BATTAN SINGH
Bhai Battan Singh (also known as Badan Singh and Gurmukh Singh), son of Bhai Dalel Singh, was born at village Dalel Singh Wala (district Patiala). Later, the family had moved to Kumbharhwal. When he grew up, he moved to Burma. On May 24, 1889 he joined police service at Burma. In 1894, he resigned his job and returned home. In 1904, he moved to Hong Kong and joined service in the police department. In 1907, he migrated to Canada. He was one of the founders of Guru Nanak Mining and Engineering Company at Vancouver. He was one of the main organisers, who established Khalsa Diwan Society Gurdwara in its own building, on January 19, 1908. (Gurdwara had already been started in a rented building, on July 22, 1906). Bhai Battan Singh was a benevolent person and he would always make active participation, in services, in the Gurdwara. On May 22, 1914, the Komagata Maru ship reached Vancouver. The passengers of the ship were not allowed to enter Canada and the ship had to return (after dramatic events), on July 23, 1914. Soon, Vancouver became a centre of anti-Sikh conspiracies of the white people and their government. The main persons behind this plan, were: William Hopkinson, a former sergeant in British Indian police and Bela Sinh (of village Jian, district Hoshiarpur), a tout of the police. On August 31, 1914, Harnam Singh (brother of another police tout) was found dead in mysterious circumstances (believed to have been killed by Jagat Singh, of village Sur Singh). On September 4, 1914, Bhai Arjan Singh, of village Sikh Daulat (Ludhiana) was accidentally killed by Bhai Ram Singh of village Tallewal (Patiala). He was cremated on September 5. During the cremation, Bela Sinh, (the police tout) tried to make an attempt at the life of Bhai Bhag Singh and Bhai Mit Singh Pandori (the two leaders of the Canadian Sikhs), but he could not succeed because of the presence of a police official. After the cremation, the Sikhs went to Gurdwara, where Bela fired at Bhai Bhag Singh who was sitting Tabia (performing services) of Guru Granth Sahib. Bhai Battan Singh and some others tried to stop Bela. They too were fired at by Bela. Bhai Bhag Singh, Bhai Battan Singh, Bhai Uttam Singh Nurpur, Bhai Jawala Singh Sikh Daulat, Bhai Dalip Singh Nangal, Bhai Labh Singh Dhakko were wounded seriously. Bhai Battan Singh had been hit seven times. Bhai Bhag Singh and Bhai Battan Singh died the next day (September 6, 1914). They were cremated on one pyre, on September 7, 1914. The mastermind behind these killings was Hopkinson. He was killed on October 21, 1914 by Bhai Mewa Singh. (Bhai Mewa Singh was given death sentence by the court. He was hanged on January 11, 1915). Bela was killed, in his own village, in 1933.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)