Born on 6th June, 1867 at Sialkot and graduating from Government College, Lahore in 1889, Baba Kharak Singh became the Grand Old Man of Punjab during the freedom struggle. His spirit of sacrifice, dedication, indomitable will and his capacity to sufer a cause, made him leave the post of Secretary, Municipal Committee, Sialkot, to join the movement for the fredom of the country. At the second Central Sikh League Session, Lahore (1920) attended by mahatma Gandhi, Baba Kharak Singh urged the Sikhs to throw in their lot with the Congress against Inperialism. He took active aprt in the Gurdwara Liberation Movement.

When the Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar took away the keys of the Tosha Khana (Treasury) of Darbar Sahib, Babaji protested against it and was arrested. He refused to accept the jurisdivtion of the Court, which imposed a punishment of six months imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1000/-. Released in January. 1922, Baba Kharak Singh accepted the keys of the Shrine returned by the Deputy Commissioner, with the [ermission of the Sikh congregation.

Mahatma Gandhi felicitated him on winning "The first decisive battle of India's Freedom." The British Government, aprehensive of his growing popularity, tried him under Section 121-124 of the Indian Penal Code for delivering speeches against the Crown and imprisoned him for three years at Dera Gazi Khan jail where there was a ban on the wearing of Gandhi Cap and black turban. Babaji protested by refusing to wear any clothes except the mandatory under-garment of the Sikhs. His sentence was then increased to five years.

After his release from jail, Babaji led a huge demonstration against the Simon Commission in 1928. Babaji was again imprisoned in 1935 for his scathing criticism of the Communal Award. By then, inspite of his old age Babaji took up causes like that the I.N.A. in 1945 and toured the Punjab & N.W.F.P. during the elction of 1946, contributing to the success of the Congress. In the words of Jawaharlal Nehru "There are few hands which can uphold the honour and preserve the dignity of the National Flag better than those of Babaji." He died on 6th October, 1963.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India