The corruption of Rattan Singh’s ‘Pracheen
Panth Prakash’ was not the only heinous literary
crime committed by Bhai Vir Singh. The champion scholar of the Tat
Khalsa also violated Kavi Santokh Singh’s great work, ‘Siri
Gur Partap Suraj Granth’ (also known as ‘Suraj
Prakash’/’Suraj Granth’)
in a similar manner. Swami Harnam Das Udhasi, a one time Budha Dal
Akali Nihang named Nurang Singh, and a great scholar of Sikh scriptures,
wrote in his Budha Dal-published transliteration of Sarbloh Guru
Durbar:
‘The invocatory discourse from Suraj Prakash
were started by having invocatory verses in the beginning of
texts pertaining to praise of Chandi; they were broken up and
altered. In writing against Chandi Pooja, Doctor Vir Singh etc.,
in place of the original invocatory verses found in Suraj Prakash,
replaced them with self-manufactured invocatory verses.
In this way Kavi Santokh Singh’s true intentions were
damaged. In fact, in places it was written even against Bhai
Santokh Singh’s original text. For example the first ‘Dohra’
(stanza) of Siri Nanak Prakash.’ ‘Siri Sarbloh Granth
Sahib Stik’, published by Akali Nihang Baba Santa Singh,
Volume 1, Pa.185
Maha Kavi Santokh Singh
A painting of the great historian and author of Siri Gur Partap
Suraj Granth
In 1894, Bhai Vir Singh had formed the Khalsa Tract
Society in Amritsar along with Charan Singh (his
father), Vjir Singh (his elder brother), Sirdar Trilochan
Singh and Sirdar Surjan Singh. Along with
his newspaper, the ‘Khalsa Samachaar’,
the aim of the Khalsa Tract Society was to promote the ideals of
the Tat Khalsa Singh Sabhias and remove the influence of Sanatan
Sikhism. Bhai Vir Singh would later participate in campaigns for
the extremist Panth Khalsa Diwan, the Sikh Educational Society,
and the Punjab and Sindh Bank.
Kila Kavi Santokh Singh
Birthplace of the Kavi Santokh Singh, today known as 'Kila Kavi
Santokh Singh' which was once known as 'Sarai Noor Din'
