Amar Khalsa Shaheed Baba Jeevan Singh Rangreta Ji

Amar Khalsa Shaheed Baba Jeevan Singh Rangreta Ji( His 317th Shahidi Divas falls on 7th Dec, 2020) Let me start with the greeting dear to Shaheed Baba Jewan Singh Ji. Writer Sewadar:- Er.H.R.Phonsa Vaaheguroo jee kaa khaalsaa Vaaheguroo jee kee fatheh !! Baba Jeevan Singh jee was born with the name Jaitha (First son of parents) in an untouchable Hindu family. In the untouchables( Sudras) there is a caste called Ranghar (Raigar, Rehgar, Rehgarh (Engaged as Safai Karmcharies or scavengers). In Latin: first-person singular future passive indicative of rego "I shall be ruled, I shall be governed" ."I shall be guided; I shall be steered, In India Regar is also used for those who are born from the union of a Hindu and Muslim. Literally, the word Regar means dyeing in Rajasthani. The community is involved in the dyeing of leather, and is distributed throughout Rajasthan. They are said to members of the wider Regar community that took dyeing. The community speaks Marwari. There are many sub caste of Regar.....just like Aartiya, Mundetiya, verma etc. The Regar people in India are of different living standard. in some parts of India they have good wealth like Delhi, Jaipur and the number of people having land increasing day by day on the other hand in remote villages they made no progress so they are doing labour work at the fields of zamindars . Many Regars are now successful shoe manufacturers. In the present days Regars of Delhi have good approach to their life they are educating their children well. They are prospering in all aspects of life and contributing in Delhi progress. Their ancestors were brought to Delhi for construction work as a labour for Lutyans Delhi. They are now fighting their cause well. Some of them show sign of wealthy like Jat, Yadavs. People in the Ranghar caste were effectively outcasts from both communities. Furthermore, Bhai Jaitha was from the scavenger or choohra class, which was looked down upon by people of the society. In the Sikh Religion they are called Mazhabies . In Punjab alone the Mazbies are 30% of total Scheduled Caste population which account for70,28,723 persons or 28.9% of total State population divided into 37 Sub Castes as per 2001census. They were traditionally a great warrior sect. Mazbaies and Ramdasias were largely recruited in British Army, before they their recruitment was banned under terms of the Criminal Tribes Act 1871 when the British were informed that it was Shudra soldiers were large in number who fought in the Sepoy Mutiny( First War Of Indian Independence) against British. Matadin Bhangi was ignited the Rebellion spark . The Dalit Dastavej Hindi book, by Shri Panna Lal president Dalit Sahitya Prakashan Sanstha New Delhi writes that as many as7782 Indian brave hearts sacrificed their lives from ( 1857-1947) for the sake of Indian freedom. Among them were 5319 (68. 3%) Shudras (Now SCs, STs, OBC), 1084 ( 14%) Muslims and 1379 (17.7%) from other upper castes. However there was no Criminal Act against upper castes or Muslims, who formed largely the helping hands of British in reigning over India for over 200 years and British also did not interfere their suppression of Shudras. The British recrited Mazhabies and Ramdasia in their armed forces during ww-I& II. Sikh LI soldiers are largely drawn from Dalits. The Sikh warriers against Mugals had majority of Shudras. Bhai Jaitha was born on November 30th, 1649 at Patna to mother Mata Kanno Ji and father Bhai Sada Chand. It is written that he was actually born with the name Jagat Chand alias Jag Chand, which was shortened to Jagu or Jota, and eventually Jaitha. Bhai Jaitha had a brother named Bhag Chand, or Bhagu, and they were Sikhs of Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji. At this time, Bhai Jaitha Ji and his family lived at Kiratpur Sahib where Guru Ji was staying. For some time, Bhai Jaitha Ji and his family moved to the village of Jhanda Ramdas, and lived alongside Bhai Gurditta, the great-grandson of Baba Buddha Ji. This was probably during the Gurgaddi of Guru Harkrishan Sahib Ji. When Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib ji was on the Gurgaddi, by this time Bhai Jaitha Ji was probably in his early twenties. After the plea for help from the Kashmiri Pandits, Guru ji went to Delhi with Bhai Mati Das Ji, Bhai Udho Ji, Bhai Dyala Ji, Bhai Gurditta Ji and Bhai Jaita ( Chima) Ji ( See:-Jiwan Das Guru Sahban by Sondhi Teja Singh Ji). At this time, Bhai Jaitha ( Rangreta) was sent to get news about Bhai Gurditta Ji and Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji. Bhai Mati Das was sawn with a Saw and Bhai Dayala Ji was got martyred by emersion in boiled water in Chandni Chowk Delhi to frighten 9th Master Guru Teg Bahadur Ji so that He embraces Islam. Bhai udho and Bhai Jaita ( Chima) were sent back to Anand pur Sahib leaving behind with 9th Master Bhai Gur Ditta. This was as per the wish of the 9th Master Himself. As is well known, the tyrant but coward Moghuls martyred the three Gursikhs and the Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji. The sacred Head and Body of Guru Teg Bahadur were thrown in the open in Chandi Chowk of Delhi, so as to spread terror in the minds of devotees of the great martyr to suppress any protest from them. It was sad spine shivering shocking incident. A gale storm was experienced in the evening, Bhai Lakhi Shah Banjara( Businessman) and his son, Bhai Naghaiya( Decedents of Makhan Shah Labana), took the physical body of the Guru Ji and respectfully cremated the body during lighting their entire house so as be- fool world of showing their joy on the incident, but actually they put house on fire to perform last rights of their beloved Master. The present location of Gurdwara Sahib Rakab Ganj in Delhi stands on the same location. Bhai Jaitha Ji – when saw the sacred Head lying before him he took the physical possession of it. Bhai Jaitha Ji lovingly wrapped Guru ji's head and started on a long journey to Anandpur Sahib. There are so many Sakhies ( Religious stories)of Bhai Jaitha's experiences in this journey - meeting other Gursikhs on is way back and offered them the opportunity to have Darshans( Glimpses) of the Relic . These Guru Sikhs were longing to have darshan of the Guru, and Bhai Jaitha Ji full filled their wishes of having darshans of Guru Ji’s sees (head). The treacherous path, the long and arduous journey that Bhai Jaitha took is only known to him(distance is over 500Kms) and to God Almighty, Waheguru. After risking his own life Bhai Jaitha Ji took respectfully his Master’s served head to Anandpur Sahib. The Mughal King Aurangzeb had ordered that the assassinated body of Sri Guru Teg Bahadur,9th Sikh Master(1 April 1621 – 11 November 1675) be not lifted and be allowed to remain laying in open so as to spread terror among His followers. To remove any body part from the site was to play with fire and sure death to defiler of King’s orders. Shri S. L. Virdhi Advovate has narrated this historic facts in his Punjabi Book “DALIT SHAHIDAN DA ITIHAS”. He writes that Bhai Jetha ji ( later Bhai Jeevan Singh Rangreta) and his father Sadda Nand saw the cut sis( Head) from body of their spiritual master. They wanted to remove the sacred head and carry it to Anandpur Sahib for its cremation as per Sikh traditions. Jetha hit upon a plan to remove the Sis by substitution it with another human head quickly while the Sepoys on duty move away from site in his site rounds. Jetha asked his father to cut his ( Jetha’s) head and replace it with Guru’s Head, there after carry it to Anandpur Sahib. Instead cutting his son’s head Bhai Sadda Nand cut his own head with his sword to help Jetha to execute his plan. Bhai Jetha cleverly removed Guru Ji’s Head , wrapped it in his cloth and carried it to Sri Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib, facing numerous difficulties on his way( present distance by road 325 to 360 Kms) however then there was no road and area under rule of Mughals . Mr.Verdi has written in 112 chapters covering thousands of Dalit Shaheeds valour, of sikh history, Indian Independence rebellions besides Caste hates wars. Guru Gobind Singh Ji said" Rangretta,Guru Ka Betta" but how many of us know or remember this fact and extend such respects to Bhai Rangretta's decedents. Upon arriving in Anandpur Sahib and meeting the child - Bala Preetam - Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji, Bhai Jaitha jee was honoured. That caste, which was denounced by both Hindus and Muslims --- that class, which was considered lowly and dirty -- was exhalted and given the highest honour. Guru Jee said "Rangreta, Guru ka Beta." Jaitha, of the Ranghar caste, is the son of the Guru. Bhai Jiwan Singh, the son of the Guru, by the 10th Guru's own declaration, is a gift of infinite bliss, immortality, emancipation and honour beyond comparison. At this time, Bhai Jaitha jee was around 26 to27 years old. In Anandpur Sahib, Bhai Jaitha jee became the first Nagarchi, or the drummer for the Ranjit Nagara, the battledrum of victory, in the army of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Bhai Jaitha Ji was a highly skilled in warfare techniques. In fact when Sahibzada Baba Ajit Singh Ji, and Sahibzada Baba Jujhaar Singh ji, the two elder sons of Guru Gobind Singh ji, were growing up, Bhai Jaitha Ji taught them about the art of warfare. In 1691, Bhai Jaitha jee got married to Bibi Raj Kaur ji, daughter of Sujan Singh, in the village of Riar near Amritsar, they had four children. On Vaisakhi of 1699, at the age of 50, along with his wife and the thousands of other Gursikhs, Bhai Jaitha jee was blessed to take khande-ke-pahul and became Bhai Jeevan Singh Jee. As is evidenced in history, the Khalsa forces had to abandon Anandpur Sahib and amidst attacks from the Moghul armies, many of Guru Ji’s army and family were attacked and martyred in the battles that followed. In the battle of Chamkaur, this amazing Gursikh, who by the standards of the cruel society would have been an outcast, a low class scavenger, became a devout Sikh of the Guru, a humble servant of the Guru, a strong warrior in the Guru's army, and above all a true Son of the Guru, who became a Martyer ( Ammar Shaheed) for the cause of the Guru. Fighting bravely alongside the Khalsa army, this warrior general got the blessing of martyrdom in the battle between truth and falsehood. Wikipedia itewww.sikhiwiki.ors>index.>php>Bhai_Jiwan_ Singh : writes Bhai Jiwan Singh Rangreta had stood by Guru Gobind Singh Ji and showed the feats of his bravery in 15 battles. At the place where Baba Jiwan Singh Ji was martyred, Gurudwara Shaheed Burj Sahib is situated . This is said to be the place where Guru Sahib offered Bhai Jaitha “ His KALGI”. This Gurudwara Sahib was situated in the memory of Baba Jiwan Singh Ji. Bibi Sharan Kaur Ji gave a funeral for Baba Jiwan Singh Ji at this place. In the battle of Chamkaur Sahib, the father- in-law Bhai Khajan Singh, younger brother Bhai Sangat Singh and two sons Bhai Sukha Singh Ji and Bhai Seva Singh Ji of Baba Jiwan Singh Ji were also martyred. If any Gursikh wants to know how to be a True child of son of Guru Gobind Singh ji he is advised to look at the self less loyalty, devotion, and love of Baba Jeevan Singh jee towards 9th and 10th Sikh Masters.. Also the Sikh Sangat should not forget their loyalty for standing by the Sikh Masters with their might. So the decedents of Regar community should be shown practical love and affection by Sangat and should not segregate them when intermarrying cases arise. The relation of both Rooti( Bread) and Beeti (Exchange of daughters in marriages) should be adopted which shall strengthened their historical relations. Sikh Sangat was given one common name as “SINGH or LOIN” by the 10th Master discarding all old caste tags, which one observes after the names of the present Singh’s as surnames. This trend needs be arrested by the religious heads. But a new trend in the Sikhs have risen where they carry or write as surnames their old castes as Aroras ,Kapoor, Sudans, Khatries, Balis etc. which need be discurged. They have been given name as SINGH, the warrior non else but by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Himself. Bhai Jiwan Singh Rangreta was with the Guru during the evacuation of Anandpur Sahiband fought the battles of Bhangani, Nadaun, Anandpur Sahib, Bajrur, Nirmohgarh, all four wars of Anandpur Sahib, Bansali/Kalmot and Sarsa. He died in Battle of Chamkaur on 7th Dec,1704 after guru Gobind Singh ji gave him the ((kalghi and chollah)) his clothes for confusing mughals. Bhai Jiwan Singh also wrote about the exploits of Guru Gobind Singh, in his magnum opus the 'Sri Gur Katha'. After his death in 1704 a tomb was erected to honour him at Gurudwara Shaheed Burj Sahib at Chamkaur. Words 2200 Er H.R. Phonsa Jammu He can be reached on zenithrs@yahoo.com and hrphonsa@gmail.com( M-09419134060) Source of Material: 1. Nayar, Rana (5 July 2017). Cultural Studies in India. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-57037-4. 2. DALIT SHAHIDAN DA ITIHAS ( Punjabi) by Shri S. L. Virdhi Advovate 3. Wikipedia itewww.sikhiwiki.ors>index.>php>Bhai_Jiwan_ Singh