Harinder Singh

Senior Fellow, Research & Policy

Harinder Singh is the Senior Fellow at the Sikh Research Institute. He holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University, an MS in Engineering Management from the University of Kansas, and an MPhil from Punjab University in the linguistics of the Guru Granth Sahib. 

He co-founded the Sikh Research Institute and the Panjab Digital Library, envisioned the Kaur and Singh Academy, and organized the Free Akal Takht campaign.

He appears on radio and television programs and speaks at universities, parliaments, museums, conferences, and civic institutions. He has authored several books and numerous articles integrating the political and the spiritual. He consults on curriculums, exhibitions, and films and is featured in many documentaries on the Sikhs, the Panjab, and South Asian matters.

His current focus is on developing critical thinking for Sikh institutions via the State of the Panth report series and developing open-source decoding of Guru Granth Sahib in contemporary Panjabi and English for a global audience.

He has served on the National Conference on Community and Justice boards, The Fellowship of Activists to Embrace Humanity, The Nanakshahi Trust, among others. He looks for culturally-specific things to experience and a light roast pour-over coffee to sip during travels, reads and binge-watches to stay in touch with what the world is up to, and listens to sabads, poetry, Hir, jazz, and political rap.

Harinder Singh resides with his family in the United States.

Videos

Tuesday
,
12
September
2023

What is the significance of hair for Sikhs?

"Hair in Sikhi is part of the protocol, as well as part of the tradition...You emulate the modalities you believe in of the ones you love."

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Sunday
,
7
May
2023

Women & Gender in Sikhi | Webinar

Join us in conversation with Harinder Singh, Jasleen Kaur, and Manvinder Kaur as we try to understand Women & Gender in Sikhi from a Gurmat (Guru’s Way) perspective, as inferred from Bani (wisdom), Tavarikh (history), and Rahit (lifestyle).

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Friday
,
14
April
2023

Countdown to Vaisakhi 2023: Harinder Singh

“Everything starts in the Sikh culture from Guru Nanak Sahib. And when Guru Nanak references the word Vai-sakhi, he actually brings it out of nature. Sak is a branch. If you look at humanity as being the tree symbolism..."

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Tuesday
,
11
April
2023

Sikhism, Khalistan & Guru Gobind Singh ji | The Ranveer Show 295

"In this episode, we cover topics like the Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Nanak Dev Ji's teachings, Guru Angad, the 10 Sikh Gurus, understanding the 5K's, and much more."

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Tuesday
,
4
April
2023

Sikhi, Guru Nanak & What It Means To Be Sikh | The Ranveer Show 293

"In this episode, we cover the history of Sikhism and its basic principles. They also discuss the importance of meditation and the need to understand the native terms of Sikhi like Sicky and Saki."

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Wednesday
,
29
March
2023

Understanding the Crackdown In Panjab & Protests in Diaspora

Join Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur as they discuss the larger Sikh context around the latest events in Panjab.

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Podcasts

Tuesday
,
18
September
2018

Words of Faith - Sabad

Words of Faith: a new series explaining the recurring words in Guru Granth Sahib Sabad is vast. It is infinite wisdom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xrdpd9FRRug --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-sikh-cast-sikhri/support

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Tuesday
,
23
October
2018

State of the Panth Report: Gurduara

What’s the relationship between the Gurduara governance and the local sangat worldwide? We traced Gurduara’s history throughout the ages and surveyed the opinions of 1,172 self-identified Sikhs from 22 countries.

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Wednesday
,
6
November
2019

What would Guru Nanak Sahib do in 1984?

What would Guru Nanak Sahib do in 1984? Listen to this discussion between Harinder Singh and the Sikh Cast host, Manpreet Singh.

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Friday
,
14
February
2020

Love in Sikhi

Harinder Singh talks about Valentine's Day, the concept of Love in Sikhi, Martyrdom, the Lovers of Panjab and more.

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Friday
,
27
March
2020

COVID-19, Kabul Attack & The Sikh Response – The Sikh Cast | SikhRI

Harinder Singh discusses how Sikhs need to respond to COVID-19 starting with healthcare in their own home and communities. A deadly attack on Sikhs took place in Afghanistan on 25 Mar 2020. We break down what really happened and how Sikhs can be prepared for the future.

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Friday
,
5
June
2020

1984: The Devoted & The Worldly: Harinder Singh – The Sikh Cast | SikhRI

We're taking an in-depth look at the events of Operation Blue Star in 1984 in Amritsar, Panjab. It's considered the third Ghallughara, or massacre, in Sikh history. The Indian government assaulted the sacred Golden Temple Complex and Akal Takht. In this episode, SikhRI's Senior Fellow on Research and Policy speaks to a live audience to provide clarity and context on the operation and it's legacy on the Sikh community. He answers why the attack happened, it's the historical context and why the memory is kept alive in #Remember1984.

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Articles

Thursday
,
24
April
2014

Are You Ready to Be a Decision-maker for Sikhs?

I heard as recently as last Sunday at a Baltimore gurduara, that Sikhs don't know how to make their own decisions. True, and false.

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Tuesday
,
13
May
2014

Mata-e-Panth: Sahib Kaur

Four days ago, my daughter Gani’s teacher at The Preschool Place invited my wife for the mother’s day celebration. Gani “carefree” Kaur was entrusted to us by the Divine to “grow” and “care” over four and half years ago. To Gani’s surprise, her ma (mom), her dadi (paternal grandmother), and pardadi (paternal great grandmother) showed up; her teacher had to arrange for three “diamond” necklaces and few more brownies with ice cream given the pleasant surprise. Gani sang, created, shared, thanked, and enjoyed; three moms loved it too.

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Wednesday
,
5
November
2014

Wanted – A New Sikh

In the struggle to solve the crisis facing the Sikhs today, I believe the tide is finally shifting. We are beginning to win the fight, but there is much more work to do and the clock is ticking away.

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Wednesday
,
8
April
2015

Punjabi in Me

Did I ever leave Panjab? Growing up in the west, my earliest memory of Panjab is taking a train ride from Jhansi (UP) to Ludhiana (Panjab) during summer breaks to visit my nanke (maternal grandparents). There are also fond memories of trips with my family to mostly Eastern Panjab, and one to Western Panjab in June 1984.

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Tuesday
,
27
October
2015

I Am a Sikh

How come you are asleep? Wake up, fool! You think your life in this world is the truth. – Guru Granth Sahib, p. 793 I am disenfranchised. Is it because they are afraid we’ll vote to return to Sarbat Khalsa? Self-governance bestowed by Guru Gobind Singh that will once again represent the values that the rest of South Asia looked up to us for? Sikhs are rising globally, renewing their allegiance to the Guru Granth-Panth.

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Tuesday
,
24
November
2015

Top Ten Truths About Guru Teghbahadar Sahib

Guru Teghbahadar Sahib’s life and legacy are unparalleled in the annals of world history. The Guru proclaimed: “Be very clear in your mind; the insightful person is the one who doesn’t fear anyone nor frightens anyone.”

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Presenting at Upcoming Events

Sun
,
Jan 12

Guru Nanak's Medicine for Life

Deakin University, Building LC

Join Harinder Singh as he discusses Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Medicine For Life.

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