Inderjit Singh Bakhshi was a Member &
Secretary of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee till 1964 (when Committee
used to be of 21 Members only).
He migrated to
Delhi along with his family in the year 1930 from Rawalpindi.
His father Avtar Singh Bakhshi was also a Member of Delhi Gurdwara Committee when
committee consisted of 5 members and then 11 members only.
Inderjit
Singh Bakhshi advised & assisted Sardar Bahadur Narain Singh (one of the
contractors of Rashtrapati Bhawan) to build the present building of Gurdwara
Sis Ganj Sahib during the British rule.
He was solely instrumental to force the
then Mahant of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib to hand over this shrine to Delhi Sikh
Gurdwara Management Committee.
He gave
assistance & helped in the rehabilitation to Sikh & Punjabi refugees
from Pakistan after Partition to settle in Delhi during 1947-48.
Inderjit Singh Bakhshi was close associate of Master Tara Singh (who led the Sikhs for
40 years), Sant Fateh Singh, S. Buta Singh, S. Surjit Singh Barnala, Sirdar
Kapur Singh ICS, Sardarni Nirlep Kaur, S. Manjit Singh Calcutta, S. Tarlochan
Singh Sarna etc.
Due to the
influence of Akaali Morchas, he always wore only Blue and Black colour turbans
throughout his life.
Inderjit
Singh Bakhshi was the founder editor of reputed Punjabi weekly newspaper “Panth
Parkash” since 1963. He got awards of “Best Punjabi Journalist” from the
Punjabi Academy Delhi Government and Delhi Gurudwara Committee & many other
Organizations.
He participated
in many Sikh struggles such as Punjabi Subha Morcha in June 1960 & remained
in Jail for 80 days, anti pseudo Nirankari movement, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Reform
Movement etc. and had been arrested many times during these movements. He had
to face many cases for his fearless writings against the loot and mismanagement
in Delhi Gurdwara Committee as well.
He gave great
contribution in making the present Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Act.
He was also the
president of Delhi’s reputed Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Karol Bagh, New
Delhi.
He was the only
Sikh reporter who covered the announcement of Independence of India during the
intervening night of 14-15 August, 1947 in the then constitute assembly
(presently Rashtarpati Bhawan) as a founder editor/owner of Daily
"Baljit"- an Urdu daily newspaper then published from Delhi.
At the age of
about 91 years,he left heavenly abode on 22 September, 2009.
We salute him
for his tireless, selfless & great contributions to the Society.
Dr. Bhupinder Pal
Singh Bakhshi,
Hony. Editor
"Panth Parkash" Punjabi Weekly,
SGND Khalsa College, University Of Delhi ,Dev Nagar , New Delhi.
M: 9810080340.