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

Sunday
,
5
June
2016

1984: After the Darkness

1984: After the Darkness - June-November in Personal Memory - Genocide in Collective Sikh Psyche - Confronting Injustice with Light-Love

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Tuesday
,
15
September
2015

Adi Granth Establishment at Harimandar Sahib - A Talk by Harinder Singh

Harinder Singh speaks at Sikh Dharamsal in San Antonio. He takes us back in time during Guru Arjan Patshah's and Bhai Gurdas Ji's time when they established the Adi Grant at Harimandar Sahib. "Gur Bin Gyan Na Hoye" Guru Granth sahib is meant to be a source of knowledge only or more than that? We know how and what of Guru Granth Sahib Ji but do we know the answer to the why’s? Why did Guru Arjan Sahib compiled Granth Sahib?

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Thursday
,
11
June
2015

Guru Arjan Sahib's Martyrdom

Harinder Singh explains why Guru Arjan Sahib was tortured and martyred. The martyrdom took place under the orders of Emperor Jahangir during the second year of his reign.

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Friday
,
8
May
2015

Vaisakhi: Panjabi Festival to Sikh Ideals

Harinder Singh at PAMA | Brampton ON, Canada - Celebrating Sikh Heritage Month (2015)

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Tuesday
,
14
April
2015

Vaisakhi | Khalsa | Panth

The presentation looks at the roots of the word, idea and institution that Khalsa is, in the context of Vaisakhi and beyond.

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Podcasts

Tuesday
,
19
December
2017

Enticer Enticed My Mind

The Sabad opens with the Guru's profound declaration of being a "maiden-slave" of the Divine Ruler, symbolizing complete surrender and dedication.

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Tuesday
,
26
December
2017

Reflect on the Truth and the Contentment

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.

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Tuesday
,
28
August
2018

Words of Faith - Ik Oankar

IkOankar (1Force, The One, Divine, Creator) is Guru Nanak Sahib’s offering to humanity, and the opening of the Guru Granth Sahib.

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Tuesday
,
28
August
2018

Words of Faith - Har

Did you know that "Har" is the most used word in Guru Granth Sahib?

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Tuesday
,
4
September
2018

Words of Faith - Nam

Words of Faith: a new series explaining the recurring words in Guru Granth Sahib. Nam is Identity. Nam is the culture of Sikhs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O_rtTswxyM --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-sikh-cast-sikhri/support

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Tuesday
,
11
September
2018

Words of Faith - Guru

Words of Faith: a new series explaining the recurring words in Guru Granth Sahib Is Guru perfection? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnx400HuVxU&t=25s --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-sikh-cast-sikhri/support

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Articles

Saturday
,
30
April
2011

Introspection: Preparing For Canada's May 2 Federal Election

Sikh-Canadians are now 2% of the Canadian population and shining. At least 15 candidates from all three major parties - Conservative, Liberal, and New Democratic Party (NDP) - of Sikh and/or Punjabi descent are on the ballots.

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Thursday
,
5
January
2012

My Sovereign: Guru Gobind Singh

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,...

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Saturday
,
8
December
2012

It is the Season of Lights: Guru Nanak Purab

It was about 5:30 in the evening on Wednesday, the 28th of November, 2012. My wife, Gurpreet Kaur, collected our two kids from the Preschool Place & Kindergarten. Our evening supper ritual was hurried as we had to get our son, Jodha Singh, to his Tai-Kwon-Do class by 6:30.

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Wednesday
,
12
December
2012

Did I Light Up?

Reflections

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Thursday
,
4
July
2013

Re-born in the U.S.A.

It was July 4, 1986. PanAm’s Boeing 747 landed in New York City, connecting me to a flight the same evening to a very rainy Des Moines, Iowa. Thus, my American journey started with a glimpse of Lady Liberty and took me to the warm heartland, where I discovered both freedom and Sikhi. They remain synonymous for me to this day.

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Sunday
,
3
November
2013

The Sikh ‘Game of Thrones’

The true rulers are connected with the Truth. The earth-owners are not rulers for they suffer in other love. Is it worth praising, perishable, momentous reality? Perfection-oriented realizes and becomes the One who is eternal.” – The Fifth Sovereign, Guru Granth Sahib, p. 1088 The Akal Takhat Sahib is the Sikh world’s oldest political throne. Instituted by the Sixth Sovereign and carved by his two entrusted emissaries, “Timeless Throne” emerged as a parallel to the Delhi and Lahore Darbars. It was an implementation of Guru Nanak Sahib’s (the first Sovereign) vision to champion people’s rights over imperial rights with the sword-wisdom. It is also, by many measures, its most successful universally recognized authority.

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Presenting at Upcoming Events

Fri
,
Jan 10

Guru Nanak's Medicine for Life

Gurdwara Sahib Canberra

Join us for an Insightful Talk with an Educator and Thinker, Harinder Singh.

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Mon
,
Jan 6

Saltanat-i-Daham: Guru Gobind Singh Sahib

Gurdwara Sahib Glenwood

This talk will attempt to present the life and legacy of The Tenth Sultanate as described by Bhai Nand Lal 'Goya,' a court poet of the Guru.

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Wed
,
Jan 8

Guru Nanak's Medicine for Life

Penrith Gurdwara

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

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