ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>GURMUKH SI&#7748GH MUS&#256FIR GI&#256N&#298 (1899-1976)</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="GURMUKH,SIDGH,MUSFIR,GIN*,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">&#65279GURMUKH SI&#7748GH MUS&#256FIR, GI&#256N&#298 (1899-1976), poet and politician, was born the son of Suj&#257n Si&#7749gh on 15 January 1899 at Adhv&#257l, in Campbellpore district, now in Pakistan. Gurmukh Si&#7749gh attended the village primary school and went to the city of R&#257walpi&#7751&#7693&#299. to pass the middle school examination. He trained as a junior vernacular teacher and took up, in 1918, appointment at <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 High School, Kallar, where Master T&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh, who later became famous as a political leader, had been the headmaster during 1914-16. His four years there as a teacher earned him the epithet Gi&#257n&#299, 'Mus&#257f&#299r' being the pseudonym he had adopted. Young Gurmukh Si&#7749gh had been much affected by the massacres at Jalli&#257&#7749v&#257l&#257 (13 April 1919) and at Nank&#257&#7751&#257 S&#257hib (20 February 1921) and, in 1922, he gave up teaching to plunge into the Ak&#257l&#299 agitation for <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> reform. He composed poetry full of patriotic fervour and recited it with gusto at Sikh <i>d&#299v&#257ns</i>. For taking part in the Gur&#363 k&#257 B&#257<u>gh</u> agitation in 1922, he underwent imprisonment. Side by side with his involvement in religious reformation, he started taking interest in nationalist politics and courted arrest in the Civil Disobedience launched by the Indian National Congress in 1930. The same year he was appointed head of Sr&#299 Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t, central seat of religious authority for the Sikhs. He held this office from 12 March 1930 to 5 March 1931. He also served for a time as secretary of the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee as well as general secretary of the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Ak&#257l&#299 Dal. He went to jail again in Saty&#257grah (1939-41) and Quit India (1942-45) movements. He became president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee in 1949. He was also a member of the All-India Congress working Committee. He was elected a member of the Lok Sabh&#257 successively in 1952, 1957 and 1962. He did not complete his last term in the Lok Sabh&#257 and resigned in 1966 to take over as chief minister of the reorganized state of the Punjab. On 28 March 1968, he re-entered Parliament, this time as a member of the R&#257jya Sabh&#257.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An active politician throughout his life, Gi&#257n&#299 Gurmukh Si&#7749gh Mus&#257fir also won renown as a poet and writer. His published works include nine collections of poems --- <i>Sabar de B&#257&#7751, Prem B&#257&#7751, J&#299van Pandh, Mus&#257far&#299&#257&#7749, &#7788u&#7789&#7789e Khambh, K&#257v Sunehe, Sahaj Set&#299, Vakkhr&#257 Vakkhr&#257 Katr&#257 Katr&#257</i> and <i>D&#363r Ne&#7771e;</i> eight of short stories --- <i>Vakkhr&#299 Dun&#299&#257, &#256hla&#7751e de Bo&#7789, Kandh&#257&#7749 Bol Pa&#299&#257&#7749; Sat&#257&#299 Janvar&#299 ; Allah V&#257le, Gu&#7789&#257r, Sabh Achchh&#257</i>, and <i>Sast&#257 Tam&#257sh&#257</i>; and four biographical works --- <i>Vekhi&#257 Su&#7751i&#257 G&#257ndh&#299, Vekhi&#257 Su&#7751i&#257 Nehr&#363, B&#257<u>gh</u>&#299 Jarnail</i> and <i>V&#299hv&#299&#7749 Sad&#299 de Shah&#299d</i>. He represented Indian writers at international conferences at Stockholm in 1954, and at Tokyo in 1961. He was posthumously decorated with Padma Vibh&#363shan, the second highest national award.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Strikingly handsome, with a flowing white beard setting off his statuesque, glowing face, Gurmukh Si&#7749gh Mus&#257fir was well known for his <i>joie de vivre</i>, his style and humour. He had a huge capacity for laughter.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He fully enjoyed the experience of living and had mastered the art of being happy. He got on with people of all ages and occupations. He was genial, humble and utterly guileless. He was above malice . He had undergone severe privation in life, but this left no trace of bitterness in him. He was exempt from intrigue. In politics, the highest positions came to him, but he never manoeuvred for any. He was unambitious, yet he was from the beginning assured of his direction and identity. This was the secret of his strength -- and success.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gi&#257n&#299 Gurmukh Si&#7749gh Mus&#257fir died in Delhi on 18 January 1976.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Ashok, Shamsher Si&#7749gh, Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Prabandhak Committee d&#257 Pañj&#257h S&#257l&#257 Itih&#257s. Amritsar, 1982<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>The Heritage of the Sikhs</i>. Delhi, 1983<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Mub&#257rak Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>