<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>NIH&#256L SI&#7748GH KAIRO&#7748 (1863-1928)</TITLE>
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<p class="C1">&#65279NIH&#256L SI&#7748GH KAIRO&#7748 (1863-1928), a pioneer of women's education in the Punjab, was born on 22 December 1863 at Kairo&#7749, a village in Amritsar district. His father, Gul&#257b Si&#7749gh, a deeply religious person, had three sons, Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh being the youngest of them. Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh had no formal schooling, and travelled with his brother, Tarlok Si&#7749gh, to Malaya (Malaysia) while still very young. He joined the Royal Artillery at Hong Kong, but soon secured his release and returned to his village in the Punjab to work for community welfare and reform. He lectured at Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 <i>d&#299v&#257ns</i>. He founded a boys' school in his village and took a leading part in establishing a Sikh society called M&#257jh&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n. The first meeting of the D&#299w&#257n, held on 17-19 February 1905 at Tarn T&#257ran, was largely attended by people from all parts of the Punjab. A concrete outcome of this conclave was a girls' school established at Kairo&#7749. The girls school was a novelty in the area and the founder, Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh, encountered considerable opposition, but he persisted with his plans and in May 1913 laid the cornerstone of a boarding house for girls as well. Accompanied by B&#257b&#257 Dial Si&#7749gh and a group of students from his school, Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh visited Malaya, Hong Kong and Shanghai to raise funds for the school and the hostel attached to it. Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Bh&#363pinder Si&#7749gh, ruler of the princely state of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257, performed, on 14 March 1916, the opening ceremony of the hostel which celebrating the name of a member of the Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 family was called M&#257t&#257 S&#257hib Kaur Bhujha&#7749ga&#7751 &#256shram. Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh also instituted at the school an annual women's conference which became an active agent of social reform.</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;	Bh&#257&#299 Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh died on 20 November 1928. One of his sons, Part&#257p Si&#7749gh K&#257iro&#7749, took active part in India's struggle for freedom, and won renown as a political leader.</p>
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BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Parcharak, Day&#257l Si&#7749gh, <i>J&#299van Bh&#257&#299 Nih&#257l Si&#7749gh Kairo&#7749</i>. n.d.<BR>
<li class="C1"> Mubarak Singh, ed., <i>Kairo&#7749</i>. Ludhiana, 1963<BR>
<li class="C1"> Teja Singh and Nanak Singh, ed., <i>Silver Jubilee Book</i>. Amritsar, 1935<BR>
</ol><p class="CONT">Gursharan Si&#7749gh <br></p><BR>
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