Mohan Bhagwat leads tributes for first Sikh RSS pracharak who stood for Punjabi

Punjab BJP leader Parminder Singh Brar attended the cremation and also offered his condolences to the family.

Born five years after the RSS came into existence, the 93-year-old was a prominent figure in the Sangh. Born on October 1, 1930, in Patiala, Chiranjeev Singh was drawn to temples and gurdwaras in his early life. He fell under the influence of the Sangh in 1944 during a visit to a local shakha with his friend Ravi.

Active during the 1948 ban on the RSS, Chiranjeev Singh spent two months in jail. After completing his BA in 1952, he joined the RSS as a pracharak in 1953. His service extended to various places, including Malerkotla, Sangrur, Patiala, Ropar, and Ludhiana, where he remained for 21 years.

He was also a founding member of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat and became its president in 1990. Chiranjeev Singh travelled to multiple countries, spreading the ideals of the Sangh. In 2003, due to health reasons, he stepped down from active responsibilities but continued his service until 2021.

During the Punjabi Suba movement, some right-wing bodies had given a call to the Punjabi Hindu community to register their mother tongue as Hindi during the Census. But Chiranjeev Singh stood for Punjabi.

“It was during the Punjabi Suba movement that some people of Arya Samaj insisted the Punjabi Hindu community mention their mother tongue as Hindi during the Census. It had created bitterness in society. At that time, Chiranjeev Singh ji had approached M S Golwalkar (known as Guruji and one of the most influential figures in RSS). Then Golwalkar came to Punjab and said that the mother tongue of all Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims living in Punjab is Punjabi and they should register their mother tongue as Punjabi. It was a big contribution of Chiranjeev Singh to promote Punjabi language,” said Avtar Singh Shastri, former general secretary, Rashtriya Sikh Sangat.

Chiranjeev Singh also played an important role in defusing the tension between Sikh bodies and some national institutions during and after the militancy, added Shastri.

“Chiranjeev Singh approached Damdami Taksal head Baba Thakur Singh ji. He also had good relations with Giani Puran Singh, former Akal Takht Jathedar, and the then SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra and former Punjab CM Surjit Singh Barnala. He also enjoyed good relations with Sant Harcharan Singh Longowal. He played a key role in restoring peace in Punjab,” said Shastri.