KARTAR SINGH DAKHA (PUNDIT)
Pundit Kartar Singh (13.9.1888 – 25.11.1958), son of Bhai Ram Singh, was born at Dakha (district Ludhiana), on September 13, 1888. His father was a money lender. He received his early education from his village. Later, he joined Khalsa School at Amritsar. In 1907, his father died and he had to discontinue his studies. Now, he became a student of Pundit Basant Singh (of Thikriwala) and studied Sanskrit literature. Soon he came to be known as an expert of philosophy. In 1923, he was appointed as a Lecturer at Sikh Missionary College, Amritsar. In 1930, he defeated the famous Pundit Gogeshavara Nand in discussion on the issues of theology, on the occasion of the Kumbh festival at Haridwar. He rebutted Daya Nand’s book Satyarath Parkash too. In 1933, he started teaching at Gurmat Updeshak Vidyala at Talwandi Sabo. He also started the publication of a journal Guru Kashi Patra. In 1939, he left his job at Talwandi Sabo. In 1938-39, he toured Malaysia ad Singapore. In 1939, he joined Guru Hargobind Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar, as a Lecturer. He served at Punjabi Department Patiala too. Pundit Kartar Singh participated in the movement against Patra Path (reading of Guru Granth Sahib by unbinding the volume of Guru Granth Sahib and distributing pages to different persons, which was an act of gross sacrilege) by the Namdharis. He presided over the fourth conference held at village Sekha, on June 9-11, 1945. He died at Qila Raipur, in 1958. Pundit Kartar Singh wrote several books including: Japuji Sahib Sateek, Alankar Nirney, Gurmukhi Hindi Da Takra, 20 Swayyay ate Dohrei Patshahi 10, Jang Europe Vich Sikhan Di Bahadari, Sri Guru Viakaran Panchayan, Sri Guru Bhatt Bani Parkash, Mul Mantra Parkash, Sankh Darshan Vash, Simriti Sar, Alankar Darshan, Nitnem Sateek, Darshan Paribhasha, Chhand Ratanavali, Punjabi Bhasha Di Prachinata etc. Besides this he had began writing several other books too which he could not finish in his life time.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)