Political stalwarts who etched their names in history

Nagoke is a village with great reputation in Sikh history as the sons of this land represented top Sikh positions and other constitutional posts. Three personalities played a remarkable role in the functioning of Sikh religious institutions for which the residents of the village still remember their heroes.

Jathedar Udham Singh Nagoke

Jathedar Udham Singh Nagoke (1894-1966) took an active part in the country’s freedom struggle and in the agitations of Punjab and those launched by the Sikhs on religious and political issues, especially the Punjabi Suba Morcha. He remained Jathedar of the Akal Takht, besides president of the Shiromani Akali Dal, MLA, Rajya Sabha member and held other high offices.

At a young age, he joined the Army, but left in 1920. In 1921, when the Nankana Sahib tragedy occurred, he took an active part in the Chabian Da Morcha, the agitation launched by the Akali Dal to get the keys of the Toshakhana (Treasury) of Golden Temple. He along with many other Akali workers and leaders was arrested.

It was his first arrest which paved the way to a life of struggle for him. The Morcha proved to be successful and the British government not only released all the Sikh detainees but handed over the keys to Baba Kharak Singh, the then president of the SGPC at the Akal Takht. This victory of Akalis was welcomed throughout the country. Mahatma Gandhi expressed his pleasure and called the victory as the ‘first success of the country’s freedom struggle’. Udham Singh also participated in the Guru Ka Bagh Morcha and took part in the ‘Jaito Da Morcha’ too. He died on January 11, 1966.

Giani Kartar Singh

Giani Kartar Singh was a well-known figure in Punjab politics who had the honour to become a minister in the cabinet of then Chief Minister Gopi Chand Bhargava and Lala Bhim Sain Sachar (before Partition). He was also inducted in the ministry of the then Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon.

He was a strong leader in Akali politics and was considered to be next to Master Tara Singh. The family of Giani Kartar Singh (1902-1974) which is of Khehra clan, originally belonged to Nagoke village, which migrated to Chakk No. 44, Lyallpur district in Pakistan, when that area was to be made cultivable by the British.

Giani Kartar Singh received his early education in the village gurdwara and later joined the Khalsa School and he did his matriculation in 1921. He later joined the Khalsa College, Amritsar, but had to leave studies owing to a small pox attack.

He was in Amritsar when on April 13, 1919, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place. Later, he formed a group of 20 students and started taking part in active Sikh politics. He was given a post in the Shiromani Akali Dal and in the SGPC.

He participated in the other freedom struggles of the Sikh community. He took part in the agitation against the visit of Simon Commission to India in 1928 and attended the protest rally that greeted the Simon Commission with black flags at Lahore railway station, on October 30, 1928, with shouts of “Simon, Go Back”. During the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930-31, he was arrested many times. He died on June 10, 1974 in Patiala.

Jathedar Mohan Singh Nagoke

A unique figure in Akali politics, Jathedar Mohan Singh Nagoke (1898-1969) was born in Nagoke village. His father Tehil Singh was a rich farmer whose ancestors were soldiers in General Ventura’s regiment during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Jatheder Mohan Singh Nagoke studied in the village school and got admission at Khalsa Collegiate School, Amritsar.

He started taking part in Akali politics and was in the first jatha of Akalis for Jaito Da Morcha and was shot and injured. After he recovered, he again took part in the Jaito da Morcha and remained in jail from April 18, 1924, to July 27, 1925. The Akali leadership appointed him as an assistant to the Akal Takht Jathedar in 1931.

After the Partition, the Government of Punjab nominated him as a member of the board set up for the rehabilitation of displaced persons. He was elected to the Punjab Legislative Assembly as a nominee of the Congress and was again elected in 1967. Jathedar Mohan Singh Nagoke died on March 2, 1969, in Amritsar.