As on August 08, 2007

Shri Gopal Singh Premi was born in the month of January, 1919 in the family of Shri Rattan Singh Ji and Smt. Nanaki Devi in village Latifal, Distt. Jehlum, W. Pakistan.  He spent his childhood in the village.

Besides Premi Ji, Shri Rattan Singh had another son Shri Jaswant Singh and two daughters Somawanti Ji and Aagya Kaur Ji.  Unfortunately Shri Rattan Singh died in 1927.  The responsibility to look after the family was shouldered by Shahenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji who was Premi Ji’s first (Paternal) cousin i.e. his father’s elder brother’s son. 

After Premi Ji passed his Class III in the village, Shahenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji took him to Peshawar where he studied till Class V.  In the year 1929, Premi Ji was initiated in God-knowledge by Rev. Baba Buta Singh Ji.  His elder sister Somawanti Ji, who was older to him by eighteen years had been married to Shri Manna Singh Ji by Premi Ji’s father during his lifetime.  Shri Manna Singh Ji was blessed with two daughters, the elder being Man Kaur and the younger Kulwant Kaur Ji (now Nirankari Rajmata Ji),

Being born in a Sikh family, Premi Ji loved to listen to Gurbani.  After his initiation in God-knowledge, Premi Ji devoted his whole life in the service of Nirankari Mission.  His life is immersed in his devotion to his True Master.  His brother, Shri Jaswant Singh Ji expired in 1937.

Premi Ji settled and started living in Peshawar in the service of Shahenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji, who opened an independent Bakery shop for him to earn his livelihood.  In 1938, Shahenshah Ji got him married to his maternal uncle Shri Ram Singh Ji’s daughter Rev. Damodri Ji.  Living a householder’s life as a saint in the service fellow saints, Premi Ji lived in Peshawar till 1943.

From 1944 onwards he started learning the occupation of Motor Spare Parts in Rawalpindi and also started working at the Motor Spare Parts shop of his sister Agya Kaur’s husband, Rev. Babu Mahadev Singh Ji.  By then, Shahenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji had also settled in Mohanpura, Rawalpindi.  In the year 1943 when Baba Buta Singh Ji called all the saints to Koh Murrie, to be present at his last moment, Shri Premi Ji along with Baba Avtar Singh Ji also reached there.  In the presence of all, Baba Buta Singh Ji made Baba Avtar Singh Ji his successor. 

After some time, Shahenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji sent Premi Ji to Delhi in the year 1945; so that he could establish his own business of Motor Parts there.  He opened a shop of Spare Parts in partnership with Babu Mahadev Singh Ji at Kashmiri Gate, Delhi.  Shahenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji visited him in Delhi while he lived at Minto Road.  During his stay Shri Suraj Mohan Ji was also initiated in God-knowledge.

After India’s independence and partition in August 1947, Shahenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji came from Birla Mandir Camp to live with Premi Ji at his house in Gali No. 1 Pahar Ganj.  It was at Premi Ji’s house that Shahenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji started holding regular congregations.  Later, when the number of devotees started swelling, the establishment of Sant Nirankari Mandal also took place at Premi Ji’s residence.  In 1948, a place was taken in ‘Lakkar Mandi’, where Sant Nirankari school Paharganj is established today, and commencement of regular Nirankari congregations took place there.  In the meantime, Rev Sajjan Ji, son of Shahenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji who was studying in Class X, died all of a sudden.  A large number of saints from far and wide arrived to attend the prayer meeting which almost took the form of a Samagam.  Rather it became the first annual Sant Nirankari Samagam. 

Shahenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji also gave permission to Premi Ji to initiate others into God-knowledge.  In 1950, the construction of Kothi i.e., Baba Ji’s residence in Nirankari Colony commenced.  Coloniser Shri Bhagwan Singh Ji started cutting and selling plots in Nirankari Colony.  When Shahenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji shifted residence to Sant Nirankari Bhawan, Sant Nirankari Colony.  Premi Ji built his own house next to Baba Ji’s residence in Nirankari Colony and began living there from 1953.

Along with enjoying the love and affection of the True Master as a part of his worldly family, Premi Ji has also been diligently and sincerely serving Sant Nirankari Mission for the last 65 years.  He considers it his good fortune whenever someone approaches him for help and he advises him in the best possible manner.  Seeing his feelings of devotion and service, Shahenshah Baba Avtar Singh Ji appointed him as Up Mukhya Sanchalak of Sant Nirankari Sewa Dal when it was organized in the year 1956.  Premi Ji has always been one of the fore-runners in the field of service.  In 1993, seeing his earnestness for service, His Holiness Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj adorned him with the rank of Mukhya Sanchalak, Sewa Dal.  Many organizational changes took place in the set up of Sewa Dal during his tenure.  Still, Premi Ji maintained a co-ordial and friendly relationship with his fellow colleagues in Sewa Dal.

Though it was not possible for him to attain higher education yet he is an efficient organizer as far as practical life is concerned; he manages to impress even the best of professionals with his practical wisdom and solutions.  As ‘Mukhya Sanchalak’ he played an important role to start a multi dimensional programme of physical fitness of Sewa Dal.  His divine virtues as well as good will attracted him more and more towards the field of love and respect of mankind.

Even at the ripe old age of 88, Premi Ji is capable of rendering service.  His wife, Rev. Damodari Ji too, moves with him to shoulder the responsibility in the field of social service as well as propagation of the Mission. 

Since he was not blessed with a child of his own, Premi Ji adopted and brought up Rev. Jagjit Kaur, the daughter of Rajmata Kulwant Kaur Ji and Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji.  Not only that, he has supported many children belonging to different families as well as given assistance for the marriage of many others.

Belonging to the rare category of those saints who have had the good fortune of attaining the blessings of all the four True Masters i.e., from Baba Buta Singh Ji to His Holiness Baba Hardev Singh Ji Maharaj, he is also a successful social worker; he rendered his service for many years as a member and then in 1990 as the President of the Sant Nirankari Colony Welfare Association.  Prior to this, he also served as a member of the Management Committee for Sant Nirankari Senior Secondary School for approx 20-22 years.  He also worked at the Post Office Nirankari Colony and helped in getting a Post Office started in the colony.  Premi Ji has been playing the role model of an efficient house-holder.  One automatically bows in reverence for a person of his stature. 

Since May 1, 2006, Rev Premi Ji has been holding the office of Vice-President of the Sant Nirankari Mandal at its headquarters in Delhi.

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