Santbir Singh

Research Associate

Santbir Singh is a Research Associate with SikhRI. He is currently doing his Ph.D. in Sociology at York University. His graduate research focuses on Sikh activism and the inherent relationship between Sikhi and anarchism explored through historical and contemporary Sikh movements, such as the Kisān Morcha (Farmer’s Protests) of 2020-2021. 

Santbir Singh has served as an educator and activist in the Sikh community for over two decades. He continues cultivating a deeper relationship with Sabad Guru while focusing on Sikh inspirations for social activism, feminism, and decolonization through a multifaceted critical analysis using different schools of thought and tradition.

Santbir Singh is a facilitator at Sidak and an alumnus of Sidak 2012. He lives on Wendat, Anishinabek, Haudenosaunee, Mississauga, Hiawatha, Alderville & Métis Territory on Williams Treaties land (colonially known as Toronto), Canada, with his wonderful wife, incredible children, and wild dog.

Videos

Wednesday
,
21
June
2023

Guru Nanak Sahib: The Revolutionary - Introduction

Enhance your relationship with IkOankar through Guru Nanak Sahib: The Revolutionary, a virtual Sidak event featuring presentations that focus on Guru Nanak Sahib’s vision and revolutionary impact.

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Thursday
,
13
April
2023

Countdown to Vaisakhi 2023: Santbir Singh

“Vaisakhi is a time for gathering, for the Sikh Panth to come together; to learn from each other, to be inspired by each other, and to gain wisdom and inspiration from the Guru. To come to the path of the Guru for personal and Panthic transformation,”

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Friday
,
20
August
2021

Session 3 - Tavarikh: Religious-Political Historical Subtext

Dr. Jaspreet Kaur and Santbir Singh look into the religious-political historical subtext of Tavarikh-history to better understand the Gurmukh-Guru-oriented. Can just being a spiritualist or an activist be enough?

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Sunday
,
25
April
2021

Khalsa Scholar-Martyrs: Bhai Mani Singh & Baba Dip Singh

Bhai Mani Singh and Baba Dip Singh were leaders, scholars, and warriors. They played significant leadership roles in the community post-Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, keeping the Panth united under challenging circumstances. They were master scholars, some of the greatest in Sikh history, and created a scholarly tradition that still resonates in the community to this day. They were great warriors, fully living up to Guru Gobind Singh Sahib’s standard of the Warrior-Saint. And both sacrificed themselves for the Panth, becoming martyrs whose Shahidi has inspired generations of Sikhs. Watch as we explore the lives and legacy of these two preeminent Khalsa Scholar-Martyrs.

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Tuesday
,
13
April
2021

Countdown to Vaisakhi 2021: Santbir Singh

Santbir Singh, our Sidak Facilitator at Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI) shares his reflection on Vaisakhi.

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Saturday
,
31
October
2020

Genocide

How do we remember? How do we advocate? How do we survive? Watch this webinar with three leading voices in the November 1984 Anti-Sikh pogroms study.

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Podcasts

Friday
,
28
June
2024

Why Was Bhindranwale There?

Santbir Singh delves into the complex and sometimes controversial legacy of Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale during the events of June 1984.

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Wednesday
,
12
June
2024

Sant Jarnail Singh: The Man, the Myth, the Truth

Listen as Santbir Singh delves into an in-depth conversation with Harinder Singh about Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a pivotal figure in 20th-century Sikh history.

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Sunday
,
9
June
2024

No More Blue Stars

Santbir Singh joins Manvinder Kaur to discuss his recent article, “No More Blue Stars.” They delve into the evolving terminology surrounding the events of 1984 and explore ways the community can reclaim and reshape the narrative of these events.

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Monday
,
18
March
2024

Getting to Know Rani Jind Kaur: Episode 2

Tune in to Santbir Singh and Sean Holden as they delve into the captivating tale of Rani Jind Kaur, the last queen of Panjab, in the inaugural episode of this podcast series. But why is it crucial for us to unravel her narrative?

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Monday
,
18
March
2024

Getting to Know Rani Jind Kaur: Episode 1

Tune in to Santbir Singh and Sean Holden as they delve into the captivating tale of Rani Jind Kaur, the last queen of Panjab, in the inaugural episode of this podcast series. But why is it crucial for us to unravel her narrative?

watch now ⟶
Tuesday
,
13
April
2021

Countdown to Vaisakhi 2021: Santbir Singh

Santbir Singh, Sidak Facilitator at Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI) shares his reflection on Vaisakhi.

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Articles

Sunday
,
31
May
2026

Pierced by Compassion

Some sabads remain on the page. Others begin to live inside us. In this reflection, Santbir Singh returns to a sabad of Guru Nanak Sahib on Ang 795 that has become an ardas in moments of grief, stress, and surrender.

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Tuesday
,
7
April
2026

Sovereignty in Motion: Sikh Governance Models

In the Sikh tradition, sovereignty is a boon of the Divine, entrusted to the House of Nanak and carried forward through the Gurus into the dual institution of Guru Granth and Panth.

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Friday
,
27
February
2026

Guru Harikrishan Sahib: Capacity, Care, and the Rights of Children

Explore how Guru Harikrishan Sahib redefined leadership as a child. This article invites readers to reflect on what the Guru’s life teaches us about children’s rights, capacity, and Sikh ethics of care.

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Thursday
,
29
January
2026

Joy as Refusal

Guru Gobind Sahib’s engagement with aesthetics, joy, and poetry became tools against imperial attempts to shrink Sikh life into fear, silence, and mere survival.

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Tuesday
,
28
October
2025

Guru Harirai Sahib: The Healer and the Defender

Guru Har Rai’s reign was one of seeming contradictions: compassion and ever-readiness to fight for sovereignty, spiritual and political development, and strengthening and consolidating innovations of earlier Gurus.

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Monday
,
8
September
2025

The Legacy of Jaswant Singh Khalra

30 years later, what can we learn from Jaswant Singh Khalra—who exposed Punjab Police crimes of extrajudicial killings and cremations?

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Presenting at Upcoming Events

Sun
,
Jul 26

Sidak 2026

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.

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