Who was Arjan Velly?
Nowadays, a song from the Bollywood movie ‘Arjan Velly’ is making waves all over India. This Punjabi song, sung by Bhupinder Babal, is full of excitement. Arjan Velley was previously mentioned in a song from the old Punjabi film ‘Putt Jatta De.’
So, who is this Arjan Valley?
Ajran Velly was born around 1876 in Rurka village of the Virk tribe in Ludhiana district. Arjan was a tall young man, standing at six and a half feet, who didn’t tolerate deception and was often seen holding a long stick or a gandasa. He was wealthy and owned many properties, known for helping those in need. Once, he broke a policeman’s arm while protecting a poor person from being mistreated, earning him the nickname ‘Velly’ and becoming Arjan Velly.
During the partition of 1947, Arjan Velly assisted many people from the Muslim community in settling in Malerkotla. He helped his Muslim friend Ralla Teli, ensuring his safe passage to Malerkotla and safeguarding his gold and silver as a deposit, later handed over to his friend’s son. Arjan Velly later became an Amritdhari Sikh, spending time in Ferozepur Jail for participating in the ‘Punjabi Sooba Morcha.’ He was honored by the Punjab Government with a ‘Taabar Pattar’ for his services. Arjan worked tirelessly in the village for the welfare of the people, distributing sweets to children who recited Gurbani Shabads. This earned him the title ‘Arjan Baba,’ replacing Arjan Velly.
Arjan Velly breathed his last at Rajindra Hospital in 1968. Despite doctors’ advice after an operation, he went out, and his stitches opened, leading to excessive bleeding and his demise.
Now, let’s delve into the famous fight mentioned in the song from the film ‘Putt Jatta De.’ This fight, also referenced in a song from the film ‘Animal,’ was staged at the Jagrawan fair. Arjan Velly, along with his friends Modan Konkya and Munshi Dango, confronted the miscreants of Pandori Village. The fight stemmed from an open challenge, where the trio declared that they would take on anyone willing to face them. This led to a confrontation with the entire Pandori village, creating quite a stir.”
