Harnam Singh Khalsa

Harnam Singh Khalsa is a Punjabi Sikh preacher and the 15th jathedar of the Damdami Taksal after Baba Thakur Singh.

Sant Giani Harnam Singh Khalsa
15th Jathedar of Damdami Taksal
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 December 2004
Preceded by	Baba Thakur Singh
Personal details
Born	Harnam Singh 23 May 1968 Dhumma, Punjab
Parents	Bapu Tarlochan Singh (father) Mata Avtar Kaur (mother)
Residence(s)	Mehta Chowk, Punjab
Alma mater	Damdami Taksal
Known for	Acting Jathedar of Damdami Taksal, Head of Sant Samaj

Personal life

Sant Giani Harnam Singh Khalsa was born on Thursday, 23 May 1968 to Bapu Tarlochan Singh and Mata Avtar Kaur in Dhumma near Rajpura, Patiala District in Punjab.

Baba Harnam Singh's childhood was different than others. He mostly kept himself attuned in prayer and meditation.

Baba Harnam Singh completed his studies at Sarkari Primary School in village Dhumma and was the top of his class. He studied up till the fifth class and after being admitted into the Sarkari Middle School in the sixth class, he dropped out of school.

A Gurmat emphasis was placed on Baba Harnam Singh's upbringing. Mata Avtar Kaur wouldn't let him leave for school until he had completed five recitations of Japji Sahib.

Sant Kartar Singh Bhindranwale, thirteenth Mukhi of Damdami Taksal visited Gurdwara Nabha Sahib with the Jatha in 1977. Baba Harnam Singh alongside their parents went to have Darshan of Sant Kartar Singh. After meeting Sant Kartar Singh and listening to his Katha, Baba Harnam Singh took Amrit at nine years. From that day he renounced worldly desires and clothes and adorned themselves with a Chola and Dastar.

After giving their head to the Guru, Baba Ji started their Dharmik Vidhia. First Baba Ji took Santhiya of Japji Sahib from the village Granthi, Giani Arjun Singh. After which Mata Avtar Kaur blessed Baba Ji with other Gurbani Santhiya.

Five kilometres from Dhumma is the village Bhagrana. Guru Teg Bahadur visited the village twice and Gurdwara Patshahi Nauvi has been built in their memory. After school every day, whether it was summer or winter, Baba Ji would walk barefoot to the Gurdwara where they sat for hours doing Jaap of Gurbani from Sahaskriti to Raagmala. Throughout the journey Baba Ji wouldn't talk or look at anyone, they would be constantly reciting Japji Sahib.

After becoming the Mukhi, Sant Jarnail Singh arrived at Gurdwara Dukh Niwaran, Patiala in 1978. Baba Harnam Singh travelled to Patiala with their mother and father and met Sant Jarnail Singh. Baba Harnam Singh and his father, Bapu Tarlochan Singh, met Sant Jarnail Singh while travelling on a bus. Sant Jarnail Singh was lying on a bed and Baba Harnam Singh was sitting by his feet. Sant Jarnail Singh asked Bapu Tarlochan Singh how many children he had, to which he replied four. Sant Jarnail Singh picked the young Harnam Singh for Sikh literary studies. Bapu Tarlochan Singh then offered Baba Harnam Singh to Damdami Taksal.

During the age of Insurgency in Punjab, India, Baba Harnam Singh had been imprisoned by the Punjab Police and tortured within custody. Baba Harnam Singh had been a Sevadaar of the successor to Sant Jarnail Singh, Baba Thakur Singh, who was an elderly member of the Taksal and had been assigned by the Jatha to carry on as Acting Mukhi in absence of Sant Jarnail Singh.

In 1993, Baba Thakur Singh sent Baba Harnam Singh to America. Baba Harnam Singh has been said to have moved to the city of Manteca, California, where he resided for 11 years. It is believed that he spent these years in the US meditating in the house of Sikhs which belonged to the Taksal, and that he gained dual citizenship of the United States.

Jathedari

After the death of Baba Thakur Singh in December 2004, it is said that Baba Harnam Singh immediately flew from the United States to undergo his Dastarbandi ceremony. The Damdami Taksal and the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, Jasbir Singh Rode, had supported his accession to the seat with a letter which has been claimed to have been written by Baba Thakur Singh which states that Baba Harnam Singh would succeed him.

In January 2005, Baba Harnam Singh held a samagam (convention) at Gurdwara Gurdarshan Parkash Mehta Chowk, declaring Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale a martyr. For twenty years, the Damdami Taksal under the leadership of Baba Takhur Singh claimed that Sant Jarnail Singh was in ‘chardikala’ or high-spirits. Until this samagam, Sant Jarnail Singh was considered the current Mukhi of the Damdami Taksal and Baba Takhur Singh was performing temporary duties. Baba Harnam Singh declared Baba Takhur Singh as the 15th Mukhi and himself the incumbent 16th. This move was a controversial one, leading Amrik Singh Ajnala to form his own faction.

During the same time as the Dastarbandi ceremony of Baba Harnam Singh, another prominent figure within the Damdami Taksal, known as Baba Ram Singh Sangrawan, had claimed to have been the successor, and his own faction held a separate ceremony. Baba Takhur Singh is said to have ostracized Ram Singh on video tape and had issued written statements condemning his actions prior to his death. Despite this situation, most of the Sikh community acknowledged Baba Harnam Singh as the rightful successor. In 2017, he was officially declared as the successor to Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and the 16th Jathedar of Damdami Taksal by the SGPC.

Controversy

In 2016, another prominent Sikh preacher, Ranjit Singh Dhadrian Wala, who had been seen as an opponent to Baba Harnam Singh, was attacked alongside his Jatha in his vehicle while travelling near Barewal village. Ranjit Singh had survived despite having several injuries, while a member of his Jatha, Bhupinder Singh, had been killed. It is claimed that his Jatha was attacked while they had stopped at a 'Chabeel' stand, when unidentified individuals began the attack while raising slogans of "Khalistan Zindabad".

Baba Harnam Singh and Ranjit Singh Dhadrian Wala had been at the heart of a philosophical conflict for a long period of time, as they had profound disagreements on various matters regarding Sikh faith, such as controversy on the Dasam Granth. After this attack had been carried out, most people of Punjab, India had suspected Damdami Taksal under the leadership of Baba Harnam Singh to have had a hand in the event. Within a few days, Baba Harnam Singh had openly spoken about this attack and stated that some students of the Taksal had taken part of what had occurred, but that he was unaware and had condemned the atrocity.