ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>CHAND&#256 SI&#7748GH (d. 1930)</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="CHAND,SIDGH"> <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">&#65279CHAND&#256 SI&#7748GH (d. 1930), better known as Chand&#257 Si&#7749gh Vak&#299l or lawyer, was born at K&#257li&#257&#7749v&#257l&#299, district Sirs&#257, in the present Hary&#257&#7751&#257 state, in a Sikh farming family of moderate means. He was the eldest of the three sons of Di&#257l Si&#7749gh. An attack of smallpox in his childhood had deprived him of his eyesight, but this did not deter him from carving his way in life. He passed his primary classes from the village school and went to Amritsar for his middle school course. He took his Matriculation at Government High School, Delhi. He was gifted with a phenomenal memory and excelled at studies. Throughout his school career, he held a merit scholarship. He passed the qualifying examination in law from Lahore and started legal practice at Sirs&#257, where he soon made a name for himself as a lawyer.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In April 1889, Chand&#257 Si&#7749gh was married to Ved Kaur daughter of Bh&#257&#299 Uttam Si&#7749gh of the village of B&#363&#7771&#257 &#7692all&#257, in Gurd&#257spur district. The marriage was a significant one at that period of time. It was solemnized strictly in accordance with the Sikh rites, for the bride's father was an enthusiastic member of the Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257. He had selected Chand&#257 Si&#7749gh from among seven likely young men by casting lots in front of the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. He cheerfully accepted the choice thus made even though the bridegroom was blind. Chand&#257 Si&#7749gh was administered <i>amrit</i>, i. e. the vows of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257, before the nuptials.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Marriage into a Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 family brought Chand&#257 Si&#7749gh into prominence in the Sikh community. He shifted from Sirs&#257 to <i>F&#299rozpur</i>, where he started taking active interest in the Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257. He was co- opted a member of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n, Lahore. He and Gi&#257n&#299 Ditt Si&#7749gh provided personal assistance to Dharam Si&#7749gh of Gharj&#257kh, then working president of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n. In 1890, he was appointed a member of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College Establishment Committee and two years later he became a member of the working committee of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n, Lahore, as well as of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College Council. He also remained president of the F&#299rozpur Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 for many years. He participated as a delegate in the annual session of the Indian National Congress at Lahore in December 1893, defying a resolution of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n, Lahore, forbidding its members to attend the conference. Later, he figured prominently in two new Sikh societies - the Chief <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n and the Sikh Educational Conference. During the Jaito campaign, he led out a <i>jath&#257</i> of Ak&#257l&#299 volunteers from F&#299rozpur and courted arrest. Chand&#257 Si&#7749gh died on 4 May 1930. He had no sons, and his only daughter had predeceased him. He bequeathed his house, land and property to Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257, F&#299rozpur. As willed by him, his house was converted into a <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> which is now known as Gurdw&#257r&#257 Ak&#257lga&#7771h.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Jagjit Si&#7749gh, <i>Si&#7749gh Sabha Lahir</i>. Ludhiana, 1974<BR> <li class="C1"> Dhillon, Gurdarshan Singh, "Character and Impact of the Singh Sabha Movement on the History of the Punjab. " Ph. D. thesis submitted in 1973 to the Punjabi University, Patiala.<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Jagj&#299t Si&#7749gh <br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>