It was a heartwarming ceremony at the Kennedy Center. The 1989 graduates of the Dental School of Georgetown University were awarded their degrees. Ina procession of 130 students wearing caps and gowns was the only be turbaned Sikh Rajwant Singh. The name is so familiar to all of us who watch him conducting programs at Guru Gobind Singh Foundation (GGSF) at Interfaith Conference, at national and international meetings concerned with the destiny of Sikhs fighting for justice and freedom in the Punjab. All of us know what he has been doing to organize the Sikh community and to educate the Americans as to who the Sikhs are and what are their present problem.
In the audience were Rajwant’s parents Sardarni and Dr. Balwant Singh, his brother, Arvinder his sister Amritpal and host of friends and admirers, all beaming with joy and pride.
“What made you decide on Dentistry” “I always ‘wanted to work in the health field, especially in Dentistry T saw a coming together of my esthetic urges and my ambition to be a doctor. However, my first love is my service to the Sikh community.” “You have been a student at Georgetown for the last 45 years, how did you cope with your studies and your community work simultaneously?” I asked.
“I have learnt to compartmentalize the two and keep everything under control. I have never allowed my studies to interfere with my community work. Although my studies suffered at times”. In 1984, Rajwant had enrolled at Howard University, but decided to drop all classes in order to dedicate himself fulltime to the Sikh cause, ‘because he felt that the Sikh nation needed him at that time of crises, when the Indian army had assaulted The Golden Temple.
‘Subsequently he has kept his very serious involvement on the struggle of Sikh independence in Punjab, India. “Many times my fellow students have asked me the same question—and I always tell them—”I don’t know, there is something inside of me—it just can’t be explained my emotions, my inner being is involved in the Sikh affairs things start falling in place, and keep on working very smoothly ””Can you imagine yourself without community involvement?” | asked. “I don’t think I can, my young colleges ask me sometimes, why is it that you have missed out on so much parties, fun. I have missed my youth so to say, “Rajwant said,” but believe me, if there is a choice between going to a party or an. important community meeting. I would choose the latter without any hesitation. I have a strong conviction that I was never made for the lighter things in life, I mean the parties and things which are so frivolous, so boring and temporary. Doing serious work leaves me with a permanent sense of satisfaction. Somebody said that I was a crusader and I always find something to crusade for, whether it is religion or something else, Rajwant Said.
At what age did you get involved and what attracted you the most?” Rajwant responded effortlessly.” My first major involvement in Sikh affairs commenced with my enrollment in a All India Sikh Student’s Federation (AISSF) camp at Paonta Sahib. Earlier my brother, sister and I were students in Christian convent school and Christian influence was working on our minds in a very subtle way. So my father decided to transfer us to a Khalsa School. It is there that a transformation took place and a new enthusiasm, a new goal for life touched my inner self, Being in the company of Sikh students had provided a sense of identity, a sense of belonging, and a lot of reinforcement for me, and I started getting involved . I participated enthusiastically Dharmik competitions organized by AISSF, and was encouraged by awards which I received for memorizing Japji Sahib, Rehras, Sawaiya and Ardas. The next stimu Jantcame from a camp at Paonta Sahib which I attended at age 11. The whole environment of Guru Gobind Singh’s life completely changed me. I took Amrit at that camp and started studying Gurumukhi which game mea direct access to our Holy Scriptures. I was given the best junior trainee award in that camp,” he added with a glint in his eyes. Later on in 1977 at Nanakmata camp, Rajwant was given the best trainee award—a highest honor by Prof. Jagir Singh, the then president of AISSF. During these camps Rajwant met prominent Sikh per sonalities. S. Sarup Singhthe founder president of AISSF, S. Bhan Singh, Principal Satbir Singh, Dr. San tokh Singh and Prof. Dalip Singh. They influenced him by reading literature on Sikh history and philosophy. Today Rajwant has a personal library of over 1000 books on subjects ranging from world affairs, politics, history, religion and philosophy. Plato’s Republic is his favorite and he has been deeply influenced by Sirdar Kapur Singh’s writings.
Upon his retumn from these camps Rajwant started organizing Sikh youth in Calcutta and undertook several projects in service of the community and became the secretary of the Calcutta branch of AISSF prior to coming to the U.S. in.1979. He is full of praise for the role that AISSF has been playing in attracting Sikh youth to infuse a sense of belonging, and a national spirit and to give them a sense of pride in their religious heritage. “Government of India became scared of AISSF, because it developed independent thinking among the Sikh youth” he added.
Did he miss his involvement in the AISSF and the community work he was doing in Calcutta when he came here,
“Yes, initially I did, but then I saw that there was a total lack of youth organizations in Washington and I started organizing youth groups. Then the situation back home worsened, and I became involved in political affairs. In January 1984 I undertook as fast for three days for Dharamyudh Morcha”.
” After the army attack on the Golden Temple the Sikh community across the U.S. gathered in Washington, D.C. and Sikh Association of America came into being, of which Rajwant was one of the founding directors. He played a key role in organizing press conferences, which got a lot of coverage i: major newspapers. During the same period Sikh point of view was presented in an interview with Ted Koppel in the Nighline and also the Today show by Bryant Gumble of NBC, all this was arranged here in Washington and such experiences have made Rajwant a “Media Expert’ so to say.
Rajwant was mainly responsible for press conferences during Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to the U.S., and especially when the Air India plane crashed.
Rajwant continued “Image of the Sikh community was being tarnished by the government of India’s vicious propaganda. We wanted to present ourselves as a very viable and responsible community.”Rajwant asserts that people don’t know us (the Sikhs), so they don’t want to come close to us, and we stand out in the crowds. So we need to Americans, as to who we are and what our outward appearance means. We need to tell them what a rich heritage we have, and what it means to have this turban…”Rajwant touched his turban with both hands with a sense of pride. “I feel before we start talking about our political goals, we need to tell the western world who we are, it has to go side by side whenever I open a newspaper, I start thinking of the ways and means to plug in the Sikh image in any activity that is going on in town. In the Interfaith Conference our first involvement was in the interfaith concert, The concept of different faiths coming together in singing their religious hymns This ‘was an opportunity to present Sikh faiths and tradition of singing hymns in front of a large gathering covered by the various media we had 23 people who rehearsed for months together. Last year the group was large of about 50 people and they did so well on the stage. I don’t know of any other place or group, where so many Sikhs have done Kirtan in front of such a varied audience.” he explained. This writer herself was a part of the Kirtani Jatha that was directed by S. Rajwant Singh, and the very thought of those concerts inspires a heavenly picture in my mind, The audience at this concert was spellbound, they listened in rapt attention, though they could not understand a word of what was being sung.
The observer status accorded to the Sikh faith 1988 lead to full-fledged membership to the Sikh community since this year1989. The Sikh community was also Dr. Raijwant Singh with the author represented in a multi religious conference held at Wi chita in November 1988. “It was an opportunity to present Sikh viewpoint and our community was also represented in a multi religious conference held at Wichita in November 1988. “It was an opportunity to present Sikh viewpoint and our community’s contribution in building a just and peaceful society.” Rajwant said. How can you bring the younger generation to assume the leadership role in community affairs, and how can we stop them from abandoning in their religious values and outward symbols e.g. turban and beard. First, we need to find role models for our youth. We see very few people in our community to whom the younger generation can look up to. These role models are temporarily being provided by the secretaries and presidents of Gurdwaras, they are not the true leaders. We have to develop a set of leaders coming from deeply religious backgrounds. We have to give respect to our religious leadership, our granthis and missionaries who can bring us close to Guru Granth Sahib. Although we have summer camps for Sikh youth, but we need/a new cadre of role models within each community to inspire our youth through our Gurdwaras on a regular basis..”Raj want went on to explain “there can be some effective projects which can be taken up by the younger generation. Feeding the homeless and the hungry and organizing welfare works to serve the suffering humanity is very important which can put their energy to positive use.”
™When did you learn Kirtan, which you do so well..”I asked abruptly. “I started singing Gurbani when I was in the 8th grade. I took some initial lessons in Calcutta and participated in the competitions organized by AISSF, slowly my interest in Kirtan progressed. When I came to the U.S., I had an opportunity to perform Kirtan in the Gurdwara every Sunday. Kirtan to me is a way of expressing myself to Waheguru.”
I believe that Sikhism has a lot to contribute. Funda mental doctrines of Sikhism, the teachings Guru Nanak and the directions of Guru Gobind SIngh have to be made available to the entire world. We have to tell the world that Sikhism believe in universal values, human freedom and general goodwill. We Sikhs are the guardian angels to strive for the establishment of a just society and have responsibility to take the whole society to a higher plane of existence as Kapur SIngh used to say we have to train people who can take different responsi bilities. Our institutions have to support that mechanism: and make this there top priority.
“What are your words of wisdom for the younger generation?” “Get involved” Rajwant emphasized. He further continued, “One of my classmates left Dental School to become a priest. That was something which touched me and I wondered why youth of our community can’t dedicate their lives for the sake of the Sikh nation. And there is lack of support from the community even if some youngster decides to go that way.”
Article extracted from this publication >> November 3, 1989
