There are inheritances that do not come as wealth or possessions but as values, stories, and a sense of duty passed from one generation to the next. For my family, the legacy of my grandfather, Sardar Teja Singh Samundri, is one such inheritance. His name belongs not only to our family history but also to the history of Punjab, the Sikh community, and India’s freedom struggle.

On his 100th death anniversary, it is important to remember Sardar Teja Singh Samundri not only as a martyr but also as one of the architects of modern Sikh public life. He was among the founding figures of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), a leading force in the Gurdwara Reform Movement, a champion of education and dalit emancipation, an advocate of an informed public sphere and a defender of Sikh, civic and political rights.

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Born in 1882 into a Sandhu Sikh family associated with Tarn Taran and later Samundri in Lyallpur district, he came from rural Punjab, where faith, community and service were closely connected. After serving in the British Indian Army, his deeper loyalty remained with Sikh principles and the dignity of his people. Though he had limited formal education, he possessed remarkable courage, clarity of purpose and commitment to public duty.

The early 20th century witnessed........

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