Ram Singh

Namdhari Guru Ram Singh is known to the Namdhari sect of Sikhism as the twelfth guru, whilst for mainstream Sikhs such as Damdami Taksal and Nihangs, he is regarded as a 'Saint' and not a Guru. He is credited as being the first Indian to use non-cooperation and boycott of British goods and services as a political tool. He was exiled to Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar) by the British colonial government of India on 18 January 1872. In 2016, the Government of India officially decided to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Satguru Ram Singh. The Punjab Government organizes state-level functions on his birth anniversary and has declares a holiday on this occasion. His portrait is displayed at the Indian Parliament and at the Railway Station, Ludhiana.