Tara Singh Malhotra - Non Co-operation Movement and SGPC

Non Co-operation Movement and SGPC

With the formation of the Central Sikh League a new kind of leadership emerged on the central stage of the Sikh politics. The new leadership differed from the old leadership in its ideas and actions. The old leadership had its roots in Jagirdari class whereas this leadership belonged to the new educated professional middle class.

So far the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee was concentrating on the movement against the mahants, the Central Sikh League made the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee to simultaneously direct it against the government as it had full control over the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee executive.

In the election of SGPC held on July 1921, Baba Kharak Singh became the president and Master Tara Singh the Vice-President. The executive committee of newly elected Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee consisted almost entirely of non-cooperators. The executive of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee brought the non-cooperation movement in the Punjab to its highest pitch. In May 1921, the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee passed the resolution in support of non-cooperation. Master Tara Singh was mainly responsible for connecting the Gurdwara Reform Movement with the non-cooperation movement.