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.
Join Harinder Singh at Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan, Delhi, as he explores Bhai Vir Singh's unique framing of Sikh history on 25 September 2024.
Join Harinder Singh as he delves into The Eternal Spirit of Giving, exploring timeless wisdom from the Guru Granth Sahib. This talk invites reflection on the essence of giving—not just as a responsibility but as a journey towards grace and connection.
As individual achievements within the Sikh community continue to rise, a new challenge emerges: prosperity often brings caution, with people becoming more reluctant to take risks when there’s more at stake.
What role should the Sikh diaspora play in seeking justice for 1984 and discussing sovereignty and Khalistan, especially from a place of relative safety?
Violence in modern forms, like drone warfare, has become normalized, making it difficult for communities visibly associated with arms—such as Sikhs—to be understood within their cultural and historical context.
In recent years, Sikh youth in the diaspora have taken up advocacy, challenging narratives and seeking justice despite fears of backlash. How can they navigate the tension between family commitments, safety, and the drive for community empowerment?
In this sixth podcast, Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur explore Guru Gobind Singh Sahib’s utterances on the Creator Ruler, and his guidance of considering IkOankar as the only true Ruler.
In this fifth podcast, Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur explore Guru Gobind Singh Sahib’s many invocations of divine names and attributes and their contexts in larger Indic systems.
In this fourth podcast, Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur discuss what it means to attach to the feet of the Supreme Being, the poisons we are collecting, and the remembrance we are being asked to collect instead.
In this third podcast, Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur explore what it means to earn union in comparison to transactional relationships with the divine.
In this second podcast, Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur explore the context of Indic paradigms, rituals, systems, and popular understandings that the Guru addresses in his reframing of renunciation and non-attachment.
Introducing Sabad Hajare Patisahi 10 (Shabad Hazare Patshahi 10), new translations, and commentaries of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib's composition. This podcast is an introduction to the series.
The Sikh calendar commenced in 1469 on the advent of Guru Nanak Sahib, founder of Sikhi, Nanak the Shah (Sovereign). Nanakshahi calendar begins with the month of Chet on March 14. It is springtime.
Sabad is Infinite; we are very finite. This is our understanding at the moment, which was different yesterday and may evolve tomorrow, as we deepen our relationship with the Sabad.
In the melodic embrace of Rag Sorath, Bhagat Ravidas ji's Sabad paints a canvas of profound devotion and love, using the simplicity and sweetness of the rag to convey the depth of spiritual connection.
Sabad is Infinite; we are very finite. This is our understanding at the moment, which was different yesterday and may evolve tomorrow, as we deepen our relationship with the Sabad.
In the poignant rag of Jaitsari, Guru Ramdas Sahib's Sabad unfolds as a heartfelt expression of dependence and an intense yearning for the divine presence.
The initiation rites or ceremonies without a doctrine get reduced to mere meaningless rituals. Without the Nash doctrine, the Vaisakhi for the Sikhs can not be located as a transformative historical event.
Join Harinder Singh as he discusses Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Medicine For Life.