Sant Fateh Singh's first fast unto death for Punjabi Suba

Who: Sant Fateh Singh, who had directed the morcha since Master Tara Singh's arrest; Master Tara Singh, in jail until 4 January 1961; Prime Minister Nehru; and Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon.

What: On 29 October 1960 Sant Fateh Singh wrote to Nehru that, after Nehru's statement that there would be no Punjabi Suba, he was left with no alternative but to fast unto death "to prick your conscience" (Gurmit Singh). Nehru did not reply, a second letter fixed the date, and Sant Fateh Singh began the fast on 18 December 1960. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism says he had ardas said at the Akal Takht, received karah prasad at Sri Harmandir Sahib and told a huge gathering to stay peaceful, and that ten Sikhs were named to continue the fast if he died.

Nehru said at Chandigarh on 20 December that Punjabi was the dominant language of Punjab and should be promoted in every way. He appealed to the Sant in Delhi to end the fast, on 23 December in the accounts of Gurmit Singh and Grewal and on 31 December in the Encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Kairon freed Master Tara Singh on 4 January 1961. The Encyclopaedia says this was on the advice of Bhai Jodh Singh, Gurmit Singh says Jayaprakash Narayan's intercession brought it about, and Grewal says Kairon hoped to lessen the chance of an understanding between Nehru and the Sant.

Master Tara Singh flew to Bhavnagar, where the Congress session was meeting, and met Nehru for two hours on 7 January without result. On 8 January Nehru said at Sardar Nagar that Punjab was "broadly speaking a Punjabi Suba with Punjabi as the dominant language" and that this should be enough to meet the Sant's vow. Master Tara Singh judged that it did and sent word to Amritsar; Gurmit Singh quotes his telegram telling the Sant that the speech met the requirements of his vow. The Working Committee and the Panj Piare also asked the Sant to end the fast. He broke it at 8.30 a.m. on 9 January 1961, after 22 days, with juice from Bhai Chet Singh, a Golden Temple priest.

Where: The Golden Temple complex at Amritsar: Manji Sahib, where the fast began, and the Akal Takht.

Why it mattered: The fast ended without a Punjabi Suba. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism says there was universal applause for the Sant's motive, but that fasting to the death was new to Sikh tradition and sowed internal conflict. Master Tara Singh was booed at Manji Sahib on 11 January and walked out on at Muktsar two days later, and many held him responsible for the way the Sant's fast ended. Talks between Nehru and the Sant followed in February, and Master Tara Singh began a fast of his own in August 1961, after which the Panj Piare found both men guilty of not keeping their vows.