Turn of The Century- Sikh Concerns and Responses

About the Book The Word of Almighty, as revealed to Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, has faced hostility from various quarters ever since its revelation. The Gurus, therefore, to preserve its universal approach for posterity, recorded it and authenticated it. Yet, the antagonistic groups have not given up their attempts to dilute and/or distort the same from time to time. But,. the dedicated and committed followers of the Guru have always risen to the occasion, and rebutted any misrepresentation of the Sikh Faith.

The present volume is a saga of the onerous efforts of one such devoted follower of the Guru, made towards preserving the Word of Almighty in its pristine form, and taking it to the world, as envisaged by the Gurus. The volume also presents the crystallized views of the author regarding the burning issues that faced the globally dispersed Sikh community, as a whole, and offers ways and means to resolve the same. Not just mere verbal injunctions, but his diligence. industriousness speaks for itself from the genre of the institutions put in place to attend to every such issue, on the ground.

The absolute commitment to the cause of the Guru is manifest in every word and deed of the author. His conviction that the propagation of the Guru's message, in its true spirit, has a bearing on the future of mankind, and therefore his unrelenting efforts to execute the same till his last breath are evident herein.

The book reveals what one, driven by love for the Almighty and humanity, can achieve in a short span of time.

About the Author Dr Kharak Singh was born on 12 November 1922 at Village Rayya, Dist Amritsar, Punjab, India. A topper and a scholarship holder throughout, Dr Kharak Singh's name stands on his school's Board of Honour After obtaining his Masters in Agronomy from Solan University, Punjab (now in HP). in 1952, he obtained another Masters and a Doctorate Degree in Agriculture Economics, in a record time, from Ohio State University, USA. On account of his qualifications and expertise, not only Governments of various states of India and the Centre, but also Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations sought his services.

As a true Gursikh, he ever engaged himself in disseminating the message of Guru Granth Sahib, the scripture of the Sikhs. He was a member of the Dharam Prachar Committee, SGPC, Amritsar, and his name figured prominently on every committee formed by the same to address issues related to the Sikhs and their Faith.

A prolific writer, he has edited and authored several books and well- researched articles, highlighting the issues that need to be addressed, and founded institutions to cater to these.

In short, his contribution towards safe- guarding, invigorating and propagating the Sikh Value System, as preached by the Gurus, is immense, which shall aid in furthering the march of the Sikh Panth in particular and humanity in general towards its destined glory.

Foreword Dr Birendra Kaur, an enlightened writer, has done a commendable job of preparing this anthology comprising the editorials of the Abstracts of Sah Studies and a number of other monographs written by the distinguished scholar Dr Kharak Singh Editing a scholarly journal and writing its editorals is a very important and responsible function. Brilliant writing is difficult to sustain. These write-ups are rigorously balanced assessments of the subjects deftly appraised. Dr Kharak Singh did not demean the writing to which he brought so much passion, pain, adroitness and serene message. He was resolutely devoted to keep very high standard of the journal Abstracts of Sikh Studies. Always tenacious and savvy, he continued writing upto his last breath. To provide widest possible views on a subject, he encouraged scholars of various genres to contribute their write-ups to the journal. Dr Kharak Singh not only ensured quality of the contents of the journal, he worked hard and successfully to arrange financial support for the publication of the journal which did not seek insertion of commercial advertisements to keep it going. The Abstracts of Sikh Studies is consequently a purely scholarly, research journal carrying learned contributions of various hues.

After putting the various articles in this compendium, Dr Birendra Kaur simply lets each write-up speak for itself, resisting the temptation to analyse and conclude. What results is an erudite snap-shot of learned pourings of eminent scholarship. This anthology provides valuable material in a compact form which will benefit the reader quite conveniently. It will also provide an opportunity to have an access to the lofty views and erudition of the great scholar Dr Kharak Singh who epitomized what it means to be a good human being and a blessed Sikh - a true follower of gurmat.

**Contents and Sample Pages**