DITT SIṄGH, GIĀNĪ (1853-1901), scholar, poet and journalist, was an eminent Siṅgh Sabhā reformer and editor. He was born on 21 April 1853 at Kalauṛ, a village in Paṭiālā district of the Punjab. His ancestral village was Jhallīāṅ, near Chamkaur Sāhib, but his father, Dīvān Siṅgh, had migrated to his wife's village, Kalauṛ. Dīvān Siṅgh, a Ravidāsīā by caste and a weaver by trade, was a religious-minded person who had earned the title of Sant for his piety. Himself an admirer of the Gulābdāsī sect, he sent Ditt Siṅgh at the age of nine, to be educated under Sant Gurbakhsh Siṅgh at Ḍerā Gulābdāsīāṅ in the village of Tioṛ, near Kharaṛ in Ropaṛ district. Ditt Siṅgh studied Gurmukhī, prosody, Vedānta and Niti-Śāstrā at the Ḍerā, and learnt Urdu from Dayā Nand, a resident of Tioṛ. At the age of 16-17, he shifted to the main Gulābdāsī centre at Chaṭṭhiāṅvālā, near Kasūr, in Lahore district. Formally initiated into the sect of Sant Desā Siṅgh, he became a Gulābdāsi preacher. Not long afterwards, he came under the influence of Bhāī Jawāhir Siṅgh, formerly a follower of Gulābdāsī sect, who had joined the Ārya Samāj. Ditt Siṅgh also became an Ārya Samājist. He was introduced to Swāmī Dayā Nand, the founder of the Ārya Samāj, during the latter's visit to Lahore in 1877. Soon, however, he and his friend, Jawāhir Siṅgh, were drawn into the Sikh fold through Bhāī Gurmukh Siṅgh, then an active figure in the Siṅgh Sabhā movement. In 1886, Bhāī Gurmukh Siṅgh, following the establishment of the Lahore Khālsā Dīwān parallel to the one at Amritsar, floated a weekly newspaper, the Khālsā Akhbār. Though its first editor was Giānī Jhaṇḍā Siṅgh Farīdkoṭī, the principal contributor was Giānī Ditt Siṅgh, who soon took over editorship from him. He had passed the Gyānī examination the same year and had been appointed a teacher at the Oriental College. In his hands the Khālsā Akhbār became an efficient and powerful vehicle for the spread of Siṅgh Sabhā ideology. The Khālsā Dīwān Amritsar led by Bābā Khem Siṅgh Bedī and the ruler of Farīdkoṭ, Rājā Bikram Siṅgh, had Bhāī Gurmukh Siṅgh excommunicated, under the seal of the Golden Temple, in March 1887. On 16 April 1887, Giānī Ditt Siṅgh issued a special supplement of his Khālsā Akhbār in which appeared a part of his Svapan Nāṭak (q. v. ), or Dream Play, a thinly-veiled satire, ridiculing the Amritsar leaders and their supporters. One of the victims of the burlesque, Bāvā Ude Siṅgh, filed a defamation suit against Giānī Ditt Siṅgh in a Lahore court. The latter was sentenced to pay a fine of Rs 5 but was on appeal acquitted by the sessions court on 30 April 1888. The case had dragged on for over a year, imposing severe financial hardship on the Khālsā Akhbār. It had already suffered a setback by the death in May 1887 of its chief patron, Kaṅvar Bikramā Siṅgh of Kapūrthalā. In 1889, it had to be closed down, along with the Khālsā Press. Bhāī Gurmukh Siṅgh, however, secured, through Bhāī Kāhn Siṅgh, help from the Mahārājā of Nābhā and the Khālsā Akhbār recomenced publication on 1 May 1893. Editorship was again entrusted to Ditt Siṅgh. Ditt Siṅgh also helped Bhagat Lakshman Siṅgh to launch from Lahore on 5 January 1899 the Khālsā, a weekly in English.
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㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀ऀ䐀椀琀琀 匀椀☀⌀㜀㜀㐀㤀最栀✀猀 洀愀爀爀椀愀最攀 琀漀漀欀 瀀氀愀挀攀 椀渀 䰀愀栀漀爀攀 椀渀 㠀㠀 愀挀挀漀爀搀椀渀最 琀漀 匀椀欀栀 爀椀琀攀猀⸀ 䠀椀猀 眀椀昀攀Ⰰ 䈀椀猀栀愀渀 䬀愀甀爀Ⰰ 猀栀愀爀攀搀 栀椀猀 爀攀氀椀最椀漀甀猀 稀攀愀氀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 挀漀甀瀀氀攀 栀愀搀 愀 栀愀瀀瀀礀 洀愀爀爀椀攀搀 氀椀昀攀⸀ 吀栀攀礀 栀愀搀 琀眀漀 挀栀椀氀搀爀攀渀Ⰰ 愀 猀漀渀Ⰰ 䈀愀氀搀攀瘀 匀椀☀⌀㜀㜀㐀㤀最栀Ⰰ 戀漀爀渀 椀渀 㠀㠀㘀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 愀 搀愀甀最栀琀攀爀Ⰰ 嘀椀搀礀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀瘀愀渀琀 䬀愀甀爀Ⰰ 戀漀爀渀 椀渀 㠀㤀 ⸀ 䐀椀琀琀 匀椀☀⌀㜀㜀㐀㤀最栀 眀愀猀 瘀攀爀礀 昀漀渀搀 漀昀 栀椀猀 搀愀甀最栀琀攀爀 眀栀漀 眀愀猀 愀 栀椀最栀氀礀 瀀爀攀挀漀挀椀漀甀猀 挀栀椀氀搀⸀ 䠀攀爀 搀攀愀琀栀 漀渀 㜀 䨀甀渀攀 㤀 眀愀猀 愀 最爀攀愀琀 戀氀漀眀 琀漀 䐀椀琀琀 匀椀☀⌀㜀㜀㐀㤀最栀Ⰰ 眀栀漀 栀愀搀 愀氀爀攀愀搀礀 戀攀攀渀 甀渀搀攀爀 愀 猀琀爀愀椀渀 漀眀椀渀最 琀漀 瀀攀爀猀椀猀琀攀渀琀氀礀 栀攀愀瘀礀 眀漀爀欀 猀椀渀挀攀 琀栀攀 搀攀愀琀栀 椀渀 㠀㤀㠀 漀昀 䈀栀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀 䜀甀爀洀甀欀栀 匀椀☀⌀㜀㜀㐀㤀最栀⸀ 䠀攀 猀琀椀氀氀 挀漀渀琀椀渀甀攀搀 琀漀 眀漀爀欀 眀椀琀栀 瀀愀琀椀攀渀挀攀 愀渀搀 昀漀爀琀椀琀甀搀攀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 栀椀猀 栀攀愀氀琀栀 搀攀琀攀爀椀漀爀愀琀攀搀 爀愀瀀椀搀氀礀 愀渀搀 栀攀 昀攀氀氀 猀攀爀椀漀甀猀氀礀 椀氀氀⸀ 䄀 䴀甀猀氀椀洀 搀漀挀琀漀爀Ⰰ 刀愀栀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀洀 㰀甀㸀䬀栀㰀⼀甀㸀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀渀Ⰰ 琀爀攀愀琀攀搀 栀椀洀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 椀琀 眀愀猀 漀昀 渀漀 愀瘀愀椀氀⸀ 䜀椀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀渀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀 䐀椀琀琀 匀椀☀⌀㜀㜀㐀㤀最栀 搀椀攀搀 愀琀 䰀愀栀漀爀攀 漀渀 㘀 匀攀瀀琀攀洀戀攀爀 㤀 ⸀ 吀栀攀 氀漀猀猀 眀愀猀 洀漀甀爀渀攀搀 眀椀搀攀氀礀 戀礀 琀栀攀 匀椀欀栀猀⸀ 䄀 㔀ⴀ洀攀洀戀攀爀 洀攀洀漀爀椀愀氀 挀漀洀洀椀琀琀攀攀 眀愀猀 昀漀爀洀攀搀 眀椀琀栀 䈀栀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀 匀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀栀椀戀 䄀爀樀愀渀 匀椀☀⌀㜀㜀㐀㤀最栀 䈀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀最愀☀⌀㜀㜀㜀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀☀⌀㜀㜀㐀㤀 愀猀 挀栀愀椀爀洀愀渀⸀ 一漀琀愀戀氀攀 洀攀洀漀爀椀愀氀猀 栀漀渀漀甀爀椀渀最 栀椀猀 渀愀洀攀 眀攀爀攀 䜀椀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀渀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀 䐀椀琀琀 匀椀☀⌀㜀㜀㐀㤀最栀 㰀甀㸀䬀栀㰀⼀甀㸀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀氀猀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀 䈀漀愀爀搀椀渀最 䠀漀甀猀攀 椀渀 䰀愀栀漀爀攀 愀渀搀 䈀栀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀 䐀椀琀琀 匀椀☀⌀㜀㜀㐀㤀最栀 䰀椀戀爀愀爀礀 漀瀀攀渀攀搀 愀琀 匀椀欀栀 䬀愀渀礀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀 䴀愀栀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀瘀椀搀礀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀氀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀 䘀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀爀漀稀瀀甀爀 戀礀 䈀栀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀 吀愀㰀甀㸀欀栀㰀⼀甀㸀琀 匀椀☀⌀㜀㜀㐀㤀最栀Ⰰ 漀渀攀 漀昀 栀椀猀 昀漀爀洀攀爀 猀琀甀搀攀渀琀猀 愀渀搀 愀 挀氀漀猀攀 昀爀椀攀渀搀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ 㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䈀䤀䈀∀㸀ഀഀ BIBLIOGRAPHYGurdarshan Siṅgh