In the Jagraon District of Punjab is a very blessed village called Kaunke. The Master of Miri Piri, Sahib Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji blessed this village stating the diamonds would be born from this village. Guru Ji stated this when he rested at the village on his journey to the Sind region. When he stayed at Kaunke village, one of its resident Gursikhs, Bhai Hira Ji did keertan seva. Guru Ji was very moved by the keertan and at this point stated in a ‘Bachan’ that many more diamonds would be born here.
So it happened, aswell as Bhai Hira Ji, Sardar Sham Singh Attari, the Great Mata Kishen Kaur Kaunke, Bhai Gurdev Singh Kaunke, and many countless young Gursikhs who have given all to the Sikh struggle, all were born in the village Kaunke.
The list of names that stood by the mission and ideologue of Sant Jarnail Singh Khalsa Bindranwale from this village is long, but one name stands out. That name is Jathedar Gurdev Singh Ji.
Bhai Gurdev Singh was born in 1949 in house of Bhai Gurdial Singh and Mata Chand Kaur Ji. Bhai sahib’s grandfather was Jathedar Totha Singh, who was a companion of Baba Nand Singh Ji of Nanaksar. Hence Gursikhi was a part of the family tradition.
At a young age, Bhai Sahib was blessed with Amrit at the Sri Akal Takhat Sahib. Bhai Sahib’s worldly education was only up to level 6. However he continued to study in his religious study at the Damdami Taksal. He was tutored by Baba Vir Singh Madoke and Giani Inder Singh Badni Wale, both of whom were companions of Baba Gurbachan Singh Khalsa. From here Bhai Sahib began to do seva of katha of Sahib Sri Guru Granth Sahib and Dasam Granth…
(Please read the full account of Jathedar Ji’s life at http://www.neverforget84.com/shaheeds/shaheed-jathedar-gurdev-singh-kaunke)
