Bhai Jagdeesh Singh: a celebration

A son of Guru Gobind Singh has returned to his father.

I knew Jagdeesh Singh in the 1990s and although we spoke a little after that, our most recent correspondence was about six months ago when he commented on a Facebook thread by Gurnam Singh praising my sewa as the architect of the 2001 United Nations Declaration Against Racism that recognized Sikhs as a “qaum” or people.

His praise was sweet as I have been out of the scene for decades but it was not unexpected as he was always truthful, independent and fearless. I remember booking him for a youth camp and asking him to reiterate the importance of the Panthic SGPC approved Rehat Maryada. Within a minute he had rubbished that document because it did not outlaw consuming meat. I did not mind. He was not referring to some schismatic Baba but speaking from the heart. He argued for animal welfare — how could anyone disagree? — and for veganism. I pointed out that we could not be vegan as the chaur sahib and ghee use animal products. Yet his passion was to be admired. I remember the debate about Swampy — an eco-protestor that they would have to kill to remove — and Jagdeesh had been, or wanted to, visit to offer langar sewa for the other protestors. When Khalsa Primary School was being designed he also argued for the maximum possible eco-friendliness. In this he was ahead of his time.

Another area where he was ahead of his time was in his analysis of Sikhism as more than a religion. He once called me to praise a comparison between Gurmat and deism, in…