Master Tara Singh's fast

Who: Master Tara Singh.

What: Master Tara Singh began a hunger strike in the Golden Temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib) complex at Amritsar, demanding Punjabi Suba. The London weekly Tribune (25 August 1961) and Wikipedia, which cites Britannica, place it at the Golden Temple. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism dates the start to August 15, 1961, after a solemn prayer in front of the Akal Takht. The fast lasted 48 days. According to the Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, he was persuaded to end it on the 48th day (October 1, 1961). The mediators were Maharaja Yadavinder Singh of Patiala and Malik Hardit Singh, who kept in touch with Prime Minister Nehru and Home Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on one side and the Akali leaders on the other. AllAboutSikhs adds that it was the Prime Minister's offer of a commission of inquiry that prevailed on him to break the fast. The five Panj Pyare, named on November 24, 1961, announced on November 29 that he was guilty of breaking his vow. His penance, according to the Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, was an akhand path at the Akal Takht, an extra Japu path daily for a month, karah prasad worth Rs 125, and cleaning the sangat's shoes and the langar dishes for five days. Sant Fateh Singh and eight other Working Committee members were also held guilty of acquiescing in the breaking of the fast and given lighter penances. The commission that followed gave its report on February 9, 1962, rejecting any discrimination against the Sikhs (Encyclopaedia of Sikhism).

Where: the Sri Harmandir Sahib complex, Amritsar. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism places the opening prayer in front of the Sri Akal Takht, which stands in the complex.

Why it mattered: The fast ended without Punjabi Suba, and it cost Tara Singh his standing. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism says the accusation was commonly made that he had broken the pledge sworn at the Akal Takht, that he "could not climb up the ladder again", and that Sant Fateh Singh had emerged as a serious rival. It adds that a major split occurred in the Akali ranks in the aftermath of the fast, with Sant Fateh Singh setting up a rival Akali Dal, and that Tara Singh's group was ousted from power in the SGPC. Wikipedia, summarising Britannica, says fellow Sikhs believed he had capitulated.

Tara Singh's broader pattern: Wikipedia, citing J. S. Grewal's biography of Tara Singh (2018), says he was jailed 14 times for civil disobedience between 1930 and 1966. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism records that he was arrested with other Sikh leaders in 1923 on charges of sedition and conspiracy and released in 1926 after more than two years in jail.