Ganda Singh Datt | |
|---|---|
 Sardar Bahadur Risaldar Major Ganda Singh Datt | |
| Born | 1830 Sialkot |
| Died | July 1903 (aged 72–73) |
| Allegiance | British India |
| Service | British Indian Army |
| Rank | Risaldar Major |
| Unit | 19th Regiment of Bengal Lancers |
| Battles / wars | Indian Mutiny Second Opium War Second Anglo-Afghan War |
| Awards | Indian Order of Merit |
Sardar BahadurRisaldar MajorGanda Singh Datt,IOM (1830 – July 1903) was a decorated soldier in theBritish Indian Army, who served in the19th Regiment of Bengal Lancers (also known as Fane's Horse).
Ganda Singh was aMohyal Brahmin of theDatt clan.[1] He belonged to the village of Zaffarwal Dattan in TehsilRayya of DistrictSialkot.[2] The Pakistani town ofGanda Singh Wala is named in his honour.
Ganda Singh did not have a son, but he passed on the heritage to his daughter Bhagan Devi. Her sons, Sardar Amar Singh and Sardar Shamsher Singh, rose to make an empire with Amritsar Sugar Mills, Amritsar. Amritsar Sugar mills, Rohana (UP), a very reputed Amrit Bank and the large tract of land in Amritsar. Sardar Amar Singh's sons, icons in their own right, Shyam Singh, Bakshi Hardev Singh, Narinder Singh Bakshi and Beant Singh Vaid looked after the immense business empire. Sardar Shamsher Singh's son, Sampuran Singh Vaid was also actively involved in it. There were two daughters, Bimla Rani, married to DSP Bakshi Rajpal Chibber and Urvashi married to Jagjit Singh Bali. Bakshi Hardev Singh, architect, philosopher and an artist, also took charge of the Amrit Bank. Till they were all nationalized. His son,Atul Bakshi, is a reputed Indian Glass artist.
Ganda Singh's extended family featured many other eminent persons as well. His cousin, Bakshi Prem Singh Vaid, was a decorated soldier in the British Indian Army as well, and so was his sonBakshi Tirath Ram Vaid. His maternal grandson, Dr. Baldev Singh Vaid, was a famous neurologist who was awarded thePadma Bhushan by the Indian government, and whose son-in-law, K. K. Bakshi, was a decoratedair vice marshal of theIndian Air Force.[3]
Ganda Singh's grand-nephew, Sardar Sant Singh Datt, who was Chief Resident ofKalsia State. Sardar Sant Singh Datt's son, Major GeneralKalwant Singh, was a senior commander in theIndian Army.
Singh enlisted as adafadar in 1852 and served as a soldier over 50 years. He received theIndian Order of Merit for having saved the life ofSir Robert Sandeman atLucknow at the time of theSepoy Mutiny of 1857. Subsequently, in theSecond Anglo-China War, he saved the life ofSir Charles MacGregor as well.[4]
Later in the Afghan Campaign of the British Indian Army, Singh participated in the famous march to Kandahar[5] and distinguished himself in theBattle of Kandahar, becoming an Honorary Captain. He was eventually appointedaide-de-camp toLord Roberts of Kabul and Kandahar, the then Commander-in-Chief of the British Indian Army.
Singh was rewarded with large tracts of agricultural land, and the villageGanda Singh Wala on the periphery of Amritsar is named after him. He was president of the first All IndiaMohyal Conference held in 1902 atLahore, and was among the select veteran Indian soldiers presented to the British Royals in theCoronation Durbar held in Delhi in January 1903.[6]