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In
1938, on Thursday, the 6th August, at village
Tughalwala (Gurdaspur) he opened his eyes in the
lap of Mata Kartar Kaur Ji wife of S. Swaran
Singh Riar. He completed his education upto
Matric in 1955 from S.K.D. Khalsa High School
Tughalwala and then joined Sikh National
College, Quadian. His Greatgreat grand father
Bapu Bhag Singh Ji was Dewan of Maharaja Ranjit
Singh. They are known, in their village, as
RAJA-KE.
In 1910 there happened a historical event. Baba Aya Singh Ji, who belonged to village Bham about
3 k.m. away from village Tughalwala in Riarki,
made up his mind to start a Putri Pathshala to
educate girls but he did not have sufficient
land of his own. His villagers refused to
provide him land rather they condemned his very
idea of starting a school for girls. Then Baba Aya Singh Ji met
Bapu Gurdit Singh Ji, Grand
father of Baba Kashmira Singh Ji who happily
invited Baba Aya Singh Ji and offered him as
much land as he needed. Thus Bapu Gurdit Singh
Ji was the first donor of land for the Putri
Pathshala to impart education to the girls. That
Putri Pathshala later on became Sri Kharag Dhari
Khalsa High School and now it is Senior
Secondary School at Tughalwala. Thereafter five
more donors followed suit. In those days no body
could even imagine of giving education to girls.
Bapu Gurdit Singh Ji was so foresighted that he
often used to say "If we educate a boy we
educate only one person but if a girl is
educated we educate a complete family." This
small Putri Pathshala has now flourished
manifold. It is now known as BABA AYA SINGH
RIARKI GIRLS COLLEGE TUGHALWALA (GURDASPUR)
where about 1650 girls are studying, out of
which approximately 1150 girls are hostelers.
The salient feature of this college is that
pupils are themselves the teachers here. This
method of teaching was the invention of fertile
brain of comrade Channan Singh Ji, Who remained
president of this institution from the begining
of College. Whosoever visits this unique
institution, his first reaction is that this
institution is the Second Shanti Niketan. In
this college religious education is also
imparted to the students. The Principal of this
College S. Swaran Singh Virk has great
contribution towards the progress of this
institution and in imparting religious as well
as social education to students of this college.
Baba Kashmira Singh Ji has inherited the habit
of sacrificing his own facilities for the
service of down-trodden and needy masses from
his encestors. He joined Government service in
Punjab Police during 1956 and served in police
department for about 27 years on prestigious
posts such as Immigration Officer at Raja Sansi
Air Port during 1967-68, and as S.H.O. of very
important Police Stations at U.T. Chandigarh and
Punjab as well as Sub Division Incharge. He
completed male Nursing Course from 92. G.H. C/o
56 A.P.O. He also improved his education during
the service period. During the course of his
service he gave justice to the people even by
facing confrontation with his superiors. He
never bowed before injustice. He settled in
Jalandhar permanently since 1976. Ever since his
childhood he has been religious minded. He has
studied all the religions very closely. He came
in contact with Swami Gurbachan Lal Ji Maharaj
(Dhianpur
Wale) during 1969 and remained as his devoted
disciple for 12 long years. Swami Ji showered
His Choicest Blessings upon him by way of
disclosing secrets of spiritualism. He meditated
and served his mentor with undaunted devotion.
In 1981, he was ordained by his mentor (Sat
Guru), Swami Gurbachan Lal Ji Maharaj, to take
up the duty of delivering religious discourses
(Sat Sang) from Holy Granths of all the
religions. Baba Kashmira Singh Ji founded Dera
Swami Gurbachan Lal Ji Maharaj (Dhianpur Wale)
Sat Naam Anami Sat Sang Ghar, at Garha Jalandhar
on his personal landed property. With the
passage of time devotees of this dera from all
the religions started coming in large number.
During 1988, there were heavy floods in Punjab.
Baba Kashmira Singh Ji came out for the help of
flood-victims. He distributed medicines,
clothes, and food stuff to the flood victims. He
even went to the flood affected areas personally
and himself evacuated the stranded people and
deadbodies from flood waters. During this
operation, he caught infection. He remained
under treatment at Jaslok Hospital in Bombay,
which was quite costly. During the days of his
treatments at Bombay he determined that after
recovery he will construct a hospital in Punjab
and will equip it with machinery in such a way
that nobody shall have to come down to Bombay
for treatment which will be made within the
reach of poor masses.
On 16.8.1992 Baba Kashmira Singh Ji decided to
convert the Dera into a Charitable Hospital and
started the construction of hospital building on
vacant land of the Dera. He donated his personal
property worth Rs. 2.5. crores for this purpose
and constituted a Charitable Trust named Baba
Kashmira Singh Jan Sewa Trust to run this
Charitable Hospital. He has also donated 20
Acres of land to provide free meals to the
patients. He took with him likeminded
personalities such as S. Darbara Singh former
Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha as Senior Vice
President of the Trust and Comrade Channan
Singh, General Secretary All India Freedom
Fighters' Organisation as Vice President of the
Trust. He also took Doctors, Advocates and
Educationists in his team. With the help of this
institution S. Darbara Singh Ji was elected
Member Parliament in 1996. During Mid-Term Polls
of 1998 S. Darbara Singh Ji offered this seat to
Shri I.K. Gujral the then Prime Minister of
India, with the consultation of Baba Kashmira
Singh Ji. S. Dardara Singh Ji was appointed
Governor of Rajasthan on 1st May 1998 on the
recommendations of S. Parkash Singh Badal, Chief
Minister of Punjab. Unfortunately S. Darbara
Singh Ji expired on 24.5.98. His wife Smt.
Prabhjot Kaur was nominated as vice president in
place of Late S. Darbara Singh Ex.-Governor.
On 30.1.98 Sh. Inder Kumar Gujral the then Prime
Minister of India had inaugurated the Enquiry
wing and Waiting Hall at the entrance of this
hospital. On 10.11.92, Baba Kashmira Singh Ji
started a Free Dispensary as a part of the
hospital. He provided relief to the poor and
down trodden masses by arranging Free
Medical/Eyes Check up and operation camps every
half yearly. Blood Donation camps were also
arranged to help the local Red Cross Society. He
took up the construction work of Hospital
building so enthusiastically that on 23.4.95
Baba Kashmira Singh Ji inaugurated Swami Gurbachan Lal Ji Maharaj (Dhianpur Wale) (S.G.L.)
Charitable Hospital himself. This hospital
initially started fuctioning with a capacity of
50 beds. Highly trained and experienced Doctors
and staff were appointed. OPD, X-Ray Machine,
ECG Machine, Cardiac Monitor and Laboratory were
set up in the first instance. Gradually all
modern facilities were provided and machinery
was either puchased or imported. All the
patients, and one attendant of each patient, are
served with free meals. |