HARCHAND SINGH LYALLPURI
Sirdar Harchand Singh Lyallpuri (1887 – 20.2.1954), son of Bhai Arjan Singh, was born at village Sur Singh (district Amritsar). Later, the family moved to Lyallpur. Harchand Singh worked hard and earned a fortune.
He was one of the pioneers of the Gurdwara Reform Movement. He was one of the few leaders who launched a struggle for the re-construction of the wall of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Delhi (demolished by the British on January 14, 1914). When annual Sikh Educational Conference was held at Jullundur on April 10-12, 1914, he presented a resolution about the wall of Gurdwara Rakab Ganj. The Chowdhrys (chiefs) of the Conference did not allow him to discuss the issue and expelled him from the Conference. He called a meeting of the Sikh elite at Lahore on May 31, 1914. Several leaders attended it. The meeting condemned the British government and demanded re-construction of the wall. In August 1914, the First World War began. The Deputy Commissioner of Lyallpur held a meeting with Sirdar Harchand Singh and requested him to stop agitation and promised the re-construction of the wall after the War was over. The War ended in 1919 but the Government did not bother.
The Sikh League was formed in 1919. He was one of the founders of the League. He was one of the founders of daily Akali, a Sikh paper started on May 21, 1920. A session of the Sikh League was held at Lahore, on October 18 to 20, 1920. Sirdar Harchand Singh managed passing of a resolution to send a Shaheedi Jatha of 100 Sikhs to Delhi to re-construct the wall.
When the S.G.P.C. was formed on November 15-16, 1920, he was elected as one of the members. In 1923, he was elected a member of the Punjab Legislative Council. On October 12, 1923, the S.G.P.C. was declared an unlawful
organisation. He was not arrested along with the other leaders. He, however, appeared as a witness in favour of the Akali leaders in Akali Leaders Conspiracy Case. After 1925, he renounced active political life. After 1947, he was allotted land at Kota (Rajastan), where he spent last days of his life.
(Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)