The spirit of Nationalism and Patriotism imbibed by Shri Satguru Ram Singh Ji in Namdharis prompted them to throw the intruding foreigners out of India. The Freedom Struggle for making India independent went on for many decades. Before independence the Indian Government resorted to the malicious game of divide and rule to crush the Namdharis and all other freedom fighters. They legalized cow-slaughter in the holy city of Amritsar, which was earlier banned to honour the religious sentiments of the Sikhs and the Hindus.
The Namdhari Sikhs reacted with defiance to the lifting of ban on cow-slaughter in Amritsar. In 1871 they rioted and attacked several butcheries in Amritsar setting free all cows. In the fight to release the cows, many were killed. A similar incident took place on 15th January 1872 at Malerkotla where Namdhari Sikhs fought pitched battles with the imperial forces to protest against cow-slaughter. Scores of Namdharis laid down their lives on the battlefield. The then government took several Namdharis as prisoners and ordered them to be blown off with cannon fire. Forty-nine Namdharis were blown off, another sixteen were hanged. One of them being a minor child by name Bishan Singh was brutally slaughtered by sword. Bishan Singh was only twelve-year-old child, at the time of the massacre. Namdhari martyrs were being blown off under the order and supervision of Cowan, the Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana District. Cowan was a cruel administrator but his wife, on seeing Bishan Singh, a beautiful kid, asked Cowan to forgive him. Cowan agreed on the condition that the child should say that he is not a follower of Satguru Ram Singh Ji. Mata Khem Kaur, the mother of Shaheed Bishan Singh, ignited her son's patriotism urging him not to be carried away by these words. Bishan Singh played a trick. He said that he would whisper these words into the ears of Cowan. When Cowan came near Bishan Singh to listen to these words, Bishan Singh snatched the long beard of Cowan (he was a bearded Englishman) firmly and said, 'Oh man, will you again ask me to speak such words?' Cowan screamed in pain when one of the policeman cut off the hands of Bishan Singh and slaughtered him with sword.
Nothing stopped the activities of Namdhari Sikhs. They were plotting incessant activities and plans for the movement against the Government. In 1872, after killing butchers, these Namdhari Sikhs went to police station themselves. Because, Satguru Ram Singh Ji had removed the fear of death from the minds of these Sikhs. One British visitor, Sir Henry Carton mentioned in his biography about Satguru Ram Singh Ji that "Europeans are proud of one Jesus, but here I have seen many Jesus who came in front of cannon fire and embraced death". The Government acquired the land of Namdhari people and imposed many restrictions on them. Namdhari Sikhs have a big share in independence battle against British Government for the motherland. Throughout the world we would not find the example of the magnitude of sacrifice of Namdharis in Malerkotla.
BUTA SINGH KANWAL