People
Sikh-Briton Appointed To House of Lords
NEWS REPORT
Dr. Indarjit Singh is one of the two new non-party-political peers announced by the British House of Lords Appointments Commission on Monday, September 5, 2011.
The new Sikh-Briton peer is Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations in the United Kingdom. He is also the Vice-Chair and founding member of the Inter Faith Network UK, a national body promoting inter-faith understanding, and is Head of the Sikh Chaplaincy Service.
He will sit on the crossbenches.
BIO
Dr. Indarjit Singh, CBE, is the Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations UK. He is the Vice Chair and founding member of the Inter Faith Network UK, a national body promoting inter faith understanding, and is Head of the Sikh Chaplaincy Service, which works for the pastoral care of Sikhs in prisons. He is also the co-ordinator of pastoral care for Sikhs in hospitals and in the Armed Forces, and a trustee of the World Congress of Faiths. Dr. Indarjit Singh has represented the UK Sikh community on national occasions, including the Remembrance Service at the Cenotaph and the Westminster Abbey Service to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the coronation of HM the Queen.
In 2008, he became the first Sikh to address a major conference at the Vatican, when he gave a keynote address on the need for respect and tolerance between world faiths. He has served on the Home Secretary’s Advisory Council on Race Relations; on the British Medical Association’s Medical Ethics Committee; and was a member of a working group which advised the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for International Development on issues of third world debt and poverty relief.
Since 1984, he has been a regular contributor to ‘Thought for the Day’ on Radio 4’s Today Programme, and has made frequent World Service broadcasts. He has a First Class Certificate in Mine Management and has worked on mining and civil engineering projects in the UK, India and Dubai.
September 5, 2011
Conversation about this article
1: Karan Singh (United Kingdom), September 06, 2011, 4:32 AM.
Congratulations to Dr Indarjit Singh. He has many achievements and has been an advisor for Sikhs for many years. He stepped up when Sikhs didn't know how to engage with the government and I personally feel he did a very good job back then. To be honest, he's never had too much grassroots connections, and is not well known amongst the average Sikh. With this appointment, it may be a signal for a new generation of spokespersons to step forward.
2: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), September 06, 2011, 5:06 AM.
Born to lead. Congratulations, Lord Indarjit Singh ji.
3: Pardeep Singh Nagra (Canada), September 06, 2011, 8:06 AM.
Well deserved. Congratulations! We all stand proud, basking in your honour and appointment.
4: Kirpal Singh (Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.A.), September 06, 2011, 9:58 AM.
Congratulations! Nice to see a Sardar in the House of Lords!
5: Darminder and Gurdeep Chadha (York, England), September 06, 2011, 1:54 PM.
We are in Spain at the moment and were just browsing through the net when we read the wonderful news. Heartiest congratulations to a deserving person. May Waheguru bless you with more strength to keep up this good work.
6: Dr. Pargat Singh (Nottingham, United Kingdom), September 06, 2011, 3:31 PM.
Lord Indarjit Singh has the great gift of applying our Gurus' teachings to the practicalities of daily life in the most thought-provoking way. His contributions in "The Sikh Messenger" and on "Thought for the day" show how Sikh philosophy can meet the challenges of even the most controversial and topical issues of the day. His wealth of experience in inter-faith relations is second to none.
7: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), September 06, 2011, 6:35 PM.
I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. Indarjit Singh at his residence a few weeks ago. What an honour! We are both in agreement that our awesome faith, unlike any other, has been neglected and not explained to a humanity that desperately needs it, because of the extremely divided and superstitious Punjabi community sinking into an ideology more suited to Hinduism and and the Taliban. Dr. indarjit Singh is the epitome of the highly educated Sikh gentleman and scholar. All Sikhs should listen and learn from him.
8: Baljit Singh Rihal, J.P. (London, United Kingdom), September 07, 2011, 3:00 AM.
Dr. Indarjit Singh is a well respected and inspirational man. So glad that he has been given the honour and that he will be our face in the Houses of Parliament. Heartiest congratulations to a great Sikh role model.
9: Harminder Dhillon (London, United Kingdom), September 07, 2011, 3:13 AM.
The fact that most Sikhs on the street have not heard of Dr. Indarjit Singh is a testament to his true Sikhi values - quiet and dignified service to society without self-promotion. He symbolizes everything that is good about our great religion, and we need more ambassadors like him to promote our faith.
10: Peejay Singh (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada), September 07, 2011, 12:25 PM.
Congratulations to Lord Indarjit Singh ji. You are a credit to the Sikh community throughout the world. This is a great honour for a very deserving Sardar. As a fellow Sardar mining engineer, I wish our paths had crossed while I was getting my training at the National Coal Board. If you read this message, I would be very pleased to establish contact with you.
11: Davinder Singh (Berlin, Germany), September 08, 2011, 4:17 AM.
" eh bhi daat teri dataar" ... "lukh khushiaa(n) patshahiaa(n) je satgur nadar kare." Congratulations, dear respected Sardar Sahib ji.
12: Baldev Singh (Bradford, United Kingdom), September 08, 2011, 12:04 PM.
Dr. Indarjit Singh can be heard on YouTube: "Faith leaders on climate change - Dr.Indarjit Singh of the Network of Sikh Organisations". He is talking about the most critical subject facing our beautiful Planet Earth.
13: Harbans Lal (Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.), September 10, 2011, 10:19 PM.
Congratulations, Indarjit ji.