Kapoor Singh Mohanpur : A Profile

Kapoor Singh Mohanpur (1896-1988)

S. Kapoor Singh was born in Mohanpur village in 1896. He was very young when his father S. Jagat Singh passed away.

He studied at F.C. College, Lahore. It was his aim to promote education and enlighten the society, so he chose to become a high school teacher despite having other opportunities in those times. He was one of a few, who established the Congress party in Ludhiana district which strained his relations with his uncle Zaildar Harnam Singh, who was the honorary magistrate of Samrala during British Rule. Though his uncle saved him from going to jail for his activities in the freedom movement of India, his close friend Isher Singh passed away in Ludhiana jail during incarceration. The "Isher Singh Memorial Girls High School Daheru" was founded by S. Kapoor Singh in his memory in 1960. The school was later upgraded to "Shaheed Isher Singh Memorial Govt. Girls Higher Secondary School Daheru".

S. Kapoor Singh was a member of the SGPC from February 1, 1947 till March 4, 1951 and March 7, 1954 till October 17, 1974, though he stopped attending its meetings since 1964 onwards.

After independence, the SGPC decided to set up an engineering college in the name of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Master Tara Singh's group wanted it to be located in Calcutta, as many wealthy Sikhs (transporters) offered huge donations if it was set up in their city. The  Nagoke group wanted it to be set up somewhere in Punjab. There was a small independent-minded group comprising of S. Kapoor Singh Mohanpur, S. Mohinder Singh Sidhwan and Sant Kartar Singh Reru Sahib Wale. The Master group had two more votes than Nagoke group, but the small three-member group voted in line with Nagoke group and ensured that Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College would be located in Ludhiana, just by one vote. The people of Gill village offered to donate land for the College. It was a huge project and needed a lot of money. S. Kapoor Singh played his role in collecting donations for the College, as he and S. Joginder Singh P.P. went to Maharaja Yadvindra Singh of Patiala and elicited a donation of Rs 10,000 for the construction work and the rest is history.

S. Kapoor Singh was the Manager of Khalsa Higher Secondary School Khanna till January 1966.

He passed away at Mohanpur village on May 29, 1988.

A letter dated 4-3-1947 addressed to S. Kapoor Singh Mohanpur.

A copy of the resolutions prepared by S. Kapoor Singh Mohanpur 

which was published in Gurudwara Gazette (perhaps 1955).

Editorial Note:- The SDL Team thanks Kapoor Singh Mohanpur's grandson, S. Balprit Singh, for providing us information and relevant documents about him.