Mai Kishan Kaur (1856 – 10.8.1952), daughter of Bhai Suba Singh (a goldsmith by profession), was born at village Lohgarh (district Ludhiana); later the family moved to Daudher village. In 1974-75, she got married to Harnam Singh (a resident of village Kaonke, district Ludhiana), who was an army officer. He was posted in Burma. After her marriage she too moved to Burma. There, she gave birth to two sons and a daughter, who died at an early age. Her husband too died at a very young age. After the death of her husband, she returned to Kaonke. In 1903,, she got initiation and decided to spend the rest of her life in the service of the Panth. In 1912, she made active participation during the construction of Gurdwara Gurusar in her own village. When Gurdwara reform movement began in 1920, she participated in this movement from the very beginning. She served the pilgrims at Nanakana Sahib, served the wounded persons during the Guru-Ka-Bagh agitation (1922) and participated during the liberation of the Gurdwara at Muktsar. When Sikhs began courting arrests at Jaito (1924) she again rendered her services for the volunteers. When Jathedar Dulla Singh and Jathedar Suchcha Singh (both of village Rode, district Moga) formed a Durli Jatha to provide ration to the Sikhs inside the Gurdwara, she too joined them. When the first Shaheedi Jatha (martyrs’ band) of the Sikhs was fired at Jaito, on February 21, 1924, she attended the wounded Sikhs, served the volunteers and also collected intelligence information. There, she was arrested on charges of sedition. She was sentenced to four years rigorous imprisonment. She served full term of four years in prison. She was released on June 30, 1928. After her release she was honoured at several places, including Akal Takht Sahib. Even after that she continued serving the community. She died at Gurdwara Gurusar Kaonke at the age of 96.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)