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.
To mark the 150th birth anniversary of Bhai Vir Singh, Harinder Singh shares 5 notions with 5 seeker personalities prevalent in today’s world culture.
Divali is celebrated every year with massive parties and social events globally. People of Hindu and Sikh communities celebrate this day according to their religious and cultural traditions.
How to curate a Sikh response? Why is a framework necessary? What is Gurmat? How do Bani, Tvarikh, and Rahit consitute Gurmat? Which sources can be classified as primary and secondary?
After 75 years of the Partition, why are the significant sections of Panjabis and the Sikhs feeling estranged? What are the historical, cultural, geopolitical, trade, and economic contexts and realities?
Is “Sodhna” to test, examine, correct, punish, or kill?What is “sudhosu” in the Guru Granth Sahib?How did Guru Nanak Sahib live it?Why Sikh leadership must re-learn o
Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur speak about a Sikh's relationship with The Guru Granth Sahib.
Several new South Asian nation-states were born as the British Raj ended in 1947.
The Khalsa inauguration on Vaisakhi day in 1699 infused the Sikhs and gave them a structure of ideas and institutions that continue to shape their lives both individually and collectively. We will discuss Panthic leadership through Sikhi ideals and historical models. We will also explore the current deficits in leadership and their code of conduct. How can Love-drenched & Wisdom-centered impetus revive organic leadership in the vicinity of ideals!
Join Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur as they discuss the larger Sikh context around beadbi as a political problem in need of a political solution. What is beadbi ? How has it been dealt with historically? What are its Panthic and legal understandings? How does it relate to the reverence Sikhs collectively show to the Guru Granth Sahib? And how, given recent cases in the news, can we understand individual and collective responses given the current realities on the ground?
Join us in conversation with Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur as we try to understand Dan from a Gurmat (Guru’s Way) perspective, as inferred from Bani (wisdom), Tavarikh (history), and Rahit (lifestyle).
There is a deeply profound sentiment tied to martyrdom in Sikhi as well as in many other faiths groups. Throughout the ages, we have seen challenging circumstances of oppression that have chosen to desecrate the bodies of those who address it.
In this conversation, we discuss the Sikh context of what Guru is, “Gurgaddi” as the enthronement to the status of the Guru in Sikh tradition, and how the eternal co-Guruship came about by the Command of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib to Granth-Panth.
Explore the Sabad (Shabad) of Guru Arjan Sahib in Rag (raag) Asa from the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred scripture of the Sikhs. Read the translation done by Harinder Singh and Inni Kaur. Listen to Inni Kaur’s reflection on this Sabad.
Hari Singh Nalua (popularly Nalwa) was the Commander-in-Chief of the Sikh Khalsa Army in the North West Frontier in the Kingdom of Panjab, ruled by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Delve into the Sabad (Shabad) of Bhagat Namdev in Rag (raag) Asa from the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred scripture of the Sikhs. Read the translation done by Harinder Singh and Inni Kaur.
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 harmonious embrace of Dhanasari, a rag that resonates with happiness, Guru Arjan Sahib crafts a Sabad that delves into the profound aspects of spiritual realization and seeking divine refuge.
In the serene setting of Rag Todi, Guru Ramdas Sahib's Sabad echoes with profound reverence, contemplation, and devotion. Todi, celebrated for its solemn and reflective atmosphere, envelops the listener in a tranquil and profound experience.
Join Harinder Singh as he discusses Guru Nanak Dev Ji's Medicine For Life.