Famous Sikhs
Manmohan Singh
- Manmohan Singh is an Indian politician who was the thirteenth Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014.
- Considered to be one of the most influential figures in India's recent history, because of the economic liberalization he started in 1991 when he was Finance Minister.
- The first Sikh to become Prime Minister of India.
- Manmohan Singh has a doctorate from Oxford University. He is the most educated Indian Prime Minister in history.
Milkha Singh
- Former Indian track and field sprinter.
- He is nicknamed The Flying Sikh.
- Milkha Singh represented India in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
- As of 2013, he is the only Indian male athlete to win an individual athletics gold medal at a Commonwealth Games.
- He was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his sporting achievements.
- The movie Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is based on Milkha Singh's life.
Waris Ahluwalia
- Actor who has played a number of roles in commercials and Hollywood films, including The Life Aquatic and The Inside Man.
- Waris is also a popular jewelry designer and owner of the House of Waris jewelry brand.
- In 2013 Ahluwalia was featured in a Gap "Make Love" campaign ad.
Fauja Singh
- Fauja Singh is a centenarian marathon runner.
- He holds a world record as a runner in his age bracket.
- In 2011, Fauja Singh became the first 100-year old to finish a marathon.
- In 2004 he was featured in an advertising campaign, 'Nothing Is Impossible', for sportswear manufacturer Adidas.
- While running marathon races in London, New York and Toronto, he raised money for various charities promoting Sikh culture around the world.
Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany
- Widely acknowledged as the father of fiber-optics.
- Dr. Kapany has over one hundred patents. His research and inventions have encompassed fiber-optics communications, lasers, biomedical instrumentation, solar energy and pollution monitoring.
- He is a Fellow of numerous scientific societies including the British Royal Academy of Engineering, the Optical Society of America, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
- Named one of seven 'Unsung Heroes' by Fortune magazine in their 'Businessmen of the Century' issue.
Khushwant Singh
- One of the best-known Indian writers of all times.
- He is the best selling author of over 80 books and two weekly columns syndicated in over 40 English publications.
- The Library of Congress has ninety-nine works on and by Khushwant Singh.
- Khushwant Singh is a recipient of the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian award in India.
Surinder Kaur
- Surinder Kaur (1929–2006) was an Indian singer and songwriter.
- She sang mainly Punjabi folk-songs, where she is credited for pioneering and popularising the genre and later was known as the ‘Nightingale of Punjab’.
- Surinder Kaur recorded her first song in 1943, which she sang with her elder sister Prakash Kaur.
- She recorded more than 2,000 Punjabi songs over her lifetime.
Harbhajan Singh Yogi
- Harbhajan Singh Yogi (1929-2004) was also known as Yogi Bhajan and Siri Singh Sahib.
- He was a spiritual leader who introduced Kundalini Yoga to the United States.
- Yogi Bhajan was influential in helping promote the Sikh tradition in the West. He motivated thousands to embrace the Sikh way of life.
- He was the spiritual director of the 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization) Foundation.
Dara Singh
- Dara Singh (1928-2012) was an Indian wrestler turned actor.
- He was undefeated in his entire wrestling career.
- Dara Singh worked as a Hindi and Punjabi film producer, director and writer, and he acted on film and television.
- He was the first sportsman to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha (upper house) of India.
Monty Panesar
- Mudhsuden Singh Panesar, popularly known as Monty Panesar, plays for the England cricket team.
- He is the first Sikh to represent a nation other than India in cricket.
- He is a crowd favorite in England, and many English fans have worn patkas while watching Panesar play.
- Nicknames for Panesar include 'The Montster', 'The Python' (as in Monty Python), 'The Beard to be Feared', or most popular 'The Turbanator'.
Amrit and Rabindra Kaur
- Amrit and Rabindra are contemporary British artists of international standing.
- Their paintings address contemporary subjects in a detailed, decorative style inspired by the tradition of Indian miniature painting.
Rabinder Singh
- The first judge in the United Kingdom to sit in the high court wearing a turban instead of a wig.
- Rabinder Singh co-founded the Matrix Human Rights Law Chambers with Cherie Blair, wife of Prime Minister Tony Blair.
- He holds a Bachelor of Laws with first class honors from the University of Cambridge and a Master of Laws from the University of California (Berkeley).
- Also thought to be the youngest person to sit as a judge in the U.K. high court.
Baltej Singh Dhillon
- First Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer allowed to wear a turban and unshorn beard.
- Graduated from the RCMP training academy in Regina (Saskatchewan, Canada)
Gurbax Singh Malhi
- First turbaned Sikh to be elected to the Canadian parliament, the Canadian House of Commons. He was first elected to parliament in 1993.
- Canadian law prohibited members of parliament from wearing headgear of any sort in the Commons. Malhi's insistence on wearing a turban caused the law to be changed shortly after the election.
- Malhi has introduced numerous Sikh ceremonies to the Canadian Parliament (including an annual Akhand Path and a Diwali celebration).
- He was also instrumental in having the government of Canada produce a postage stamp bearing the khanda symbol.
Snatam Kaur
- Snatam Kaur is an American singer and songwriter.
- She is a popular New Age artist, selling over 70,000 albums a year.
- Snatam Kaur’s albums have topped New Age Retailer’s Top 20 lists every year since 2004.
Nuvraj Singh Bassi
- Nuvraj Singh Bassi is a defensive lineman who plays in the Canadian Football League.
- He has played for the Montreal Alouettes, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and the BC Lions.
- He made history as the first turbaned Sikh in the league.
Dr. Gurmeet Shimi Kaur Kang
- Dr. Shimi Kang is an award-winning, Harvard-trained doctor, researcher, media expert, and lecturer on human motivation.
- She is the author of The Dolphin Way: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Healthy, Happy, and Motivated Kids Without Turning Into A Tiger (Penguin Books 2014).
- Her articles have appearred in major media outlets including the Huffington Post, Psychology Today and TIME Magazine.
- In 2012, Dr. Kang received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her years of outstanding community service.
Simranpreet Singh Lamba
- The first Sikh to become a non-medical enlisted U.S. Army soldier since the 1980's without shedding his turban.
- Lamba was recruited for his language skills.
Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu
- Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu was the first Indian woman athlete to win a gold medal in track and field at the Asian Games.
- In 1970 she won the 400m in Bangkok with a time of 57.3 seconds.
- She also competed at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
By - Jashan
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