Sant Teja Singh, son of S .Rala Singh a physician, obtained his M.A, LL.B, degrees in 1901 at the age of 24. In 1903 he was chosen as the first vice-principal (tater principle) of the Khalsa College Amritsar.
The young man was non-religious, a free thinker, argumentative and a critic But he was very sympathetic for the needy for whose help he founded Guru Nanak Club, Master Tara Singh and some other important Sikh leaders were his students. They were motivated by him for Panthic Sewa.
Meeting Sant Attar Singh of Mustnana brought a turning point in his life. He took Amrit and became a devoted Sikh. Encouraged by the Sant, he visited U.K, U.S.A. and Canada —_ for higher education. The holy message of Santji he brought for the people in the West was, “Ridhi-Sidhi (miracle power) is of no value, the stage of self-realization is far beyond it.”
He was the first turbaned student admitted to the famous Cambridge University in U.K. after he explained that turban is an essential article of Sikh faith. A scholarship helped him reach to U.S.A. and join Columbia University New York for his M.A. in English literal d by his anal: a mind, his professor arranged two open lectures by prof. Teja Singh. Wide press coverage in U.S.A. and Canada made him known as an intellectual and a great Sikh scholar, As a result many Americans formed a group frequented him for a weekly discourse in Sikh faith. One of the men was the owner of a gold mine in California; He was instrumental for the Vancouver Sikhs to have shares in that gold mine.)
This also brought an invitation from the Vancouver Sikhs to visit them. Teja Singh helped Sikhs to draft the constitution of the Khalsa Dewan Society and got it registered in 1908. He motivated the society to purchase a 250 acre block near Eagle Harbor in North Vancouver and purchase shares of the gold in California. Teja Singh gave public lectures and published articles on Sikh faith. This brought them economic strength and raised their social image in Canada, This strength of the Sikh Community made the Canadian government to accept the arguments of Sikh deputation organized by Teja Singh. The decision of the government to deport all Canadian Indian (mostly Sikhs) under the policy. Canada for Whites only was cancelled, Professor Teja Singh moved from town on the Pacific coast organizing Sikhs and motivating them to take Amrit. He also helped Sikhs build the first Gurdwara in Victoria, B.C., Stockton, California, and also in London U.K. “These Gurdwara became the centers of religious, social and political activities of the Sikhs.
Not only Sikhs, but non-Sikh white people also developed great respect for the Sikh faith. Mrs.
Clarke of each for distribution in North America. Rev. J. L. Jones, Lord Bishop of Chicago, the organizer of the Parliament of World Religions in 1893, after listening the mission of Guru Nanak from Professor Singh got up from his chair, warmly shaking hands with him said” Brother Teja Singh, Light shall come again from the East. We in the West are quite unfit for it”
Because of the political activities in Canada and U.S.A Teja Singh was not permitted to continue his University U.S.A. Degree from there before resuming to India in 1912.
On his way, Tea Singh visited Hong Kong, and Malaya. Thousands of people welcomed him at all the places: His lectures were well attended and rekindled the deep love or the Sikhs for their faith.
In India, he went straight to Sant Attar Singh at Mustuana, near Sangrur, Punjab, He underwent spiritual training there till 1916. In 1917,he founded Guru Nanak Khalsa College in Gujranwala and remained its principal till 1919 when he was desired by the Santji to join as Principal, Teachers Training College, Varanasi Hindu University. In 1920 he was called to manage Akal Degree College Mustuana. He also founded Khalsa High School Kalar, (Pakistan) and Gurment School at Cheema, the birth place of Sant Attar Singh Ji. He built many Gurdwara including a large numbers of rooms at Paonta Sahib for Sikh refugees from Pakistan. He spent his life giving discourse in schools, colleges, and Gurdwaras motivating Sikhs to take Amrit and thus get onto the ship of Guru Nanak.
He took three tours to foreign” Countries again after 1952, He visited far esteem countries including Japan where he gave a dis course in 1956 on “The Way of Establish Permanent Peace at the Congress of World Religions for Peace.
“He visited many countries in Africa reminding of their Sikh it heritage and its greatness. He visited U.K., U.S.A. and Canada in 1955-1956 to educate people regarding the message of Gurmat.
He expired in July 1965. He founded Sant Attar Hari Sadhu Ashram, Baru, about 20 km from Rajgarh, Himachel Pardesh. The students of the Akal Academy Baru, visited North America in 1992 and impressed both young and old Sikhs.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 12, 1994
