Bhagat Puran Singh

Bhai Puran Singh (June 4, 1904-1992) was born in Rajewal (Rahon) Ludhiana in a Hindu family and adopted Sikhism later in life. He was a writer, publisher, environmentalist and philanthropist responsible for the establishment of Pingalwara, which takes care of sick, disabled and forlorn people.

He set out in life for selfless service of humanity. He founded Pingalwara in 1947 with a few discarded patients. Bhagat Puran Singh's contribution in spreading awareness about environmental pollution, and increasing soil erosion also are commendable. Pamphlets with his writings on various subjects such as environmental awareness etc. were printed on re-used paper and freely distributed.

He was honoured by Government of India with a Padma Shri award in 1979, which he notably surrendered in the wake of the Indian army's attack on the Golden Temple in 1984. He died on August 5, 1992 in Amritsar.

Early Days

He was born on 3 June,1904 in village Rajewal of Ludhiana district of Punjab. After the death of his father, his mother encouraged him to pass matric level of education and find a Government job. His mother worked as a domestic help in the house of a doctor at Mintgumury to organise money for her son's education. Later, she went to Lahore and cleaned utensils in households there to earn money. Puran Singh was sent to a hostel where he was sent Ten rupees every month by his mother.

Unfortunately, he failed his Class tenth examination, after which became sad and dejected.His mother told him,"Don't be sad, even those who fail eat their meal." Later in his life he wrote about this incident as," She was the daughter of a farmer. She had seen that her parents would leave for the fields by daybreak and return home in the evening after a whole day of back-breaking hard work. Even then they weren't sure if they would get the harvest or will have to suffer starvation. Had she been the daughter of an officer she would have been disheartened by my failure and my inability to sit on an office chair with a pen in my hand."

He was called back to Lahore and admitted in a local school there but he was not interested in studying his course books as they were filled with hypothetical and theoretical knowledge with absolutely no connection or applications in the everyday life. He, however, would spend hours browsing books in the Dyal Singh Library,Lahore and try to gain as much knowledge as he could. Sooner, this boy became a reservoir of the knowledge which some of the greatest scholars could not even dream of possessing.

ervice towards humanity

While in Lahore, he would often visit Gurudwara Dehra Sahib and commit himself to the service of the people by attending the visitors to the Gurudwara and providing them water for bathing and also managing the cattle belonging to the Gurudwara. He would also serve in the Langar, the common kitchen, by cleaning the utensils, making chapatis and distributing food to the sangat(people coming to the Gurudwara). He even cleaned the floor of the Gurudwara in the evening.

One day, a visitor fell from the roof of the Gurudwara and got badly injured. Bhagat Puran Singh immediately rushed him to the local 'Mu Hospital'. Experiencing inner joy after helping the patient, he took a man with badly bleeding leg full of worms to hospital where he expressed his thanks to Bhagat Puran Singh and said,"Son! Now I can die a peaceful death." With this incident, the service of humanity became the mission of his life. Now he would wander here and there finding the injured, physically handicapped persons and toking them to the Hospital. He also took care of them as his pocket and capability allowed. Once, he even washed the clothes of an old and poor beggar who was suffering from loosemotions.

On a moonless night of the year 1934, someone left a four-year-old leper boy on the door of Gurudwara Dehra Sahib who was handed over to Bhagat Puran Singh by the then Head Granthi of the Gurudwara, Jathedar Acchar Singh after performing prayers for his well being. He named the boy Piara Singh, who was taken care of by Bhagat Puran Singh. This incident completely transformed the face of his life.

After the partition of India in 1947, Bhagat Puran Singh reached a refugee camp in Amritsar which housed over 25,000 refugees with just 5 annas(0.3 rupees) in his pocket. A large number of refugees were critically wounded and incapable of nursing themselves. The government didn't make any arrangements to take care of these refugees. Bhagat Puran Singh took the initiative, he took some chloroform and Turpentine oil and started treating the wounds of the wounded. He would often go in the nearby colonies to get food for the hungry and medicine for the ill.

Bhagat Puran Singh was almost awarded the Noble Peace Prize in 1991, for his selfless work, feeding, clothing, and tending sick and dying people

Later days

From 1947 till 1958, Bhagat Puran Singh did not get a permanent dwelling. He could be seen outside the chief Khalsa Diwan, post offices, railway stations or under the tree outside the office of the Civil Surgeon. He would wander in the streets, asking for donations to help the needy. Some people offered to help him, but most of the others kept themselves from donating towards the noble cause.

At last, he founded 'The All India Pingalwara Charitable Society' whose annual budget at that time was 12.5 million rupees and got it registered. Even today, this institution, headquartered at Tehsilpura, Grand Trunk road, Amritsar, works for helping the poor, the diseased and the physically and mentally handicapped. He died in 1992.

Religion

Born to Hindu parents who named him Ram ji dass, he embraced Sikh religion and took up the name Puran Singh. He was greatly inspired by the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the Sikh gurus.

Bhagat Puran Singh, was born a Hindu, though he realized Sikhism via a simple observation. Whilst he was a child his family used to travel, from village to village. They took residance in Mandirs (Hindu temples) and Gurdwaras (Sikh temples) in each village. In the Mandir, the high-caste priest (Brahman) ordered him to clean the temple, whilst the priest ate food in front of him without offering any. Whilst in the Gurdwara, the priest (Giani) gave the boy (Puran Singh) food without asking for anything in return. It is these subtle observations that can change our lives and it certainly changed his life.

Other contributions

He was a mature environmentalist and visionary. He initiated tree plantation drives, organised talks and lectures on various issues concerning the environment and social life, and also wrote a large number of books regarding the same. Some of his famous works include "Education of man","Righteousness alone exalts a nation","Plant or Perish", "The Way," "The Increasing Population", and many others.

He distributed free pamphlets and books to make the people aware of the impending dangers to the environment and society through the Pingalwara Society.

Views of the scholars

Noted Indian writer Khushwant Singh had this to say about Singh:

Bhagat Puran Singh was no ordinary mortal but undoubtedly the most loved and revered man in the world. I once described him as the bearded Mother Teresa of Punjab. Mother Teresa had the backing of the powerful Roman Catholic Church, the English press and innumerable foundations to give her money. Bhagat Ji Had nothing except his single-minded dedication to serve the poor and the needy. And yet he was able to help thousands of lepers, mentally and physically handicapped and the dying. His name will be written in letters of gold in the history of the world.

Quotes

*"The thoughts of great men are the common heritage of humanity and let our countrymen receive inspiration and guidance from these thoughts."
*"Freedom is not an achievement but an opportunity."
*"Those who die for their country are martyrs and those who live for their country are greater martyrs."
*"Dignity in death is a birthright of each living thing."
*"All Punjabis should sow trees of "Bohar"(Banyan), "Pippal" and "Neem", which are essential to our eco-system."

ee also

*Pingalwara
*Padma Shri

External links

* [http://www.pingalwaraonline.org Pingalwara]
* [http://www.pingalwara.ca/bhagatpuran.cfm Biography on Pingalwara.ca]
* [http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/personalities/sewadars/puransingh.html Biography on Sikh-History.com]
* [http://simransewa.blogspot.com/2006/06/epitome-of-sewa-bhagat-puran-singh.html Epitome of Sewa, Bhagat Puran Singh]