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.
Sikhs cover their heads when they feel the presence of the Divine. The larger idea is that we feel the Divine is in every place, but we may not feel that presence all the time.
In April, Indian National Congress (INC) party member Rahul Gandhi stopped at Brown University for a speaking engagement. During the Q&A, Sidak Alumni Gurpartap Singh asked him what the INC is doing to reconcile with the Sikhs, and their interaction...
Harinder Singh is the Co-Founder & Innovation Director at SikhRI. He appears on radio and television programs and speaks at universities, parliaments, museums, conferences, and civic institutions.
There is a deepening crisis within the Sikh community—centered on the control and integrity of Akal Takht Sahib. On March 22, 2025, at Gurdwara Sacramento Sikh Society (Bradshaw), Harinder Singh delivered a powerful and timely talk—in Panjabi—on what must
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.
Harinder Singh discusses how Sikhs need to respond to COVID-19 starting with healthcare in their own home and communities. A deadly attack on Sikhs took place in Afghanistan on 25 Mar 2020. We break down what really happened and how Sikhs can be prepared for the future.
We're taking an in-depth look at the events of Operation Blue Star in 1984 in Amritsar, Panjab. It's considered the third Ghallughara, or massacre, in Sikh history. The Indian government assaulted the sacred Golden Temple Complex and Akal Takht. In this episode, SikhRI's Senior Fellow on Research and Policy speaks to a live audience to provide clarity and context on the operation and it's legacy on the Sikh community. He answers why the attack happened, it's the historical context and why the memory is kept alive in #Remember1984.
The Sikh Cast is taking a close look at the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM). The United States is in a moment of turmoil following the death of Minnesota resident George Floyd, leading to an outpouring of protests across the country. Manpreet Singh holds a spirited conversation with special guests Corey Winchester, Harinder Singh, SikhRI’s Senior Fellow on Research and Policy and, Asha Marie Kaur SikhRI’s Researcher on what the BLM movement means in education, policy and much more. Corey Winchester is a public educator in Evanston, Illinois with an MEd in Cultural and Educational Policy Studies. You can watch his TED talk on education and identity here: https://bit.ly/2MLToE8
The Sikh Cast Host has a one on one dialogue with Harinder Singh on how the Guru would deal with the Black Lives Matter Movement. They ask how can Sikhs around the world go beyond the protest and how do we explore it from the Sikhi lens.
This episode of The Sikh Cast is from a live webinar recorded on June 29th, 2020. It features Senior Fellow Harinder Singh and The Sikh Cast host Manpreet Jassal, together they discuss the controversial sikh motto "Raj Karega Khalsa." They get into its usage from the 1700's to a modern context, discussing the how and the what of its meaning.
73 years ago, two nation-states were carved by the British mapmaking: Hindustan and Pakistan. The historical Sikh Homeland in The Panjab was divided by the Radcliffe line. In now truncated Indian Panjab, a proportion of the Sikhs led many campaigns to fight for economic, political, state, human, and religious rights. What’s next to secure the Sikh aspirations and the Panjab’s autonomy?
The Khalsa Raj – Banda, Battles & Body Politic. The journey of Baba Banda Singh Bahudar from getting hand selected by Guru Gobind Singh Ji to establishing the Empire- told by Harinder Singh
The 17th general election in India is already underway in seven phases over 38 days. Voting for 545 seats between April 11 and May 23 that will decide the next Government of India. There are 900 million registered voters, and about 70% are expected to cast their vote. 15 million are voting for the first time; 18 and over are eligible to vote. The result will be declared on 23 May 2019.
In 1521, Guru Nanak Sahib witnessed the terrible suffering of people at Saidpur (Eminabad), The Panjab. The Guru documents who to question while accepting the Command of the Creative and Pervasive 1Force:
An attempt to locate the Eighth Sovereign in the line of ten founder Gurus in Sikhi. Guru Nanak Sahib’s 1Force-1Ness paradigm continued in Nanak VIII’s political-spiritual realm as depicted in the Sikh writings.
Raj Karega Khalsa – what does this really mean? Why has it been part of so many controversies? In order to answer this, we must know its origin. Who wrote it? When was it written? What’s the context of it?
Amritsar, Ramdaspur, Harimandar, and Darbar – what are these terms referring to? Are they merely historical spaces? Do we have contemporary or near-contemporary accounts of the terms or of their development? Are there any citations in Guru Granth Sahib?
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...