Sardar Bhupinder Singh Mann

Sardar Bhupinder Singh Mann

Sardar Bhupinder Singh Mann was Born in the famous Mann clan of Mannawala in Sheikhupura district now in Pakistan in July, 1916, Sardar Bhupinder Singh Mann graduated from Government College Lyllalpur( Now in Pakistan) and graduated in law from Law college, Punjab University, Lahore. While in college at Lahore, in collaboration with Prof. I.C. Nanda, a well- known punjabi play Wright and the then cultural czar, he was one of the first exponent of 'Bhangra’, the Punjabi folk dance in its present form.       

. He underwent imprisonment for participating in nationalist movement from 1942 to 1945. He was member, Punjab Congress Committee in 1946 and later on General Secretary Shiromani Akali Dal in 1947. He was one of Sikh representatives in the Indian constituent Assembly. After partition, his family settled in District Fatehgarh Sahib.  

He was arrested by the British in 1942 during the Quit India movement and kept interned upto 1945. Late, he was elected a member of the Assembly of the United Punjab at Lahore. The high point of his political career was being a member of the National Constituent Assembly. Being a gifted speaker, he actively participated in the assembly debates. Later, he was the Finance Minister in the Sardar Gian Singh Rarewala ministry of PEPSU.

He was a keen horticulturist and bequeathed one of the best multifruit farm at village Barra. The multifaceted personality passed away in 1993.

Sardar Balbir Singh Mann

Sardar  Balbir Singh Mann

Sardar Balbir Singh Mann, the eldest child of Gurcharan Singh Mann, a Rich Landlord of Village Mannawala District Sheikhupura (now in Pakistan) was born in 1919. His Father was one the chiefs of Punjab and after the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre he came openly against the British. He was fired with the Spirit of nationalism at a very young age of 10 years. He passed his matriculation from Barapind District Jalandhar and then joined P.C. College in Lahore for Graduation. Barapind was the hub of the ongoing national activities so he could not immune himself from its revolutionary influence.  While studying in college he went to meet  Mahatma Gandhi in his Ashram. Along with his Aunt Bibi Gurbachan Kaur, one of the known women social worker of Punjab who remained in the forefront of the women’s movements post Independence in Punjab. Bibi Gurbachan Kaur was a Blind Philanthropist and opened educational institutes for girls including Mata Gujri college Fatehgarh sahib. Influenced by Gandhi he took to wearing Khadi.    

He was an active participant in Quit India Movement. He and his Uncle Sardar Bhupinder Singh Mann riding a Bullock Cart in Sheikhupura raised Slogans against the British Rule. They both were taken into custody and sent to Sheikhupura Jail. The British Government had a lenient view so he was released after five months.

After his release he became a member of the Congress and organized an underground group of Young and Enthusiastic Nationalist volunteers. He inculcated the masses with values of Socialism, Secularism and Nationalism. On the eve of Independence he matured into a hard boiled socialist at the age of 30. He passed away in 1984.