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

Thursday
,
4
August
2022

Harinder Singh & SanjhaTV: What is Sodhna?

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...

watch now ⟶
Friday
,
20
May
2022

Our Relationship with The Guru Granth Sahib

Harinder Singh and Jasleen Kaur speak about a Sikh's relationship with The Guru Granth Sahib. ...

watch now ⟶
Friday
,
6
May
2022

Vaisakhi: Reviving Panthic Leadership

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 th...

watch now ⟶
Wednesday
,
16
March
2022

Women: Gateway to Freedom

To commemorate International Women's Day, Harinder Singh highlighted that the Sikh culture, as envisioned in the Guru Granth Sahib and created by the Ten Nanaks, insists on complete equality....

watch now ⟶
Tuesday
,
22
February
2022

Beadbi: Distortions, Transgressions, Responses

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?...

watch now ⟶
Monday
,
31
January
2022

Dan: Sikhi & Giving

Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI) has released its eighth report in the State of the Panth series titled Dan: Sikhi & Giving, exploring what it means to give in a Sikh context, how giving is understood throughout Sikh history....

watch now ⟶

Podcasts

,

Miri-Piri: The Political and Spiritual Paradigm

The principle of Miri-Piri is often encapsulated with the two crossed swords in today's Sikh consciousness, one representing the political spirit of the Sikhs and the other representing the spiritual. ...

watch now ⟶

Articles

Monday
,
16
October
2017

Fortunate are Dyed in Red-Love-Color

In the joyous Rag Bilaval, Guru Arjan Sahib's Sabad resonates with themes of divine love, immortality, and spiritual fulfillment. Bilaval, a rag known for evoking feelings of happiness, accomplishment, and determination, is a fitting backdrop......

This is some text inside of a div block.
Read more ⟶
Monday
,
30
October
2017

"Be-gam-pura" – City’s name is "Sorrow-less-ville"

This Sabad, composed by Bhagat Ravidas ji in the Gauri rag, reflects a vision of a sorrowless realm, a state of being beyond pain and anxiety....

This is some text inside of a div block.
Read more ⟶
Monday
,
30
October
2017

Gurmukhi: Guru Nanak Sahib’s Alphabets

Gurmukhi – what is it? Its two most popular etymological explanations are from “the mouth of the Guru” or “the utterance of the Guru."...

This is some text inside of a div block.
Read more ⟶
Monday
,
20
November
2017

ਐਸਾ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੇ ਕੋਈ ॥ ਤਿਸ ਤੇ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਪਰਮ ਗਤਿ ਹੋਇ ॥ Freedom and Final State of Existence is Through the One

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 this trans-creation, we have chosen to keep the repeating words in the Sabad same. We aspire to learn and retain the Divine attribute as used in t...

This is some text inside of a div block.
Read more ⟶
Tuesday
,
28
November
2017

Can the next SGPC President be of the Panth?

The General House of Shiromani Gurduara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) is meeting on 29 Nov. 2017 to elect its next President, Senior Vice President, Junior Vice President, General Secretary and 11 other executive members. ...

This is some text inside of a div block.
Read more ⟶
Monday
,
4
December
2017

ਗੁਰ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਜੋ ਸਿਖੁ ਅਖਾਏ ਸੁ ਭਲਕੇ ਉਠਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਵੈ ॥ One Who Calls Oneself a Sikh of the Guru, Rises at Dawn, Contemplates on All-Pervasive Nam

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 this trans-creation, we have chosen to keep the repeating words in the Sabad same. We aspire to learn and retain the Divine attribute as used in t...

This is some text inside of a div block.
Read more ⟶

Presenting at Upcoming Events

Thu
,
May 15

Faith, Spirituality, and Modern Society

Rhodes House: Glass Pavillion, University of Oxford

Join Harinder Singh at the University of Oxford for a presentation and Q&A on Faith, Spirituality, and Modern Society.

Learn More ⟶
Sun
,
Jul 20

Sidak 2025

Khalsa Centre

Sidak is a transformative educational experience designed for young Sikh adults aged 18 to 39. It brings together seekers from all over the world to learn, grow, and lead with purpose.

Learn More ⟶