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.
Harinder Singhspeaks at Gurduara Sikh Sangat in Brampton, Canada about Sikh Martyrs, Akal Takht & Delhi Darbar and the state of the Panth today.
Harinder Singh talks about Guru Gobind Singh and why he was the king of kings. Shah-e-Shahan-Shah Guru Gobind Singh Midsouth Sikh Sabha Memphis, TN, USA.
The Guru (perfection) dwells where the morality-ethics is beyond sins and virtues, deeds are not measured by world standards, thoughts on birth and death are not shadowed, time-movements of previous lives end, the Grace is the grandest magic and no gods or fascinations are needed other than the Grace.So, how does one capture the life and legacy of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, the Sovereign of the sovereigns? How do I even attempt to praise the “Splendor of Immortal Compassion” (jumlā faiz-i-nūr) who inaugurated the Guru Khalsa Panth and asked them to submit to the Guru Granth Sahib. I am not capable of the venture as Bhai Vir Singh dreamt him, Professor Puran Singh spirited him, Bhai Randhir Singh visualized him, Jathedar Jarnail Singh intoxicated him, or Bibi Balbir Kaur (i) invoked him. Harinder Singh from Sikh Research Institute speaks at Gurduara Guru Nanak Mission Center in Brampton, Ontario.
Harinder Singh speaks at the Sikh Sabha of New Jersey on the weekend following the shootings at an elementary school in Connecticut. He connects this tragic violent act with the sacrifices of the Sahibzade and the historical cultural of violence humans have cultivated for centuries.
Harinder Singh of SikhRI discusses 'Challenges for Sikhs' on The Harpreet Singh Show. [Video courtesy of the Harpreet Singh Show]
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.
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 recent news and current events, “beadbi” has come to the forefront as a topic of discussion. But do we as Sikhs collectively understand what beadbi is, how it has been dealt with historically,...
As the world becomes more interconnected, we understand how some have an abundance of monetary wealth, and others do not, and the more we understand the various needs unaddressed in our backyards and abroad.
What is the Guru’s grandeur? Why was the Guru martyred? How did the two contemporary texts document the Guru’s narrative?
Miri comes from Perso-Arabic “Amir” or “Emir” and signals political power. Piri comes from the Perso-Arabic “Pir” and signals spiritual power. Miri-Piri encapsulates the Political-Spiritual doctrine in Sikhi, rooted in both the worldly and the timeless...
For the Sikhs globally, 1 Cet 553 is the Nanakshahi new year’s day. Cet or Chet is the month. 553 is the Nanakshahi year. Do you know about Nanakshahi?
This essay locates and contextualizes the hawk in foundational Sikh texts, history, and lifestyle. It also connects how Baj in Khalsa tradition affects the Sikh psyche when the people see it.
Shahadats in Sikh History: Harinder Singh will explore martyrdoms from 1606 to 1984, delving into the causes behind them and how they are commemorated.
Join Harinder Singh and Prof. Mohanbir Singh Sawhney for an enriching presentation and Q&A in Chicago.
This presentation explores Guru Ramdas Sahib’s Vanjara, situating it within its cultural framework and lived experience. We will reflect on the composition's foundational themes and their relevance to our daily...