ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>GUR SEVAK SABH&#256</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="GUR,SEVAK,SABH"> <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">&#65279GUR SEVAK SABH&#256, a society formed at Amritsar on 29 December 1933 by some Sikh intellectuals and educationists to restate Sikh moral and religious values and have these reinstated in the public life of the Panth, then severely riven by rivalries and personal ambitions of the leaders. B&#257v&#257 Harkishan Si&#7749gh, Principal of the Gur&#363 N&#257nak <u>Kh</u>&#257lsa College at Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257, Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh and Nira&#7749jan Si&#7749gh, both professors at the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College at Amritsar and Narai&#7751 Si&#7749gh, a professor at the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College at Gujr&#257&#7749w&#257l&#257, were amongst the sponsors. The group travelled around addressing <i>sa&#7749gats</i> in <i>gurdw&#257r&#257s</i>. V&#299ch&#257r Sa&#7749gats, i.e. study circles, were convened at different places with the help of local Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257s. The issues commonly discussed were the administration of the <i>gurdw&#257r&#257s</i>, the means of repairing the schism in the political party of the Sikhs, the Ak&#257l&#299 Dal, which was at that time riven into two mutually hostile groups -- one led by Master T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh and the other by Gi&#257n&#299 Sher Si&#7749gh. For elections to the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee in 1935, the Gur Sev&#257k Sabh&#257 was able to persuade the two groups to accept a common list of candidates to be prepared by B&#257b&#257 Vas&#257kh&#257 Si&#7749gh a former revolutionary, to halt the continuing feud. In the Sikh convention held in Amritsar (Bais&#257kh&#299 day of 1936) at the time of the visit of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, leader of the so-called untouchables, members of the Gur Sevak Sabh&#257, notably B&#257v&#257 Harkishan Si&#7749gh, took a prominent hand. In the outcome, several of Dr Ambedkar's followers were converted to the Sikh faith at the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t. The <i>ard&#257s</i> on this occasion was said in English-perhaps the first ever public prayer in the language at the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t -- by Professor Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh, a leading member of the Gur Sevak Sabh&#257. The most memorable task undertaken by the Gur Sevak Sabh&#257 was the preparation of the <i>&#346abad&#257rth</i>, an annotated edition of the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, which was completed in five years, from May 1936 to September 1941. It was the work primarily of Professor Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh, B&#257v&#257 Harkishan Si&#7749gh and Professor Narai&#7751 Si&#7749gh lending him a helping hand. The <i>&#346abad&#257rth</i>, a landmark in Sikh learning, will remain a permanent monument to the Gur Sevak Sabh&#257 which had only a brief spell of life.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Sarmukh Si&#7749gh Amole<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>