Chandigarh, August 4
Dr Kharak Singh, who died last year this day, was an agricultural economist par excellence, brilliant scholar of Sikhism, thinker, visionary, ideologue and Sikh servant.
He was the founder of many institutions and organisations, dedicated Sikh philanthropist, besides being an ideal, selfless Sikh leader and a trailblazer, all rolled into one. After his Doctorate from Ohio State University in the US, he excelled in his chosen professional field of agriculture at the state, national and international levels.
After serving the FAO, an agency of the UN, as an expert in several countries for about 14 years, he took a voluntary retirement from his lucrative international assignment to work for laying down the contours of a paradigm for the resurgence of Sikh society and
its institutions.
Being a devout Sikh, well versed and well grounded in the fundamentals of Sikh philosophy and Sikh ethos, he set upon the task of providing a proper perspective to the emerging field of Sikh studies. He was a founder member of the Institute of Sikh Studies.
As a member of the Dharma Parchar Committee of the SGPC, he was instrumental in bringing about many projects of far-reaching consequences. He also highlighted many others that were the urgent need of the time. He initiated the undertaking of a five-volume Sikh history “The Sikhs and Their Religion” from the Sikh perspective.
He highlighted the need for a standard English translation of Guru Granth Sahib, so that differing interpretations of the original text in the available translations may not pass on to future translations into Indian regional or foreign languages.
Another most compelling issue that engaged Dr Kharak Singh’s attention was the constitution of a world-level Sikh organisation that could deal effectively with the emerging challenges and problems confronting the Sikhs settled all over the world. For this, he was successful in launching the International Sikh Confederation (ISC).
His views have been compiled in “Turn of the Century – Sikh Concerns and Responses”, published by Singh Brothers, Amritsar. To present his works and views, and promote the projects undertaken and envisaged by Dr Kharak Singh, a website www.drkharaksingh.com has been launched.