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Sikh-Aussie Awarded Medal of The Order of Australia
by MANPREET KAUR SINGH
Being Australia Day, January 26 is always celebrated as a red letter day in the country.
But for Sikh-Australians, this day in 2012 made history, as S. Bawa Singh Jagdev’s name appeared proudly in the roll of
Australia Day Honours.
Awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM), he has become the first ever Sikh-Australian to be bestowed with one of the country’s higher civilian honours.
“I truly feel humbled to be the recipient of this prestigious award,” said Bawa Singh. “I may be the first Sikh or anyone from the subcontinent to receive this honour, but I personally feel that the award belongs to all those who helped me and worked alongside with me over the years to solve our community problems, of which there were many, and achieve what as a community we have accomplished. I thank them all.”
He is the Secretary of the Sikh Council of Australia, and has worked passionately to protect and gain recognition for Sikh rights, alongside working on human rights and humanitarian issues.
Already a recipient of the ‘Life time Achievement in Community Services Award’ from the Community Relations Commission of New South Wales ("NSW"), the Sydney-based Sardar reflected, “Life has been an amazing journey for me thus far, having lived a comfortable life across four continents. I was born in Punjab, educated in the United Kingdom, worked in Africa and finally settled in Australia.”
An academic who has taught in schools and colleges in various countries, Bawa Singh is one of the pioneers of recent Sikh migration into Australia. Born in a small village called Lohara (in district Jalandhar, Punjab), and earning his professional qualifications at Panjab University, he initially migrated to Kenya in 1959.
After further education at University of Exeter (United Kingdom), he returned to Kenya, only to find an inclement political situation there. So in 1975, he, his wife and two children moved to Sydney, adopting Australia as their new homeland.
He recalls: “When we first came here in 1975, there were just a handful of Sikh families in the Sydney metropolitan area.” So along with some friends, he helped establish the very first Sikh gurdwara in Revesby, Sydney, followed soon by the Sikh Mission Centre at Austral.
In the early 1990s, he advocated strongly for the recognition of the Kirpan, defending the right of every amritdhari Sikh to wear it in public. He worked actively with the Community Relations Commission and the Premier’s office, which resulted in the Knife Legislation of NSW being amended in 1998, granting exemption to Sikhs, so they could carry their article of faith without breaking the law.
With a vision for the future, Bawa Singh helped establish an umbrella body for Sikhs in Australia, named the Sikh Council of Australia Inc. Under the auspices of this organisation, he was instrumental in organising the first World Sikh Conference in Sydney in 2004, lobbied for Sikh employees of Public Works Department and also Department of Corrective Services, to
be allowed to wear the Sikh articles of faith at their workplace.
He was a strong advocate for Sikh banana farmers in Woolgoolga (in northern NSW) who were going to be displaced by a new highway project and after numerous meetings with the authorities and submissions to the Senate enquiry, he helped the
banana farmers receive an adequate monetary compensation.
Currently, he is involved in lobbying for consumer rights over misleading food labelling - whilst some foods in supermarkets come with a ‘halaal’ certification, others are not certified as ‘non-halaal’, depriving the consumer the right to choose.
Perhaps his most significant contribution came by way of gaining recognition of the Sikh religion as a separate religion in Australia. For instance, an Anand Karaj performed at a gurdwara was not formally recognised since Sikh celebrants didn’t have any formal authority. Realising this, Sardar Bawa Singh (through the Sikh Council of Australia) wrote to the Attorney General, who corrected the anomaly. The Sikh Council of Australia has since been authorized by the Australian government as the nominating authority for the appointment of the marriage celebrants for the Sikhs.
It also goes to the credit of Bawa Singh that, alongside addressing the issues of significance to Sikh-Australians, he has lobbied actively for other communities too. He has made submissions for a ban of smoking, defended the right of Muslim girls to wear the hijab to school, supported the Hindu community when their temple at Auburn was attacked, and raised funds for
victims of disasters like the tsunami in 2004 and the floods in Pakistan.
It is only befitting, then, that he has now become the first ever Sikh Australian to be awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia.
Way to go, Sardar Bawa Singh ji!
January 27, 2012
Conversation about this article
1: Amarjit Singh Anand (Jalandhar, Punjab), January 27, 2012, 9:11 AM.
We are proud of brother S. Bawa Singh ji. Honesty and devotion to any cause give fruit to the seeds you sow. Congratulations ... and best of luck in all your future endeavours.
2: Kanwrajeet Singh (Franklin Park, New Jersey, U.S.A.), January 27, 2012, 1:11 PM.
When I saw his picture, my instant thought was 'Oh wow, sikhchic.com has finally decided to publish the recent story about Milkha Singh and his shoes' :). The resemblance is uncanny. Congratulations, S. Bawa Singh ji - people like you make us so proud. For me, the penultimate paragraph summed it all as far as a Sikh's mission is concerned: "He has made submissions for a ban of smoking, defended the right of Muslim girls to wear the hijab to school, supported the Hindu community when their temple at Auburn was attacked, and raised funds for victims of disasters like the tsunami in 2004 and the floods in Pakistan." So very proud of you, Sir.
3: Chintan Singh (San Jose, California, U.S.A.), January 27, 2012, 1:17 PM.
What an excellent example of seva - service to all individuals, regarless of their faith, beliefs or background! True Sikh values!
4: Kirpal Singh (Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.A.), January 27, 2012, 3:14 PM.
Sardar Bawa Singh ji is a living example of "Sava lakh sey ek laraao(n)/ tabey Gobind Singh naam kahaoo(n) "Each Sikh will be able to take on a legion! Then only will I be known as Gobind Singh!" Congratulations on your well deserved honor!
5: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), January 27, 2012, 4:22 PM.
"Naa ko bairee nahee beganaa sagal sang ham ko ban aa-ee" [GGS:1299.14] "No one is my enemy, and no one is a stranger. I get along with everyone". Bawa Singh ji, you have done us proud to serve in the spirit of Bhai Kanhaiyyaa who carried his mashak and served water in the battlefield to friend and foe alike.
6: Harbans Lal (Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.), January 28, 2012, 1:49 PM.
Dear Jagdev ji, you brought good name to the community through the Sikh way of serving humanity. We are proud of Sikhs like you.
7: Amarjit Singh (Malaysia), January 29, 2012, 1:01 AM.
Sardar Bawa Singh has given credence to the concept of leadership. By taking up the cause of Sikhs and other minorities with the authorities, he has probably helped thousands who otherwise may have had felt helpless in their crusade for being treated fairly. What makes it true leadership is that he has achieved this through advocacy - engagement, dialogue and building consensus - with the Australian authorities. In that way he has helped bring about enhanced inter-faith understanding, which is so much needed today. We are proud to have such leaders standing tall amongst us !
8: Pardeep Singh Jagdev (Sydney, Australia), January 31, 2012, 4:14 AM.
I am Bawa Singh's son. This is a significant milestone for our family and for the Sikh community at large. From humble beginnings in a village in Punjab where farming consumed his life, to graduating in Physics with honours in the United Kingdom, being the first Sikh to be awarded the OAM, he truly has made us all very proud and set a high bar for being a role model not only for his grandson, nieces and nephews, but also for all other young and aspiring Sikh-Australian youths. He always stands up for his beliefs and values, always delivers on his promises and has an indomitable spirit. Big congratulations, dad, extremely proud of you.
9: Harman Jolly (Brisbane, Australia), January 31, 2012, 7:43 AM.
This award is most deserved. A charismatic personality and an ocean of knowledge. His efforts and contributions to the Sikh-Australian community are unparalleled. Many congratulations on the award, S. Bawa Singh ji!
10: Gurmit Singh (Sydney, Australia), January 31, 2012, 5:33 PM.
It is a matter of great satisfaction that selfless services rendered by S. Bawa Singh have been recognized by the Australian Government. In fact, the entire Sikh community feels honoured. Let us continue to promote harmony and peace amongst all communities. Congratulations.
11: Angad Singh (Australia), February 05, 2012, 9:20 PM.
My heart bursts with pride and joy ... how fitting for you to have this first honor, Sardar Bawa Singh ji.
12: Hardev Singh Thethy (Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada), July 06, 2012, 1:28 PM.
Your contributions go beyond the Australian borders. You are a panthic leader. Chardi Kala for all your endeavours.
13: Surinder Singh Jagdev (London. UK), July 06, 2012, 4:31 PM.
Well done, Bawa Singh ji. Specially after reading about your contribution to stand for other faiths and communities to preserve their rights to practice their faith. Keep following the teachings of Guru Nanak and carry on the path of doing good regardless of race, colour and creed. Proud of your deeds, and of the recognition given to you by the Australian Govt.
14: Paramjit Singh Kohli (London, England.), July 08, 2012, 11:29 AM.
Heartiest congratulations to all Sikhs, but particularly Sikh-Aussies, to have such a brave Sikh amongst you. Here in the UK we are not winning the "Halal Only Option" in labelling and the provision because we Sikhs are not united. To rub salt, even the biggest provider of Halal Chicken is a Sikh and many Sikhs ensure that we do not ask for a change because they are of a view that it does not matter. I would ask Bawa Singh to contact us to provide us with guidance in this issue.
15: C S Sagoo (Taunton, UK), April 21, 2017, 5:11 AM.
I would appreciate if anyone can provide a contact address/email for Mr Bawa Singh Jagdev. I knew him at Exeter University, and also in Kenya. I have been trying to trace him for quite a while, and now I have found a lead.