Sat Sri Akaal is social organization litigating the suffering of the common man, especially those affected by adverse circumstances. The organization is made up of like-minded professional from diverse fields, from the business fraternity and in service with reputed organizations. The basic aim is the opt repeated adage, ‘SERVICE OF HUMANITY IS SERVICE TO GOD’ .Sat Sri Akaal charitable Trust also organizes “SIKH ACHIVER’s AWARD” every year to felicitate Sabat Soorat Sikhs across the globe for their achievement and contribution to community whilst keeping the Sikhi Saroop.
This year the “SIKH ACHIVER’s AWARD” was held on 1st Feb, 2019. at SHANMUKHANANDA HALL, MUMBAI, along with exciting entertainment program.In this function, eight eminent Sikh personalities from different fields and various part of the world were felicitated and names include :
1. Dr Harminder Singh
It was in 1998 when Dr.Harminder Singh, a medical professional in Mohali, Punjab visited one of the orphanages and came across an incident, where the organization refused to accommodate destitute girls.He was further taken aback realizing that there was no home in the region to accommodate these unfortunate orphan/abandoned girls.Out of compassion for these girls, Dr.Harminder Singh decided to start JyotiSarupKanyaAsra in Kharar, Punjab, an NGO funded by public and a home sheltering for girl children of all agesHe started with nine orphans girls in a rented accommodation, after 17 years of struggle with local authorities and many other hardships JSKAS (JyotiSarupKanyaAsra) today is a home to over 135 girl children of all ages and operates out of a 2500 Sq Yard 3 storied building.There are three types of girls that come to his place: those whose parents have died, the abandoned ones and those having single parent, but with the mother getting remarried after the death of the father.All the children go to schools (Govt and Private English Medium). Some of the girls are pursuing professional education such as B tech, MA, BEd.These children are provided with additional guidance and coaching apart from their normal school timings.Not only this, but 8 of girls have already been married and are having a good life in various parts of Punjab. Their marriages were solemnized by Dr Harminder whom every child refers to as Papa…Satsriakaal Trust salute - Dr Harminder Singh=”Papa” to carry the message “So KiuMandaAkhiaiJitJanmahRajan,” and facilitate him with Sikh Achiever’s Award.
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2. Chandeep Singh
Chandeep Singh, works on his laptop, uses his mobile phone and does everything that you and I can do, yet he is different, courage is his middle name.Jammu and Kashmir’s ChandeepSingh,lost both his arms in an Electric shock in his early age.Despite all odds, he converted his disability into an ability, with his will, the determination and the urge to emerge different from among the common and do something special.Chandeep took up roller skating after the accident and spent hours every day trying to perfect his balance and speed. In the evenings, after he was done with the classes, he would go to the skating rink and practices for 90 minutes, competing with other able-bodied skaters. In 2012, he participated in a national roller-skating event and won a bronze medal for the same. However, he won the medal racing against able bodied competitorsand professional Skating player &have won many awards in Skating.Chandeep has the distinction of being adjudged as the World’s Fastest Skater by US based Golden Book of World Records
Chandeep has a long journey of excellence in sporting world, after shining in skating, he switched to Taekwondo. He exceled in Taekwondo also by wining 2 gold medals for India in the Kimunyong Cup Taekwondo Championship, being held in Korea.Chandeep has the honour of winning gold medals in Asian Taekwondo Championship at Vietnam and Pomsae International Taekwondo Championship at Nepal.He found a mentor in sports legend Milkhasingh, who personally endorsedhim and has undertaken the responsibility of mentoring young Chandeep,Where there is a will, there is a way,Chandeep Singh has proven that if one has determination nothing is impossible.Chandeep Singh’s story stirs the soul of the present day youth, who often blame others or lack of resources for their failure. Satsriakaal Trust salutes - SardarChandeep Singh for his determination and dedication towards sports and facilitate him with Sikh Achiever’s Award.
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3. Harvinder Singh Phoolka
Harvinder Singh Phoolka (commonly known as H. S. Phoolka) is a senior advocate of the Delhi High Court, Human Rights activist, and Author. Phoolka's came from small village called Bhadaur in the Sangrur district of Punjab, India. He graduated from Ludhiana, and went to Law School in Chandigarh. Phoolka was caught in the massacre while driving pregnant wife ManinderKaur home on his motorbike. When informed by a friend of the attacks on Sikhs, he avoided the main roads to reach his home in South Delhi via the slums of KotlaMubarakpur. Phoolka's landlord drove the mob away by telling them that the Phoolka family had left Delhi and hid them in his store room. There the Phoolkas spent 2 days, and came out under escort. They then flew to Chandigarh in the cockpit of an overcrowded plane.Phoolka planned to move his residence to Chandigarh after the riots, but he learned that lawyers were needed to draft affidavits on behalf of the victims, and went to the FarshVihar relief camp to help.The sight of orphans, bereaved mothers and wives in the relief camp prompted the Phoolkas to change their plans. Instead of relocating to Chandigarh, He chose to stay and help the victims of the massacre. Since then, Phoolka has fought cases relentlessly for the victims despite government cover-up.
He is known for spearheading one of the longest and most tortuous legal "crusades" to gain justice for the victims of 1984 Anti-Sikh massacre and for fighting individual cases on the involvement of H. K. L. Bhagat, Sajjan Kumar and JagdishTytler despite the government cover-up.He never charged fee for the legal assistance offered to families of the riot victims. He is known as a lawyer who won't take up a case if he finds that the client is in the wrong. He also quit the leader of opposition post of Punjab Assembly House, after concerns from Delhi Bar Council stopped him from appearing in the 84 carnage case. He almost immediately stepped down from his post and continue fighting for justice of 84 victims .It is not been easy journey for Advocate H. S. Phoolka, as he received threatening letters for unearthing the involvement of ruling political party leaders in what the Asian Age called, "the Mother of all Cover-ups" in a front page story.The special anniversary edition of Outlook (magazine) included Phoolka in its list of 50 people that make a difference in India. Phoolka, along with human rights activist and journalist Manoj Mitta, has written the first account of the 1984 Anti-Sikh massacre in the form of a book titled When a Tree Shook Delhi.Satsriakaal feel proud to facilitate this 73 year old warrior who continued fight for last 34 years for 1984 Sikh victims and help them get justice.
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4. Jaskaran Singh
Jaskaran Singh is one of the founding members of “Seva Selfless Service” a non-profit, independent, and community ran organization whose mission is to feed the starving bellies of those who are less fortunate in underserved areas.This organization has zero overhead cost and 100% of donations go to the cause. It is run completely by volunteers.They serve langar in downtown Sacramento on every Thursday to around 300 people and they are running this sewa from last 6 years. They have never missed a single Thursday.They also serve about 500 people a month in the city of San Francisco and distribute clothes, socks, Blankets and hygiene kits to the needy whenever required.They also serve Langer in Surrey once every 2 weeks and make sure that they do whatever it requires to fulfil the basic needs of society.In the last two years Seva Selfless Service has started to do disaster relief projects. Wherein Mr Jaskaran Singh along with their volunteers flew to Nepal in 2015 to help rebuild houses after the earthquake.They also volunteer in California fire victims in 2017 and 2018 in Paradise, Clear lake, Santa Rosa and Redding.They have even flew to Texas during the great floods last year, stayed for two weeks andhelped people evacuate from their homes, provided food and supplies to the Victims.Their Mission is to create a network of all of the local organizations, wherein they can work as one united team and can start the leg work for providing a platform for the people in need.Sat Sri Akal Trust Salutes Mr Jaskaran Singh and their team of Seva Selfless Service to carry on Guru Nanak DevJi’s message of “VandKeShakna” and facilitate them with Sikh Achiever’s Award.
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5. Manjeet Kaur
Manjeet Kaur is a Social worker and wife of S.Kanwaljit Singh, who works as a banking clerk in the Stale Bank of India. By night, both of them hung up their boots and put aside the daily chorus, and kicks off second shift: ferrying sick patients to hospital in his makeshift Maruti van ambulance anywhere in the city.This service is complete with Sikh shabads played from a stereo, is free and funded entirely by his own meagre savings. Manjeet Kaur along with her husband started this free ambulance service, after one incident, in which their son met with an accident on highway and no one was ready to ferry them to hospital.After coming back to Jaipur, they converted their Omni Van in makeshift ambulance and started night only free service. Manjeet Kaur learnt driving also so that she can drive the ambulance in absence of her husband and makes herself available whenever required.Manjeet Kaur and her Husband got inspired from his father Kartar Singh, a government servant after whom the service is christened as”KartarSewa Kendra”.Manjeet kaur not only provides free ambulance service, they also provide essential hospital items free for use – ranging from eight wheelchairs, a water bed, drip stands and stretchers to a wide array of plastic bedpans . Manjit kaur proudly informs that 90 per cent of the patients she ferries invariably survive, due to the constant prayers she recites, head covered, while driving. "Once she took a diabetes patient, Jugal Kishore, to hospital. His blood sugar had dropped very low. The doctor told her he would have died if she would have reached even five minutes later. Rather than investing money in shares or fixed deposits, each month they exhausts their salary on new surgical items. Currently, three wheelchairs have travelled to the Hajj with a group of Muslim invalids.The hospital service is not only the social work Manjeetkaur is engaged in.They are also involved in teaching Punjabi language in local Gurdwarasduring summer vacations.The couple has also constructed an old age home, “vriddh ashram” in the city that has a library with a prayer room.Sat Sri Akal Trust Salutes ManjeetKaur to carry on message of true Sikhism and facilitate them with Sikh Achiever’s Award.
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6. Dr Rajwant Singh
Dr.Rajwant Singh was born in Calcutta, India, in 1961. He immigrated to the United States in 1979 and settled in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. He completed a Doctorate in Dental Surgery in 1989 from the School of Dentistry at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He founded the first Sikh youth group in 1980 in Washington, while he was in dental school. He became one of the founding members of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation (GGSF), a Sikh congregation based in Rockville, Maryland.He organizes youth camps for Sikh children every summer and also conducts classes in Punjabi, Sikh history and Philosophy in Washington area through Guru Gobind Singh Foundation.Dr Rajwant Singh is the founder and President of EcoSikh, a response from the Sikh community to the threats of climate change and the deterioration of the environment. They have started Sikh Environment Day to increase environmental actions taken by the Sikh community.Dr Singh is also the Chairman of the Sikh Council on Religion and Education (SCORE), an organization that speaks on issues related to Sikhs, serves as a think tank and represents Sikhs in various forums and venues.He along with 4 other religious leaders, were selected by President George Bush to speak to the press conference to calm down the American public and deter backlash against Sikhs due to mistaken identity in the aftermath of 9/11.He is also Communications Director of the Sikh Human Development Foundation (SHDF), which provides need-based scholarships for higher education to underprivileged students in India.He has worked with three different presidents: Clinton, Bush and Obama and their respective administrations on various faith-based, social justice, and environmental issues.Dr Singh also initiated the first ever White House celebration of the Birthday of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.Internationally, Dr. Singh has represented the Sikh perspective in numerous international forums and has been invited by the Vatican and Buckingham Palace to serve as a Sikh representative.On the Occasion of 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak DevJi Dr Rajwant Singh is making a documentary on teachings of Guru Nanak DevJi to be released Worldwide.Satsriakaal charitable trust recognises the social work of Dr Rajwant Singh for Sikh Community across the globe and present him with Sikh Achievers Awards
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7. Sarabjeet Singh (Bobby)
Sarabjeet Singh, fondly known as Bobby ji, has been working to uplift and serve the underprivileged people of Himachal Pradesh for years.At the age of 13 he left his School and started doing Social work through local Gurudwara in Shimla.Unlike most people, who are pre-occupied with their own lives and responsibilities, Sarbjeet Singh spends so much time in social work that the people who know him affectionately call him ‘Vela Bobby’ – ‘vela’ means who has nor work.He has dedicated his life for helping the underprivileged people and the destitute and volunteered to drive dead body van free of cost for the poor - 24X7 and till date ferried more than 5,000 bodies for last rituals. Sarabjeet Singh, while transporting the dead body of a 9-year-old girl, made him realise the importance of his job and strengthened his passion to continue and serve the societySarabjeet Singh has been organising blood donation camps for the last 12 years and has collected 30,000 units of blood, which is 60% of the total blood collection of Himachal Pradesh.
In 2014, Sarbjeet Singh started his NGO named Almighty Blessings, wherein he started a free canteen for poor patients and their attendants at different hospitals in Shimla.These canteens serve tea, biscuits, soups, porridge, and dal-chawal to patients free of cost. Apart from running two free canteens for poor patients, Sarabjeet Singh also runs 22 Roti banks across the state to collect chapati and distribute them to poor patients. He has established roti banks in front of schools and residential areas to collect from volunteers.His vision is to start a hospital for poor and underprivileged people where in he can provide treatment in affordable prices.Satsriakaal Trust salute -SardarSarbjeet Singh “Vela” and to carry the message “Satgur Ki SewaSafalHai Jo Kare Chit Laye,” and facilitate him with Sikh Achiever’s Award.
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8. Tarvinder Singh Sabharwal
Tarvinder Singh Sabharwal is one of the prominent business tycoons - Sewak Construction Company Ltd. of India engaged in the business of constructions. He completed his graduation from Sydnam College, Mumbai and GCD Diploma from Harvard University.The important projects which have been completed by this company include Mumbai-Pune Express way, Mumbai-Nasik Express way J.V. Sadbhav Engineering Ltd. Maharashtra, Sahara City Panvel, Maharashtra etc.His company is engaged in constructing Asia’s biggest tunnel of 7 kms in Tiruchirapalli/ Madurai.His loves for his community and religion is very obvious and often makes huge donations for any kind of projects meant for the benefit of the community. He is mainly focused in education of the people of his community and any organization engaged in such activities.He also supports all the activities and organizations engaged therein which are aimed at promoting and propagating the tenets and teachings as contained in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. His veneration for the Gurus is evidenced by the fact that he has made the authorities agree to name the highway covering Digshai Road as Guru Nanak Marg.Tarvinder Singh Sabharwal is currently engaged in a project to launch free air Ambulance from Shimla to PGI Chandigarh for the cancer patients, as there is no treatment available for people of Shimla.This project is constructed by Sewak Constructions on Humanitarian grounds, as service will be available for people free of costs.Tarvinder Singh Sabharwal is a role-model not merely because he is the key person of a construction company which undertakes high profile projects, but also because of his generosity and philanthropic acts for community.Satsriakaal Trust salutes the philanthropic work of S Tarvinder Singh and Facilitate him with Sikh Achievers Award.
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