Global Sikhs Trailblazers Who Are Shining Bright

By Naina Grewal

Vaisakhi is a significant festival for Sikhs all over the world. It is a time for reflection, renewal, and celebration of the Sikh community’s values and accomplishments. In this special Vaisakhi issue of Darpan magazine, we highlight eight Sikhs who have achieved remarkable success in their respective fields, and who serve as role models for the community and beyond. Every person has a unique light that they bring to the world, and we celebrate these eight individuals who are shining particularly bright in their professions and beyond. These individuals have overcome obstacles, pursued their passions, and made significant contributions to their communities. Their stories serve as a reminder that each of us has the potential to make a positive impact in our own way.

Amardeep Singh Singapore

Amardeep Singh is a Singapore-based Punjabi researcher, writer, photographer, and documentary filmmaker. Educated at The Doon School (Dehradun,

India), Manipal Institute of Technology (India), Singh pursued a Masters in Business Administration at the University of Chicago, USA. Before becoming an Independent Visual Ethnographic Researcher, Amardeep worked in the

Financial Services sector for 25 years and was the Head of the Asia Pacific Region at American Express for Revenue Management.

In 2014, the keen historian started researching on the visual ethnography of Sikh history and legacy, visiting Pakistan to document the tangible and intangible remnants of Sikh legacy in the country. Two years later, he published his first book Lost Heritage: The Sikh Legacy In Pakistan. The book, based on his travels to 36 towns and villages of Pakistan, encapsulates and shines light on the magnificence of hundreds of Sikh gurdwaras, architectures, forts, arts, and culture. The text was followed by another unique publication, The Quest Continues: Lost Heritage, The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan. Singh’s wife, Vininder Kaur, is the editor of both books.

Singh has produced and directed two short documentary films on the Sikh legacy remnants in the Indus region, named

‘Peering Soul’ and ‘Peering Warrior’. His latest work is the 24-episode docuseries on Guru Nanak in four languages. “The docuseries is guided by Guru Nanak’s philosophy and inspired by historical texts, which was produced by filming at over 150 multifaith sites in 9 countries. It is the first comprehensive sequential presentation of the life of Guru Nanak.”, reveals Singh. What makes the endeavor even more beautiful is that the theme artwork of the Guru Nanak docuseries is done by Datti Kaur, Singh’s younger daughter, who has done an exceptional job presenting events and places associated with Guru Nanak, without personifying him. Vininder Kaur, his wife, is the Director, Script Writer, and Music Coordinator of the docuseries. The 24-episode documentary series in different languages can be seen at no cost on the website TheGuruNanak. com.

Undoubtedly, Singh is wholeheartedly preserving history and creating a legacy through his visual media production house, Lost Heritage Productions, passionately focused on the research and documentation of forgotten legacies.

Aekash Singh, Jaskirat Singh and Milaap Singh Chahal

United States of America

Aekash Singh, Jaskirat Singh, and Milaap

Singh Chahal wanted to serve their country since they were very young, inspired both by their Sikh belief in serving others and by their own families’ history of military service. However, the three Singhs were told by the Marine Corps to shave their beard and hair before joining the boot camp. They then moved court, following which a federal appeals court ruled that the three should be allowed to proceed with Marine Corps recruit training while maintaining their turbans and beards.

Aekash Singh, Jaskirat Singh, and Milaap Singh were always more than sure that they wanted to become Marines after graduating. All three have a deep respect for the Marine Corps’ warrior ethos, and feel that it aligns most with their Sikh values of discipline, self-sacrifice, and service before self. When they were told they would not be allowed to wear turbans and keep unshorn hair and beards at boot camp, they felt they were being forced to choose between their Sikh faith and their chosen career of military service — even though they knew they could meet the Marine Corps’ need for discipline and unit cohesion, as Sikhs have done for over a decade in other branches of the U.S. military.

The spirited young men believed that they could be Sikhs and they could be Marines, which pushed them not to give up. They were also inspired by the Sikhs who came before them and showed that it was possible to serve successfully and honorably while wearing turbans and beards, like in the Army and Air Force. They didn’t want the next generation of young Sikhs to face the same barriers they did and believed they had to stand up for their right to practice their faith. The Singhs started this process before they turned 18 and are all 21 now! Although accented by extreme delay and lost career opportunities, the path has borne fruit. Aekash Singh, Jaskirat Singh, and Milaap Singh have emerged victorious in more ways than one, becoming beacons of hope, inspiration, and Chardi Kala for all!

Dr. Gurtej Sandhu

United States of America

Recognized for being the alltime seventh most prolific inventor, with more than 1,300 U.S. utility patents, meet Dr. Gurtej Sandhu. Senior Fellow and Vice President at a top chip manufacturer in the world, Micron Technology, Inc. with its headquarter in Boise, Idaho, United States of America, Dr. Sandhu’s expertise lies in the areas of thin film processes and materials, VLSI, and semiconductor device fabrication. Although his interests may sound specialized, Dr. Sandhu’s inventions impact the general public more than apparent at first and are at the heart of memory chips used in electronic applications from smartphones to computers and servers used to conduct businesses in the world.

One of Dr. Sandhu’s early and celebrated inventions include his achievement in developing a method of coating microchips with titanium without exposing the metal to oxygen, which would otherwise oxidize the chips instantly and ruin them. Although the genius inventor himself initially did not think too much of his invention, most memory-chip makers use Dr. Sandhu’s process today.

During his time at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), New Delhi, Dr. Sandhu completed a degree in Electrical Engineering and found himself interested in how computer chips are made. He proceeded to continue in the field of physics during his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) work at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, United States of America, which he finished in 1990.

Upon completion, the gifted physicist chose to work at the highly sought-after Micron Technology Inc., which is now one of the largest memory chip suppliers in the world. Fast-forward to 2018, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) awarded Dr. Sandhu the IEEE Andrew S. Grove Award for outstanding contributions to solid-state devices and technology.

Dr. Sandhu describes his motivation and brainwork behind achieving several patents, “My main passion is to solve complex problems and help my company stay at the forefront of chip technology. I like to take a big picture view of the problem, drill down into fundamentals, and encourage out of the box thinking to come up with solutions. The patents are simply a byproduct of that work.”

Harinder Singh United States of America

Harinder Singh serves as the Senior Fellow, Research & Policy at the Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI). He is a widely respected educator, activist, author, and thinker. His current focus is on developing critical thinking for Sikh institutions via the State of the Panth report series and developing opensource decoding of Guru Granth Sahib in contemporary Panjabi and English for a global audience.

The legendary visionary is known for co-founding the Sikh Research Institute and the Panjab Digital Library, organizing the Free Akal Takht movement, and envi- sioning the Kaur and Singh Academy. Further, he has authored Emperor-Prophet: Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib: Its Language & Grammar, and Sikhi: Faith & Followers. As an editor, he has worked on Guru Gobind Singh Sahib & Sikhs in Bihar, The Khalsa Raj: Banda, Battles & Body-Politic, and translated Love Harp (Prit Vina). A prolific writer, his essays appear regularly in the media.

On strategic matters, the driven activist has addressed the Australian Parliament, the US Congress, The White House, the US Departments of State, Homeland Security, Education, the Equal Employment Opportunities

Commission, The Smithsonian Institute, the UK’s Parliament, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Ministry of Defence Chaplaincy Program, among others.

A much sought-after public speaker, Singh has spoken at various universities, forums, and companies. Besides consulting various organizations on curriculums, exhibitions, and films, he regularly appears globally on radio and television. Singh has served on the boards of the National Conference on Community and Justice, The Fellowship of Activists to Embrace Humanity, and The Nanakshahi Trust, among others.

Currently, he resides in the US with his family. The impressive academic holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering, MS in Engineering Management, MPhil in Guru Granth Sahib, and a Diploma in Persian Language. Today, Singh has a remarkable vision for the future of the Sikh diaspora, “I long for a life immersed in incessant identification with IkOankar-1Force; a lifestyle devoid of any calculation or cleverness. I long for the Sikhs to become as vast as humanly possible to accept all beings as divine; the Guru Khalsa Panth to be led by skilled and passionate lovers whose allegiance is only to the Guru.”

Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful celebration at this special time.