Bhai
Gurmej Singh Sabka Huzoori Ragi Sri Harmandir Sahib,
has made his dream and the dreams of thousands of others come true. The
release of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in Braille language at Sri Guru Ram Das Ji
Gurpurab in Amritsar on October 9 was one of the most important events in the
Sikh calendar and in the history of Sikhism.
Visually impaired people will now be able to get the ‘true vision’ themselves
and read the Holy scriptures of the Sikhs given by Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Gurmej Ji has worked hard, focusing on this project for the past ten
years. Countless nights without sleep and
continuous proofreading enabled him to reach the goal that he had set for
himself in the retiring years of his life.
Whenever visually impaired persons take time to enjoy the greatness of Sri
Guru Granth Sahib, they will remember and bless the tireless author.
Gurmej Ji has been visually
impaired since he was nine years old. He has done
service for over 28 years at Sri Harminder Sahib in Amritsar, popularly known
as the ‘Golden Temple.’ He studied at an Amritsar
college founded by Bhai Veer Singh for the benefit of the disabled and
visually impaired. He was keen that children with
special needs make use of their lives and to be as independent as possible and
be gainfully employed. Such children were taught not
only to read and write Braille, but also to do simple jobs such as looking
after themselves. The courses included lessons on music as well.
Gurmej Ji succeeded in music and
was employed at the age of 17 at the Dehradun Gurdwara for kirtans. He was a
regular visitor to the biggest Braille press located in that City and worked
with the people concerned to complete some small parts of Gurbani.
He has dedicated all his life for the community in order that people
could have opportunities that were unavailable to him.
A man of great learning, Gurmej Ji is respected by people (including
those of the older generation) for his unique style of rendering Kirtans.
He is renowned for reciting most Shabads from memory, a rare feat at
the Golden Temple and at Gurdwaras. The late
Sardar Swaran Singh, affectionately known as ‘Daddy Ji’ in Auckland, was
Gurmej Ji’s uncle, whose family has helped in the project.
Copies of the publication are now being donated to different institutes
in India.
Gurmej Ji has also kept in mind two
visually impaired New Zealand born twins. He
is planning to visit New Zealand soon to gift the Braille Edition to them.
New Zealand will be among the few fortunate countries in the world that
would have Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Braille.
The Braille edition of Sri Guru Granth Sahib is divided into 18 parts and
Gurmej has taken care to ensure that it is a true version of the normal
edition. This was achieved with the help of
his family that lives in New Zealand.