ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>AMAR SI&#7748GH W&#256S&#362 (1884-1932)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="AMAR,SIDGH,WSj,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279AMAR SI&#7748GH W&#256S&#362 (1884 1932), Ak&#257l&#299 activist and journalist, was born Ga&#7749ga R&#257m at the village of W&#257s&#363, in Gujr&#257t district, now in Pakistan, in 1884, the son of Ladh&#257 Mall and Lachhm&#299 Dev&#299. Under the influence of the Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 movement, the family went through the Sikh initiatory rites, Ga&#7749g&#257 R&#257m becoming Amar Si&#7749gh <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 and his father R&#257m Si&#7749gh. Amar Si&#7749gh matriculated from the Mission High School, Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257, and joined in 1902 the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College at Amritsar, passing the intermediate examination of the Pañj&#257b University, Lahore, in 1904. In 1906, he went to the United States to train as a journalist, returning to India in 1908. He had vowed not to take up government service under the British. In partnership with the historian Karam Si&#7749gh, he set up an Ayurvedic pharmacy--the Sanny&#257s&#299 &#256shram--at Sargodh&#257 in 1908. While at Sargodh&#257, Amar Si&#7749gh married R&#257m Kaur, daughter of Bh&#257&#299 Narai&#7751 Si&#7749gh, of Gha&#7771&#363&#257&#7749, a village in Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 district. It was an inter-caste marriage encouraged by Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 enthusiasts but opposed by the orthodox. When Bh&#257&#299 Jodh Si&#7749gh, theologian and educationist, formed in 1909 a group of J&#299van Sevaks or those dedicating their lives to the service of the Sikh community, Amar Si&#7749gh was amongst the few who volunteered to join the new society and work for it on a small fixed honorarium for twenty years. In 1920, Amar Si&#7749gh, now known as Amar Si&#7749gh W&#257s&#363 after the name of his village, became editor of the English weekly, the <i><u>Kh</u>alsa Advocate</i>, started by the Chief <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n. When this paper closed down, he took over as assistant secretary of the Chief <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n. As the reformist Sikhs assumed charge of the Nank&#257&#7751&#257 shrines after the massacre of 1921, Amar Si&#7749gh was appointed to administer them. At the time of Gur&#363 k&#257 B&#257<u>gh</u> <i>morch&#257</i>, he was shifted to Amritsar. From 1927-30 he remained a member of the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amar Si&#7749gh died at Sargodh&#257 on 27 June 1932 after a prolonged illness.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Ashok, Shamsher Si&#7749gh <i>Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee d&#257 Pañj&#257h S&#257l&#257Itih&#257s</i> Amritsar, 1982<BR> <li class="C1"> Sahni, Ruchi Ram, <i>Struggle for Reform in Sikh Shrines</i>. Amritsar, n. d.<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Sarmukh Si&#7749gh Amole<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>