New Delhi: To commemorate the centenary of the martyrdom of Sardar Teja Singh Samundri, lieutenant governor TS Sandhu, his grandson, organised a special Shabad Kirtan at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in the city Friday. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) also held a commemorative function at Teja Singh Samundri Hall in Amritsar.The programme in Delhi was attended by former President Ram Nath Kovind; Chief Justice of India Surya Kant; Gursharan Kaur, wife of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; chief minister Rekha Gupta; actor Anupam Kher; ministers of Delhi cabinet; judges of Supreme Court and Delhi High Court; MPs, MLAs and a large gathering of devotees.The event featured a Shabad Kirtan by Padma Shri awardee Bhai Harjinder Singh, followed by Guru ka Langar, in keeping with the Sikh tradition of community service.Born in 1882, Samundri was a founding member of SGPC and among the foremost leaders of the historic gurdwara reform movement. He dedicated his life to strengthening Sikh religious institutions and securing the community’s right to manage its own gurdwaras. He died in Lahore Jail on July 17, 1926, at the age of 44.He played a pivotal role in establishing SGPC as the representative body of Sikh Panth, and was instrumental in the Rakab Ganj Sahib agitation, in which the restoration of the demolished boundary wall became a symbol of disciplined, non-violent resistance against colonial rule. During Guru ka Bagh Morcha of 1922, his leadership helped transform the protest into a mass movement for religious freedom.Samundri’s stature transcended community lines to such an extent that Congress was known to have sought his inclusion in its working committee, recognising his ability to fuse religious reform with the broader cause of the freedom struggle.After the enactment of Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925, the colonial authorities sought written assurances from imprisoned Akali functionaries that they would refrain from further agitations. Samundri refused to compromise, choosing imprisonment over submission. His death in jail cemented his legacy as one of the most revered figures of the Akali movement and a symbol of courage, sacrifice and unwavering commitment to Sikh rights.
