Born to Bhagwan Das and Ram Dei as Juini, Bibi Harnam Kaur is a name with a silver lining in women’s education equity and Sikh history. In an era when girls attending school was rare, she pioneered the establishment of the first girls’ boarding school, Kanya Pathshala, in Ferozpur in 1905. She was a voracious reader and had mastered deep literary sagas by age 6, including Dasam Granth, Hanuman Natak, and Panj Granthi. She soon realised her purpose and passion in her life. The tutelage under Udasi Sadhu Ram Das of Firozpur fueled her desire to uplift the female community.
When her local village school couldn’t pacify her hunger to study, she was sent to Daudhar village in Faridkot district, where she studied for several years under Bhai Dula Singh. The early days of her life were quite peculiar compared to those of other girls. Where girls weren’t even allowed to peep outside their homes, she decided to reform a woman’s existence in society.
Bhai Takht Singh, running a Gurmukhi school in Firozpur, presented a proposal for an exclusively girls’ school to the local Singh Sabha. The suggestion sparked a sharp development, but the authorities of the Singh Sabha were doubtful of a bachelor (Bhai Takht Singh) running this school. Both Juini’s parents promised to marry their only daughter to Takht Singh. At approximately 12, Juini joined as a leader to learn and teach in the Kanya Pathsahala. The fire of a revolutionary had found its podium to lead others.
In 1901, Juini became Bibi Harnam Kaur after accepting Amrit of the Khalsa Panth. She and her husband, Bhal Takht Singh, established numerous educational institutions in Ferozpur. Villagers and families entrusted her with the vision of educational equity for girls. Bibi Harnam Kaur honed her skills in lodging, administration, boarding duties, and institutions’ accounts. She and her husband earned handsome salaries, but their dedication echoes beyond this.
Bibi Harnam Kaur was among the first South Asian women to enter Canada on her second attempt. To pave the way for other South Asian women, she preached the importance of academic empowerment and financial independence for girls. Today, the Sikh Heritage British Columbia runs a scholarship in her name in the fields of leadership and academic excellence.
Her bold vision of establishing female boarding schools and teacher training departments led her to pioneer one of the most unique missions, centred around financial independence, equal education opportunities, and the study of religious literature. But sadly, her dreams had a short lifespan.
On her deathbed in October 1906, Bibi Harnam Kaur asked Bhai Bhag Singh to fulfil three acts in her name. First, that every year, somebody should dutifully send money for one day of food to a Sikh Girls College in Ferozepur. Second, donate to an orphanage in Amritsar. Third, send 100 rupees to Peshawar, the place of her birth.
In 1915, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab was proud to learn that educational establishments led by Bibi Harnam Kaur had bold visions of societal empowerment and academic equity, including establishing a department for training female school teachers, a rare phenomenon at the time.
Written by – Sonika Kaur
Edited by Siddhant Jain SJ
