in a Sandhu Jat Sikh family of village Brahampur near Tarn Taran Sahib. His family was an agricultural one and were very poor. He left school at an early age to work at his family farm. Avtar Singh at a young age was sent by his parents to Bidhi Chand Dal. He was brought up in the dera at Sur Singh near Amritsar. He soon took amrit and became a Kh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tarn Taran District
Tarn Taran district is one of the districts in the Majha region of Punjab, India. The main cities are Tarn Taran Sahib, Bhikhiwind, Khadur Sahib and Patti. The City of Tarn Taran Sahib is a holy place for Sikhs. Tarn Taran's Sikh population makes it the most heavily concentrated administrative district of Sikhs in India and the world. Tarn Taran district was formed in 2006 out of Amritsar District. The declaration to this effect was made by Captain Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister of Punjab, during the celebrations marking the martyrdom day of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji. With this, it became the 19th district of Punjab. It has four tehsils, which are Bhikhiwind, Patti, Khadur Sahib and Tarn Taran Sahib. The District Headquarters is headed by the Deputy Commissioner, along with a Senior Superintendent of Police, Civil Surgeon, district Education Officer, Improvement Trust and a Municipal Council. The district judiciary is headed by the District and Session Judge, aided by sever ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gurbani
Gurbani (, pronunciation: , lit. the Guru's words) is a Sikh term, very commonly used by Sikhs to refer to various compositions by the Sikh Gurus and other writers of Guru Granth Sahib. In general, hymns in the central text of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib, are called ''Gurbani''. Among Amritdhari Sikhs, a few texts from Dasam Granth which are read as Nitnem, like ''Tav-Prasad Savaiye'' and ''Chaupai'', are also considered ''Gurbani''. In Adi Granth, Gurbani is a sound which comes directly from the Supreme and the text is a written form of the same in worldly language and scripts. It is also called ''Guru’s Bani''. Prior to reading Gurbani or meditating, it is compulsory to cover the head with a turban, dupatta or other cloth, as well as removing shoes, performing at least the ''Panj Ishnan'' (washing of the 5 main parts of the body), and if possible using a teeth-cleaning twig. Gurbani are explanations of qualities of the Primal Lord and Soul which a Sikh should co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Border Security Force
The Border Security Force (BSF) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is responsible for guarding India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It was formed in the wake of the Indo-Pak War of 1965 to ensure the security of India’s borders and for related matters. The BSF has grown from 25 battalions in 1965, to 193 battalions with a sanctioned strength of 270,000 personnel including an expanding air wing, water wing, an artillery regiment and specialised units. It is currently the world's largest border security force. BSF has been termed the ''First Line of Defence'' of Indian territories. History Since India's independence in 1947, the protection of its international boundaries was the responsibility of the local police in each border state, with little inter-state coordination. However, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, Pakistan attacked Sardar Post, Char Bet, and Beria Bet on April 9, 1965, in Kutch. This attack ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Central Reserve Police Force
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The CRPF assists states and Union Territories in maintaining law and order and internal security. It is composed of the Central Reserve Police Force ( Regular) and Central Reserve Police Force (Auxiliary). It was established on 27 July 1939 as Crown Representative's Police with the objective of providing security to the British Crown Representatives in India. The force was later renamed as the Central Reserve Police Force by an Act of Parliament in 1949. The CRPF played a major role in the Parliamentary elections of September 1999. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is the largest central armed police force in India, comprising 247 battalions and exceeding a total strength of 301,376 personnel, as of 2019. CRPF officers are also deployed in United Nations missions. History Originally constituted as the Crown Representative Police in 1939, CRP was raised ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Station House Officer
A station house officer (SHO) is the officer in charge of a police station in India and Pakistan. The Station House Officer (SHO) is a police officer of such rank as may be fixed by the government who is entrusted with the overall supervision of the functions of each police station and that officer shall be the officer in charge of the police station. The SHO holds the rank of inspector or sub-inspector. A station house officer is not a rank, but rather a post or designation. In India, the law permits a station house officer to conduct the investigation of crimes. As of 1 January 2022, there are a total of 16,955 sanctioned police stations in India. ;Officer-in-charge (OC) In some states in India, the SHO is also called the Officer-in-charge (OC), mostly in rural areas where a police station is headed by a Sub-inspector of police. ;Inspector-in-charge (IC) In West Bengal, mostly in urban or semi-urban areas, where a police station is headed by an inspector Inspector, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tat Khalsa
The Tat Khalsa (), also romanised as Tatt Khalsa, known as the Akal Purkhias during the 18th century, was a Sikh faction that arose from the schism following the passing of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708, led by his widow Mata Sundari, opposed to the religious innovations of Banda Singh Bahadur and his followers. The roots of the Tat Khalsa lies in the official formalization and sanctification of the Khalsa order by the tenth Guru in 1699. History Origin Banda Bahadur, in the flush of an initial string of victories against the Mughal governor of Sirhind, made changes to the Khalsa tradition that were opposed by the orthodox Khalsa as heretical. These included requiring his followers to be vegetarian, replacing the traditional Khalsa garment color of blue with red garments, replacing the traditional Khalsa salute of ''"Waheguru Ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji ki Fateh"'' with the salute ''"Fateh Darshan, Fateh Dharam"'' and most controversial to the Sikhs, allowing his followers to tre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nihang
The Nihang (also spelt as Nihung lit. "Crocodiles") or Akali (lit. "Immortals"), also known as '' Dal Khalsa'', is an armed Sikh warrior order originating in the Indian subcontinent. Nihangs are believed to have originated either from Fateh Singh and the attire he wore or from the " Akal Sena" (lit. Army of the Immortal) started by Guru Hargobind. Early Sikh military history was dominated by the Nihang, known for their victories where they were heavily outnumbered. Traditionally known for their bravery and ruthlessness in the battlefield, the Nihang once formed the irregular guerrilla squads of the armed forces of the Sikh Empire, the Sikh Khalsa Army. Etymology The word ''Nihang'' may come from the Persian word for a mythical sea creature (). The term owes its origin to Mughal historians, who compared the ferocity of the Akāli with that of crocodiles. The meaning of Akali in Sikhism however, is the immortal army of Akāl (God). According to Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, trac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Khalsa
The term ''Khalsa'' refers to both a community that follows Sikhism as its religion,Khalsa: Sikhism Encyclopaedia Britannica as well as a special group of initiated Sikhs. The ''Khalsa'' tradition was initiated in 1699 by the Tenth Guru of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh. Its formation was a key event in the history of Sikhism. The founding of Khalsa is celebrated by Sikhs during the festival of Vaisakhi., Quote: "Vaisakhi is the most important mela. It marks the Sikh New Year. At Vaisakhi, Sikhs remember how their community, the Khalsa, first began."#Cole, Cole, p. 63: "The Sikh new year, Vaisakhi, occurs at Sangrand in April, usually on the thirteenth day.", Quote: "(...) for the Sikhs, it [Baisakhi] celebrates the foun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amrit Sanchar
Amrit Sanskar (, pronunciation: , lit. "nectar ceremony") is one of the four Sikh Sanskaars. The Amrit Sanskar is the initiation rite introduced by Guru Gobind Singh when he founded the Khalsa in 1699. A Sikh who has been initiated into the Khalsa ('pure'; the Sikh brotherhood) is considered to be ''Amritdhari'' (baptised) () or ''Khalsa'' ('pure'). Those who undergo initiation are expected to dedicate themselves to '' Waheguru'' (Almighty God) and work toward the establishment of the Khalsa Raj. Names The Amrit Sanskar ceremony has many alternative names, such as ''Amrit Parchar'', ''Amrit Sanchar'', ''Khande di Pahul'', ''Khande Batte di Pahul'' (), or ''khande-baate da amrit''. History Charan-Pahul The original Sikh initiation ceremony, ever since the guruship period of Guru Nanak, was known as ''Charan-Pahul'' (), ''Pagpahul'', or ''Charan Amrit'' (). It involved pouring water over the toes of the Sikh guru and the initiates drinking that water. If the guru was n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Amritsar District
Amritsar district is one of the twenty three districts that make up the Indian state of Punjab, India, Punjab. Located in the Majha region of Punjab, the city of Amritsar is the headquarters of this district. As of 2011, it is the second most populous district of Punjab (out of List of districts of Punjab, India, 23), after Ludhiana district, Ludhiana. It is a border district of Punjab and lies along the India-Pakistan border. History Sur Empire (1540 - 1554) Sher Shah Suri, an Afghan monarch, defeated Kamran in 1540 and conquered Punjab, including Amritsar, which remained part of the Sur Empire until 1554. Sikh Empire The control of Amritsar was fully taken by Maharaja Ranjit Singh by 1802, after bringing all the Misls under his control. He also fortified Gobindgarh Fort along modern lines. British Amritsar district was annexed by the British from its former Sikhs, Sikh rulers after the Second Anglo-Sikh war, Second Anglo-Sikh War of 1848–1849. During British Raj, Britis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dera (organization)
A ''dera'' is a type of socio-religious organization in northern India. Jacob Copeman defines the ''deras'' as "monasteries or the extended residential sites of religious leaders; frequently just glossed as sect". Several ''deras'' started out as non-orthodox Sikh sects, and many of them are now centres of distinct non-Sikh religious movements. Many ''deras'' have attracted a large number of Dalits ( untouchables), who earlier converted to Sikhism to escape Hindu casteism, but felt socially excluded by the Jat Sikh dominated clerical establishment. History The word ''Dera'' derives from the Persian word ''Derah'' or ''Dirah'', which literally means a camp, abode, monastery or convent. The phenomenon of ''Dera'', as sectarian institution, is not new in Punjab and it is much older than Sikhism. ''Deras'' in Punjab, before the Sikhism, belonged to Sufi Pirs, Yogi Naths, and Sants of the Bhakti movement. In Punjab, the popularity of Sufi pirs, sants or their shrines can be seen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bidhi Chand
Bidhi Chand Chhina (Gurmukhi: ਬਿਧੀ ਚੰਦ; 26 April 1579 – 30 August 1638 or 1640) was a Sikh religious preacher and military commander. He was a disciple of Guru Arjan and served Guru Hargobind for most of his life. Biography Early life He was born into a Jat Sikh family of the Chhina clan. His father may have been Hindal, a Sikh of Guru Amar Das. As a young man, Bidhi Chand was an inhabitant of the Sur Singh village of Lahore district and had fallen into bad company and taken banditry. One day, a pious Sikh, Bhai Adali of the village of Chohia, led him into Guru Arjan Dev 's presence where he underwent a remarkable transformation. His life of banditry and misdeeds ended for he knew now wanted nothing more than life of dedication to the service of the Guru. He became a devotee of Guru Arjan. Later life He was one of the five Sikhs chosen to accompany Guru Arjun on his journey to martyrdom at Lahore in 1606. On the death of his father, Guru Hargobind turned ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
