Surjit Singh (1945–2014) or Jathedar Surjeet Singh Akali was a

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 Sin ...

and the 14th Jathedar of

Budha Dal Dal Khalsa was the name of the combined military forces of 11 Sikh misls that operated in the 18th century (1748–1799) in the Punjab region. It was established by Nawab Kapur Singh in late 1740s. History Mughal rule of Punjab The religion o ...

, after

Akali Santa Singh Pashaura Singh (1928–2008) also known as Santa Singh or to Nihang Sikhs as Jathedar Akali Baba Santa Singh Ji Nihang 96 Crori was the 13th Jathedar of Budha Dal, succeeding Akali Chet Singh. Early life He was born as Pashaura Singh in ...

. He was born on June 7, 1945, in Murar, Amritsar.

Early life

Before initiating to become a Singh of the

, Baba Surjit Singh had done service with Punjab Police forces. He also served years in the Indian armed forces where they saw intense fighting, He was renowned to be a skilled marksmen who had killed many enemies in battle. After finishing their service, he was initiated into the Dal in 1972 through the

Khalsa The term ''Khalsa'' refers to both a community that follows Sikhism as its religion,Khalsa: Sikhism< ...

ceremony of

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 ...

. Baba Surjit Singh stayed and did seva with the dal for nearly four decades, heading the Chakarvati Dal at some points during their time.

Jathedari Controversy

In 2005,

with their worsening health is said to have declared Baba Surjeet Singh as the next head of the

. This is disputed as Baba Balbir Singh, a contender as the 14th Jathedar of Budha Dal, is said to have been given the leadership of Budha Dal. Subsequently, during the time, Baba Surjit Singh arrested for a short period until their release in response to protests by Nihangs. He was allegedly the main perpetrator in the Patiala Bagichi Nihang Kaand, which claimed the lives of the family members of Baba Balbir Singh. This dispute has led to the many divisions in Budha Dal today with different factions claiming their own Jathedars.

Time in jail

After the death of

in 2008, the Dastarbandi ceremonies were conducted for both Baba Surjeet Singh and Baba Balbir Singh by different factions of the Nihangs. In the following year, Baba Surjeet Singh along with 22 other Singhs were sentenced jail in their involvement in the Patiala Bagichi Nihang Kaand. Baba Surjeet Singh is said to have organized religious ceremonies during his time in jail. On September 3, 2014, Baba Surjeet Singh passed away at the age of 69 and his funeral was held at Gurdwara Lakhi Jungle near

Bathinda Bathinda is a city and municipal corporation in Punjab, India. The city is the administrative headquarters of Bathinda district. It is located in northwestern India in the Malwa Region, west of the capital city of Chandigarh and is the fifth ...

. Baba Surjeet Singh had chosen

Akali Joginder Singh Joginder Singh, or Baba Joginder Singh is a Nihang Singh and is the 15th Jathedar of Budha Dal after Akali Surjit Singh. He was born in Boparai Kalan, Ludhiana. Personal life Baba Joginder Singh was born in the Boparai Kalan village of the ...

as the acting Jathedar during his time in jail. However, despite having been given temporary authority, this caused some controversy as later on. Baba Prem Singh, at the time the caretaker of a Gurdwara in Nanded, was given the leadership of Budha Dal at Baba Surjit Singhs funeral. This decision further led the Dal into 3 factions.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Akali Surjit Nihang Sikh Jathedars 1945 births 2014 deaths