Jathedar Gurcharan Singh Tohra (24.9.1924 – 1.4.2004 ), son of Bhai Dalip Singh, was born at village Tohra (district Patiala). From his early childhood he had a religious bent of mind. He was just 16 years old when he joined Akal Sena, formed by the Akali Dal and participated in the march of the Sena on the occasion of the Akali Conference, held at Atari, on February 10-11, 1940. In 1957, he was chosen as the president of the Akali Jatha Bhadson. After a few months he was elected as the president of the Akali Jatha of district Patiala. In 1960, he was elected as a member of the S.G.P.C. During the Punjabi Suba agitation, he was arrested. In 1969, he was elected to Rajya Sabha (upper house of the Indian parliament). Jathedar Tohra had been one of the most trusted followers of (Sant) Fateh Singh. In 1972, after the defeat of the Akali Dal in the general elections, he spearheaded the movement for rejuvenation of the Akali Dal. On March 17, 1972, he asked (Sant) Fateh Singh to retire from Akali Dal to pave way for young leadership. In December 1972, he was elected as the president of the S.G.P.C. During the agitation against imposition of internal emergency, he courted arrest. In the parliamentary elections of 1977, he defeated Maharaja Patiala and became a member of the Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian parliament). On June 4, 1984, when the Indian army attacked Darbar Sahib, he was arrested. He remained in jail for several months. Even after his release, in 1985, he had been arrested several times. He spent several years of his life in different jails. Badal group removed him from the presidentship of the SGPC in 1999. In May 1999, he formed Sarb Hind Akali Dal and became its president. Jathedar Tohra has been the president of the S.G.P.C. for twenty-five times and for more than 24 years, a record time.
(Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)