People
Gurmukh, Scholar, Soldier, Physician:
Dr Brig-Gen Sangat Singh Syalee, 95
Dr Bhai HARBANS LAL
SANGAT SINGH SYALEE
1920 - 2015
Dr Sangat Singh Syalee was a scholar of Gurmat, particularly of the aspects which applied to mind and spirit at the universal level.
Being a trained psychiatrist, he felt that there was a serious gap in the current knowledge in the fields of Psychiatry and Psychology. The study of Gurmat through the Guru Granth Sahib was critical to him to gain that knowledge.
He firmly believed that without gurmat, civil society is lost in inner darkness. He often quoted the verse, “If a hundred moons were to rise and thousands of suns were ablaze, without the guidance from True Guru it will be dismal darkness.” [GGS:463]
Born in the village of Thoa Khalsa in Punjab to Sardar Gurmukh Singh and Bhagwanti Devi in 1920, Sangat was educated in Sikhi through his mother and grandmother as he lost his father at the early age of seven.
He continued his interest in Sikhi during his undergraduate studies and thereafter at the Amritsar Medical School. There, he was influenced by Bhai Vir Singh’s exegeses and writings. His college mates often remembered him from his reciting Bhai Vir Singh’s poems in the Medical School Gurdwara.
In pursuing higher education, Dr. Sangat Singh acquired specialization in Neurological and Psychological Medicine, which he completed in the United Kingdom. He served in the armed forces in India for 32 years to retire as a Brigadier General.
I remember meeting him in New York shortly after I moved to Rhode Island in 1967 to serve as Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology. What I recall vividly is that one could not miss running into him there as he was so visibly active in the gurdwara and in Sikh youth education. Since then I have been visiting him regularly and have spent time with him, always learning from him about Gurmat and its applicability in our daily life.
I found him a very committed and serious student of Sikhi.
Before moving to New York, Dr. Sangat Singh had served as Senior Vice-President of The Guru Nanak Foundation, and as President of The Gurmat Prachar Sabha, both based in New Delhi.
In New York, USA, he was Fellow of The Multi-Faith Organization of Long Island (New York), President of The Interfaith Council of Southwest Queens in New York, and Trustee and Founding member of a number of religious institutions where he actively contributed in seminars, interfaith dialogues, discussions and discourses.
He presented papers four times at the Parliament of the World Religions. At my invitation, he also presented a paper on Guru Nanak’s leadership to the interfaith movement at an International Conference held in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
To his credit, he had many papers published in a number of prestigious journals, including ‘The Sikh Review’, on subjects ranging from world conflicts to egoism, Miri-Piri and the role of science in religion.
He co-authored the book, “Gems of Gurbani.”
Till the last day of his life, Dr. Sangat Singh was engaged in simran and kirtan, either alone or along with his daughters, family and friends.
He leavers behind four daughters: Brahmleen Kaur, Ravitej Kaur, Jyotesh Kaur and Jogesh Kaur. He had lost his life partner, Uttamjeet Kaur, several years earlier in year 2000.
I join Dr. Sangat Singh Syalee’s family and friends from all over the world in celebrating his extraordinary life. I know he will be sorely missed.
May 12, 2015
Conversation about this article
1: Parminder Kaur Dhillon (Raleigh, North Carolina, USA), May 12, 2015, 3:27 PM.
Uncle ji was a contemporary of my father, they both served in the Army Medical Corps. My dad, Air Marshal Puran Singh Bajwa, passed away in 2009. They used to communicate with each other as gurbhais. We used to see uncle and auntie ji at Richmond Hill Gurdwara. My sincere condolences to the family. He had a great life, lived as a Gursikh and was a great inspiration to many. May Waheguru grant peace to his soul, and Chahdi Kalaa to the family.
2: Harjap Singh Aujla (United States), May 13, 2015, 5:32 PM.
Dr. Sangat Singh Syalee was a man of letters. He even developed an expertise in Gurmat Sangeet. Lately, he was a little inactive. We shall all miss his wisdom and advice.
3: Dr Surinder Singh Gill (Baltimore, Maryland, USA ), May 13, 2015, 5:38 PM.
We lost a great scholar who is renowned in the Sikh community. He has done a lot for Gurmat. His book 'Gems of Gurbani' is remarkable. He will be forever remembered for his contributions.
4: Gurbachan Singh (Jalandhar, Punjab), May 14, 2015, 3:23 AM.
I am interested in the study of Gurbani. Are any of Doctor Sahib's articles/writings available?
5: Dr Charanjit Singh Gumtala (Dayton, Ohio, USA), May 14, 2015, 12:32 PM.
We lost a great scholar. His was a glorious life. May his soul rest in peace.
6: Bhai Harbans Lal (Dallas, Texas, USA), May 14, 2015, 12:54 PM.
Dr. Sangat Singh ji published many articles in The Sikh Review. Also, his book is available.
7: Gurinder Singh (Stockton, California, USA), May 14, 2015, 1:48 PM.
We have lost a great Sikh dedicated to Guru Sahiban. He led a long, rich life. Incidentally, he comes from the village (Thoa Khalsa) which was a nursery of Sikhism in the Potohar area. It is this village where great Sikhs lived and many Sikh women, during the terrors of the Partition days, chose death rather than fall into the hands of marauding Muslim hoodlums who was on a rampage of rape and mutilation. The sordid tale was captured in the Indian TV series, 'Tamas,' in the 1980s.