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Dr Kharak Singh – My Mentor
Dr Gurbakhsh Singh*
Our whole class (admitted in 1945, Punjab Agricultural
College and Research Institute, Lyallpur, in Faislabad,
Pakistan) was hypnotised to listen to a young research
scientist at the Risala Wala Water Management Research
Farm Lyallpur. This was our first lecture (December 1945)
outside the classroom delivered without any teaching aid,
not even a black-board and we heard it while standing
in the field green with early winter crops. When returning
to the college all students had something to tell of their
great impressions regarding the research teacher. The
scientist explained the concept of the projects and techniques
and programs of the research station effectively, clearly
and convincingly. We all wanted to know, “Who was
he.” The teacher told us, “He is Sardar Kharak
Singh who topped the University examination. The topper
of the university is honoured by appointing him without
interview in the research project immediately as soon
as the results are announced by the university.
The college was famous in Asia; students from Iran, Afghanistan,
Sri Lanka, Nepal were admitted under special quota. The
admission from the applicants of the British (United)
Punjab was on communal basis (12 Sikhs, 18 Hindus and
28 Muslims) and very difficult, because very good jobs
were assured after graduation.
After partition in 1947 our classes were temporarily arranged
at Khalsa College Amritsar and then shifted to Ludhiana.
I got closer to Prof Kharak Singh, he having been appointed
incharge of the Students Farm of the college. In 1956,
he got selected to a class II post and to my great pleasant
surprise, I was appointed in his place. He was a visionary
and hence chosen to be the member of the Management Committee
of the Gurdwara Singh Sabha Model Town, Ludhiana. I visited
the same Gurdwara and was nominated to help him as Asstt
Secretary there. This gave me a great rare chance to benefit
from my association with him, both in the gurdwara management
and in the technical administration of the Students’
Farm.
Prof Kharak Singh, Assistant Development Officer, Ludhiana,
proved a great leader for motivating the farmers to adopt
modern techniques as recommended by the University. His
association with the Farmers’ Club and Mera Pind
Mere Khet (Kheti Bari) Programme of All India Radio Jullundur
proved very effective for this. Out of the seven districts
chosen in India for the pilot projects of the Intensive
Agricultural Development Programme, Ludhiana was rated
number one.
Prof Kharak Singh was selected in 1960 for his Ph D programme
in Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio in view of the
government decision to upgrade Agricultural College, Ludhiana
to Agricultural University. In 1961, I was chosen to follow
him and get my higher degree from the same university.
We were together there again. He had founded Sikh Studies
Circle for the students in the university. The members,
about 20 Sikh youth, met every Saturday. Each week a student
selected one topic to discuss the life and teachings of
a Guru, martyrs of Sikh faith or gurmat philosophy. Prof
Singh also organised the celebration of the birthday of
Guru Nanak Dev at the University level, in which teachers
of the member students, their non-Sikh friends and some
local families were invited. For the function, the Bir
of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Sahib was arranged from Chicago
gurdwara. When I reached Columbus, the convenorship of
the Club was assigned to me to carry on the job left by
Dr Sahib.
On return to India, Dr Kharak Singh joined the Agricultural
Department and served the farmers till 1967, when he was
picked up by Food and Agriculture Organisation, Rome,
of the UNO for a great International responsibility of
helping the Middle East and African Countries. He was
to guide and manage their development as Agriculture and
Economic Advisor under FAO. From 1975-1977, he was approached
to become Managing Director, Seeds Farms Corporation,
New Delhi, India. As its Director, he led farmers delegation
to the USSR. Because of his service appreciated by all,
he was again called to Rome for the same job, where he
remained till 1984.
Dr Sahib got voluntary retirement to serve humanity by
spreading the message of gurbani and exposing some jealous
scholars who intended to distort the glorious Sikh heritage
and the universal message of sacred gurbani. After retirement,
he settled at SAS Nagar, Chandigarh. With cooperation
of some devoted and committed retired Sikhs from important
IAS and Defence services, etc., he organised Institute
of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh, for this purpose. Our paths
crossed again before the end of the last century and we
worked together till the final day. After my retirement,
with the same objectivism, I moved to the USA for sharing
the great modern philosophy of Sikh heritage with the
western youth (USA, Canada and UK). Dr Kharak Singh took
a team of a dozen scholars to conduct Sikh seminars in
the universities and cities where some western scholars
were mis-representing facts about gurbani and Sikh history.
More than half a dozen seminars held under the guidance
of Dr Sahib exposed such scholars who were mis-guiding
the western youth and general readers of the Sikh faith.
All through, I was with the team and participated in the
functions held in USA and Canada.
Dr Kharak Singh was nominated as member of the Dharam
Parchar Committee, SGPC, Amritsar where my services to
the western youth were appreciated by the members who
visited these countries. They wanted me to educate the
Sikh youth in the schools and colleges in Punjab and guide
the Sikh preachers of the Committee. Dr Kharak Singh assured
the committee that he can ask me to return to Punjab and
volunteer his services for the youth as Director, Dharam
Parchar.
I came to Chandigarh and stayed with him and continued
to work under his unique guidance. Whenever I was not
on parchar tour, our morning tea together was a session
for planning our services for educating the Sikh community,
particularly the youth, regarding the glorious and universal
message of gurbani. This continued till God wanted him
to be with Him. I will miss him every day whenever I talk
to the youth or write any article for the persons interested
in knowing the human values preached by gurbani and practised
by the Khalsa.
The overseas and local telephonic messages received by
me on the very next day of his departure to his eternal
abode and also later on, touched my heart. I was convinced
that his loss is not only to the family and personally
to me but also to the whole Sikh Panth.
