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Sikh Missionary
Society U.K. (Regd)
10,
Featherstone Road. Southall, Middx, U.K. UB2 5AA
Tel:
+44 020 8574 1902
Fax:
+44 020 8574 1912
Reg
Charity No: 262404
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Guru Granth
Sahib
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Late
Sardar Gurbachan Singh Sidhu (9 June 1930 to 26 August 2012)
Founder Member of the Sikh Missionary Society UK.
Sardar Gurbachan Singh Sidhu MA; FIL (London) departed for Sach
Khand on Sunday 26 August, 2012.
He was born on 9 June 1930 in village Kaonke, District Ludhiana,
Punjab. His parents went to Malaya before World War II, while he
stayed on with his family in Panjab to complete his school and
university education.
He arrived in the UK in 1965. In 1967, he was in Nottingham
University when he first conceived the idea of starting The Sikh
Missionary Society. His main concern was the religious education of
Sikh children. At that time there was very little literature
available on Sikhism in the UK.
He had started writing articles on Sikh religion and tradition,
which were published regularly in “The Sikh Courier”. In 1969,
together with some colleagues, he founded The Sikh Missionary
Society UK, which was registered as a charity. The present building
was purchased by the Society in Southall in 1978-79 and was further
developed in later years.
Religious education for children was the main concern of the
Society. As a first step Sardar Gurbachan Singh Sidhu wrote
literature for Primary school children. He then produced other
educational publications for the Society to cater for the needs of
older age groups.
Over the years, his well researched comparative studies of religion
and other books on Sikhism, have been gratefully received by the
Sikh diaspora.
From 1968 to 1979 he worked for the Pingalwara (Amritsar).
Later, when he moved to Nottingham he set up Sikh Sewa
International. This organisation has been actively engaged in free
social service since 1979. Services include, free eye operations,
aid to Pingalwara, free artificial limbs to limbless people, care
for orphans and elderly people, education for poor children, drug
de-addiction, producing Gurmat literature for free distribution and
Sikhi education in villages
Books authored by Sardar Gurbachan Singh Sidhu include:- Brief
Introduction to Sikhism, Sikh Religion and Christianity, Sikh
Religion and Islam (Co-authored with S. Gurmukh Singh UK), Sikh
Religion and Hinduism, Sikh Religion and Women, Sikh Religion and
Science, Sikh Religion and Hair, Panjab and Panjabi, Martyrdom of
Guru Arjan Dev, A Challenge to Sikhism (edited by S Gurmukh Singh
UK), Concepts of Sikh Religion, and Sikh Marriage Ceremony.
(Most publications are available on the Sikh Missionary Society
website under “publications”: http://www.sikhmissionarysociety.org/
Sardar Gurbachan Singh Sidhu’s life is aptly summed up by his
colleague, Sardar Gurmel Singh Kandola, Secretary General, The Sikh
Council UK, as follows:
“Sardar Gurbachan Singh Sidhu was a prolific writer and speaker.
Like a true Sikh he never tired of searching for truth. He published
a whole string of well researched book on a voluntary basis and did
a great deal of charity work in India in areas such as eye camps and
provision of artificial limbs and mobility aids. His legacy will
live on through the library of published books he leaves behind and
the inspiration he provided to so many, including myself.”
The management and membership of The Sikh Missionary Society UK pay
tribute to late Sardar Gurbachan Singh Sidhu for his dedicated and
selfless community seva, and for his scholarly contribution to Sikhi
literature.
He has truly earned a place of honour in Sach Khand.
©
Copyright
Gurmukh
Singh
(U.K.)
E-mail: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk
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