Teja Singh Bhuchar

{{For|other people called Teja Singh|Teja Singh (disambiguation){{!}}Teja Singh}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Teja Singh Bhuchar

| office1 = Jathedar of the Akal Takht

| honorific-prefix =

| native_name =

| image = File:Portrait of Jathedar Teja Singh Bhuchar at the Central Sikh Museum.jpg

| imagesize = 230px

| title =

| alongside =

| predecessor1 = Arur Singh Shergill

| successor1 = Teja Singh Akarpuri

| predecessor2 =

| successor2 =

| birth_name = Teja Singh

| birth_date = {{birth date |1887|10|28|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Bhai Pheru, Panjab
{{small|(now in Pakistan)}}

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1939|10|03|1887|10|28}}

| death_place = Amritsar, Panjab
{{small|(now in India)}}

| nationality = Indian

| spouse =

| relations =

| children =

| residence =

| alma_mater =

| image_size =

| term_start1 = 12 October 1920

| term_end1 = 29 April 1921

| mother = Mahitab Kaur

| father = Mayya Singh

| known_for = Akali Movement

}}

Teja Singh Bhuchar (1887–1939) was a Sikh politician who served as Jathedar of Akal Takht from 1920 to 1921 and an active member of Akali movement.{{cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Giani Partap |title=Akali Lehar De Mahan Neta |date=1976 |publisher=Bhai Jawahar Singh Kripal Singh and Company |location=Amritsar |page=110 |url=http://www.panjabdigilib.org/webuser/searches/displayPageContent.jsp?ID=1549&page=114&CategoryID=1&Searched=W3GX |access-date=10 December 2022}}

Early life

Teja Singh Bhuchar was born in his mother's village but belonged to Bhuchar Khurd Village, now in Tarn Taran in India.{{cite web|url=https://www.thesikhencyclopedia.com/teja-singh-bhuchchar/|website=thesikhencyclopedia.com|title=Teja Singh Bhuchchar: Gurdwara Reform Pioneer|access-date=12 April 2025}} He completed his basic education at this village school and, most of the time helped his father in agriculture. He became more involved in the Sikh movements when Majha Khalsa Diwan (later known as Chief Khalsa Diwan) was revived in 1918.{{cite web|url=https://www.thesikhencyclopedia.com/central-majha-khalsa-diwan/|title=Central Majha Khalsa Diwan|website=The Sikh Encyclopedia|access-date=12 April 2025}}

Gurdwara Movement

After Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib Arur Singh Shergill honoured Reginald Dyer, the general who ordered the massacre, he thanked Dyer for their protection of the Darbar Sahib complex.{{cite book |last1=Collett |first1=Nigel |title=The Butcher of Amritsar: General Reginald Dyer |date=15 October 2006 |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-1-85285-575-8 |page=292 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XuQC5pgzCw4C |access-date=14 December 2022 |language=en}} This irked Teja Singh, and he actively started participating in agitation for removing Shergill from the post of Jathedar.[https://www.punjabijagran.com/editorial/general-teja-singh-bhuchar-the-undisputed-general-of-the-sikh-panth-dedicated-his-entire-life-to-sikhism-9284991.html General Teja Singh Bhuchar the undisputed general of Sikh panth dedicated his entire life to sikhism] (in Punjabi).

During the Gurdwara Movement, he led a Jatha of 25 Sikhs to liberate Gurdwara Beri Sahib in Sialkot from Mahant and succeeded in his action on 6 October 1920. Later on, he became part of Jatha, which headed towards Akal Takhat and took control of Darbar Sahib on 20 October 1920 and at the same time he was appointed a Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib. After that, he also participated in other Jathas to liberate other Gurdawaras from British government-appointed priests.[https://dailypost.in/latest-punjabi-news/jathedar-teja-singh/ Jathedar Teja Singh] (in Punjabi). He remained in this position till April 1921.

Differences with Akali Dal

He joined Shiromani Akali Dal on the day it was formed, 14 December 1920 and two days later, became a member of the committee of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee He was arrested by Britishers for his active involvement in the Gurdwara Movement in March 1921 and awarded nine years of imprisonment by the Lahore special court. However, this punishment was suspended in September 1921.Mohinder Singh, The Akali Movement, 1978. Later on, he developed differences with Akali Dal regarding the ways of taking control of Gurdwaras. With time, these differences widened and, due to this, he was removed from the SGPC committee on 18 June 1923.

However, when he was again arrested on 10 December 1923 by the Britishers because of his links with Master Mota Singh, a member of the Babbar Akali movement, to support him, SGPC reversed its earlier decision and readmitted him back in SGPC.Ashok, Shamsher Singh, Shiromam Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee da Panjah Sala Itihas. Amritsar, 1982.

Death

On 2 October 1939, during a family feud, his brother Seva Singh attacked him and injured him severely. He was taken to the civil hospital in Amritsar where he succumbed to injuries next day.

References

Category:1887 births

Category:1939 deaths