REMEMBERING HARCHAND SINGH DHILLON (24.03.1921–23.05.2001)
by Surinder Paul Sidhu
(Reproduced from Facebook Post by my spouse)
Today, 23rd May 2022, is 21st Death Anniversary of Papaji, my father Harchand Singh Dhillon. Like vast majority of our generation, we were blessed to have very caring parents. They worked hard and sacrificed their comforts so that we could have successful careers, happy families, and worldly comforts. In this competitive globalised world, we should always count our blessings.
Papaji was born at our village Kahneke near Barnala. As a few months old infant, he lost both parents to 2nd wave of Spanish flu. He was breast-fed and very caringly reared by his sister and her husband Zaildar Bachan Singh of Dhalewan (Mansa district). After passing matriculation from Mansa School, he fought Second World War in Italy. He observed the improved agricultural practices and modern implements used by Italian farmers. Prosperity of Italian villages left an indelible mark. He dreamed of Kahneke making similar progress.
Papaji joined Punjab Irrigation Department as a Ziledar, was promoted as Deputy Collector, and retired early in 1976, becoming a progressive farmer. Around that time, he purchased a Massey Ferguson tractor which was booked around 1960. He always drove the tractor himself.
From 6th grade onwards I stayed with Papaji at the places of his posting while Beeji, my mother Bishan Kaur, looked after farming. At her insistence, I joined the first batch of B.Sc. (Home Science) at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Ludhiana in 1966, although my preference was one year J.B.T. course. At a young age, she suddenly died on 18 May 1967 at Dhalewan, the day our Fufarji Bachan Singh passed away. For younger sister Raj and me (Elder sisters Balwinder and Shaminder were married in 1963) Papaji practically became our mother as well. Despite formidable constraints, with his unwavering support, I completed B.Sc., and followed it with M.Sc. from M S University Vadodara.
Although a person of modest means, Papaji had a big heart for helping his village folks. He enjoyed demonstrating PAU technologies on his farm. Some of his humble actions included:
1. Starting education of Kahneke children by paying salary of the teacher from his pocket in 1950s as there was no school in our village.
2. Installing a flour mill so that the villagers did not have to go to other villages for grinding grains.
3. Laying underground pipes for tube well irrigation in 1965 to save water and prevent wastage of land in irrigation channels.
4. Keeping a Holstein Friesian bull and providing free service for raising milk yield of local cows in the adjoining villages.
5. Developing 0.5 acre hobby orchard for growing Ber, Kinnow, Mittha, Guava, Papaya, Banana, Almonds, and Chiku; and distributing the entire fruit harvest free to school children and villagers. He had a collection of fragrant roses and made Gulkand.
6. Growing new PAU seeds of wheat, rice and American cotton and distributing these to village folks at grain price.
7. Ensuring year-round availability of fresh vegetables, and yearly supply of onions, garlic, chillies, moong, and lentil from 2 kanal land. He was especially proud of growing Canadian vegetable seeds brought by Bhupinder Singh Dhaliwal son of his friend Sardar Dalip Singh from Dhaula. The only off-farm food stuffs we purchased were sugar, tea, salt, and turmeric. This is the kind of household level self-sufficiency Dr Sarjit Singh Gill has been advocating but very few adopt.
8. All the honey produced from the honey-bee boxes reared by him was available for free to the villagers for medicinal use.
9. Widely sharing ‘Progressive Farming’ monthly magazine and other modern crop and livestock production literature with villagers.
10. Sparing no effort to coax and help the village folks for sending their children, especially girls, to schools and colleges.
11. Every year sending money and wheat to Pingalwara Charity and funds to Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.
12. As Ziledar/Deputy Collector, always ensuring the poor farmers got their share of scarce canal water, even if they were tail-enders. He always treated farmers and subordinates with respect and understanding. We were strictly instructed to take special care of Class IV employees and drivers who came to our house.
Papaji left a great influence on his grandchildren. Our daughter Deepu and son Jagmeet used to spend their summer vacations with him. Deepu spent the entire day with him at the farm and feeding an army of dogs. The gardening skills she learned from her Nanaji, she now uses to grow plants and vegetables in the backyard of her home.
Papaji never asked anyone for any favour. Coming from the adjoining villages (Dhaula and Kahneke) and of similar age, Surjit Singh Barnala and Papaji were good friends. Often Barnala Sahib used to send a message “Harchand Singh I want to meet you.” He quietly came and they discussed issues of mutual interest, often reminiscing about past events, including close encounters with dacoits during British Raj. Even the neighbours never knew that Governor, Chief Minister, or Minister S S Barnala was with Papaji.
While sitting in the Darwaza, the airy hall at the entrance of our house, Papaji always kept fruits and biscuits handy for distribution to the little kids and encouraging them to work hard for their studies. To older persons he offered the tea prepared using his home-made trademark Tea Masala containing several condiments.
He passed away a happy and contented person at Dayanand Medical College Hospital Ludhiana. The whole of Kahneke joined in the bereavement of his departure, like they had lost one of their own families.
After Papaji’s death we went to his Arhtiya Buta Ram to clear any outstanding dues. We were stunned on Buta Ram telling us that he owed Papaji a large sum. When we told him that none of us had a clue about this, and he could have kept quiet about this substantial amount, his immediate reply was “Babaji (Grandpa) financially helped me to start my Arht business. I can never think of keeping even one Rupee of such a pious person!”
Rest In Peace Papaji! Spread over different parts of the world, we continue to bask in the reflected glory of your hard work, honesty, simplicity and helping the needy.
