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| Sardar Pritpal Singh Bindra 1930 - 2015 |
by Dr Bhai HARBANS LAL
Sardar Pritpal Singh Bindra, winner of Akali Phoola Singh Award, whose works illuminated many misgivings on the literature of the time of Guru Gobind Singh, died on May 14, 2015. He was 85.
The cause was a major stroke. Before the stroke, he had been mostly bed ridden and in a wheel chair since 2005, the year when he was operated upon for back pain.
A successful teacher in India and in the United Kingdom, and a businessman in the UK as well, Pritpal Singh took early retirement to move to Canada in 1985. The purpose of his move was to serve the panth through writing on religious and social issues impacting the community he loved and cared for.
Although we knew each other through the All India Sikh Students’ Federation, I came to know his family closely only after he moved to Canada. He invited me to speak at the biannual symposia of the Sikh Educational and Welfare Society that he co-founded. He served this Society for several years organizing symposia and helping his colleagues in publishing the proceedings.
Since my first presentation at his symposium, I have stayed with him often during my Canadian visits. He was enthusiastic in sharing whatever he was researching and writing.
After regularly publishing his articles in many Sikh journals such as The Spokesman, The Sikh Review, Abstracts of Sikh Studies, Pritpal Singh published his first major book, ‘Thus Sayeth Gurbani.’ It was published by Guru Gobind Singh Study Circle. Its 500 pages or so contained nearly 10,000 quotations from gurbani.
He was recognized for it with the Akali Phoola Singh Book Award by the Academy of Sikh Religion and Culture. Since his first award he was honored with many national and international recognitions for his scholarly contributions.
Among his published books, I wish to list the following:
* Charitro Pakhyaan
* Guru Kian Saakhian - Stories of the Gurus
* Hikayaat - Tales in Persian from The Dasam Granth
* Kabitt Bhai Gurdas -- Verses translated into English
* Kalaam-e-Goya - Poetry of Bhai Nand Lal Goya, rendered in English
* Muklawa And Other Stories
* Thus Sayeth Gurbani
The translation into English of all the poetical works of Bhai Nand Lal Goya was his most ambitious endeavor, which unfortunately he could not complete.
I must also recognize his translation into English the Kabits (poems) of Bhai Gurdas as another pioneering effort.
Besides authoring his books, he wrote many journal articles. Some of his important manuscripts published in various journals that I have saved in my own library, include:
* Constitution of India and the Sikhs
* Dasam Granth: Trya Charitra
* Deh Shiva - Not Written By Guru Gobind Singh
* Delhi Under Sikh Raj
* Evidence For The Vaisakhi Event From Bhat Veheen
* Gurdas’ References To Vedas
* Guru Nanak Birthday Controversy
* Sehajdhari Voting Rights And The SGPC
* A Short Story About a Female Victim Of 1984
* Chandi Charitar Uki Bilas
* Deh Shiva Bar Mohe
For his writing he always chose topics that had hitherto been neglected or had not yet been well researched. Often they were controversial. He never shied away from controversies and criticism.
Bindra Sahib, as he was known among his friends and admirers, collaborated with many friends and communities to further his interest in serving the Panth through dissemination of well researched information. He would not let any opportunity to do so slip by.
For example, whenever I visited him, he was ready to tell me that some people from community were interested in visiting with me. Soon thereafter tea and snacks were readied by Surjit Kaur, his wife, to receive guests.
There were heated and open discussions at such meetings.
It is through one of these meetings that I was introduced to a prolific TV journalist and host, the late Sardar Raghbir Singh Samagh, who was known to thoroughly grill his studio guests on ach and every issue that the communities were facing at the time.
After one such conversation he began to invite me to appear on his Weekly Gurbani TV Program whenever I visited Toronto. His weekly program ran successfully for a quarter of century.
Sardar Pritpal Singh introduced many guests on this program. I remember Dr. I J Singh, Prof. Darshan Singh, Sardar Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, Gurcharan Singh Jeonwal, Prof Inder Singh Ghagha, Jathedar Iqbal Singh (Patna Sahib), Jaswinder Singh Toor, Sardar ‘Kaala Afghan‘ … to name but a few.
Pritpal Singh has left behind his constant companion in all his panthic activities, Sardarni Surjit Kaur. They were married in 1954. Surjit used to enter Punjabi verses and passages into the computer for him. She also set print styles for him.
He is also survived by their son and daughter who have given them five grandchildren.
It will not be easy for the panth to forget the memory of this scholar-activist. We will surely miss him and his many contributions. He made us reevaluate many of our historical events that have impacted our belief system and our growth.
May 19, 2015