- Thakur Singh Samra was born on May 17, 1903 at village Samra District Jalandhar. His parents S. Chhajju Singh and Mrs. Partap Kaur were known social workers of the area.
Mr. Samra got religious fervor from his young days. He volunteered himself for arrest in Guru Ka Bagh morcha in 1922. Now an old Samra still remembers the severe beating he got from the brutal policemen. This exemplary punishment could not curb his anxiety to participate in religious reformist movement. He again jumped into Bhai Pheru Ka Morcha and got a similar treatment at the hands of Punjab police. Although the second beating again made him bed stricken but still, he offered himself for Satyagraha.
But at this stage, his elder brother S. Inder Singh, who came to U.S.A. in 1910, sent him a call to migrate to U.S.A. It took about 18 months for Mr. Samra to reach his destination in 1928. But his dual loyalty or love made him go back to India in 1938. He faced intensive interrogation about the activities of the Ghaddar Party on his arrival at New Delhi.
Young Samra got married to his life partner, Nasib Kaur in 1939. Now they are the proud parents of five grown up children.
- Thakur Singh’s anxiety to see some new horizons took him to England in 1951 and he stayed there up to 1955. But his love for his native country took him back to India.
- Samra again came to U.S.A. in 1968 to settle here permanently. But his love for Sikh religion again took him to India in response to the call of the Panth to register a protest at the time of the Asian games in 1982. This demonstration showed him Tihar jail and renewed his old association with central jail Jalandhar. His son S. Naranjan Singh Samra who is now 49, is following the footprints of his great father. He is deeply interested in the promotion of Sikh cause. Samras are always seen on the forefront, whenever there is any call from the Sikh community.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 26, 1988
