Ex-MP Tarlochan Singh exhorts parliamentarians to preserve Sikh heritage in UK

London, Sep 10 (PTI) Former Rajya Sabha MP Sardar Tarlochan Singh has exhorted British Sikh members of Parliament and peers to commission authoritative research into the scattered treasures of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to be appropriately catalogued and preserved at a museum for future generations.

The former chairman of the National Commission for Minorities was addressing an event hosted by the British Sikh Association in his honour at the House of Lords complex in London on Monday evening.

The 92-year-old campaigner pointed to media reports which had revealed a colonial era file that documented some of the many treasures belonging to the 19th century ruler of the Sikh Empire in India.

“A list of the treasures from Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s toshakhana (treasury) should be released in order for our children to be proud of our Sikh heritage,” said Singh.

“Historical records have mentioned that Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s sacred plume, which adorned his turban, was kept in the toshakhana and Maharaja Ranjit Singh used to touch it every day.

"There were many such precious items. The Maharaja’s golden chair is now exhibited at the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London, but there are several items just lying in storage which can be brought out to be displayed under one roof,” he said.

Singh, behind a museum on Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Amritsar, reiterated that his demand is not for repatriation of these items to India but for their appropriate care and display in the UK.

“I appeal to Sikh parliamentarians in the UK to ensure all our heritage scattered around in different collections, including at the V&A, Sandhurst and British Museum, is brought together and displayed for the younger generations,” he said.

The philanthropist, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2021 for his contribution to social service, also urged the British Sikh Association to commemorate the 1897 Battle of Saragarhi in London – recently portrayed in the 2019 Bollywood film 'Kesari'.

“We will be marking the 128th anniversary of this historic battle this week on September 12, when just 21 Sikh soldiers of the British Indian Army's 36th Sikh Regiment defended the Saragarhi outpost against thousands of Afghan tribesmen,” said Lord Rami Ranger, chairman of the British Sikh Association.

“Sardar Tarlochan Singh has given us a lot of food for thought and the association will set up a Saragarhi Memorial Society to take this initiative forward,” he said.

Lord Kuldip Singh Sahota, the India-born Labour peer in the House of Lords, spoke about a bronze statue of Havildar Ishar Singh at Wednesfield in Wolverhampton in commemoration of his contributions during the historic Battle of Saragarhi, in the North West Frontier Province of British India.

Labour MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi welcomed Sardar Tarlochan Singh’s tireless efforts to inspire Sikhs worldwide to make a difference within their communities as he presented him with the British Sikh Association’s Sikh Jewel Award.

The event concluded with the association and Lord Rami Ranger donating 2,000 pounds towards the flood relief efforts being coordinated by the ‘Daily Ajit’ newspaper in Punjab. PTI AK SCY SCY