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Unforgettable Dr Kharak Singh
Principal Surjit Singh Gandhi*
He was a gem of a person, calm even mid heaviest of odds,
upright even in grave situations, trustful even in an
atmosphere of murk and dirt, determined like Mountain
Mira. His personal stance was sweetening, harmonizing
and smoothing as his social demeanour was fascinating
and captivating. Just a tiny sitting with him was to experience
stirring, urging one to immediately engage oneself in
the service of Guru Panth. He was a veritable elixir who
stimulated many like me to commit their lives to the cause
of Sikh ideology, which according to him has a potential
to shape globalisation on right lines.
Dr Kharak Singh’s whole self was soaked in Guru
Shabad and whatever he did or spoke reflected his deep
understanding of Sikh religion and his resolve to share
it with the whole mankind. To see his convictions widely
accepted, he worked very hard. He mobilized Sikh intelligentsia
to give a fitting reply to all those people who intended
to misinterpret or distort Sikhism, especially its central
scripture, Guru Granth Sahib. He made the Institute of
Sikh Studies a frontline organization to stem mis-information
spread by vested interests. He was the first to forcefully
plead for harnessing the media to vividly present Sikh
worldview and Sikh way of life. It was mainly at his instance
that the SGPC, threw of its hesitation and engaged TV
channels to televise live Kirtan from Hari Mandir Sahib.
His strivings to get the Nanakshahi calendar accepted
by the people, were a testimony to his concern for strengthening
Sikh identity. It was primarily because of him that SGPC
launched the project of writing history of the Sikhs from
Guru Nanak upto date, in five volumes. He drew the blueprint
of the project, collected bevy of renowned historians
and literati, and inspired them to accomplish the Job
as early as possible. He himself took the job of editing.
He edited two volumes out of a total of five before he
had a call from God. The data for the third and the fourth
volumes had been collected.
In the present-day world, when technological advancement
has squeezed the world into a sort of a village and there
is a large scale interaction between different ideologies,
there is a need that Sikh religion should be presented
definitively and lucidly. Dr Kharak Singh responded to
this challenge instantly. He took appropriate steps. He
along with some eminent intellectuals redefined the functions
of the existing institutions, created new ones, interpreted
Gurbani (compositions of the Guru) in modern context,
with the result that Sikhism has been recognized as one
of the higher religions.
For all his good works, history is sure to accord him
a niche of respect and a place among those who are ever
unforgettable. His legacy is rich, all-inclusive, inspiring,
heraldic of the new dawn about which he dreamt and aspired
for.
