Amritsar: From diplomacy to human rights to politics, it is a long and tough journey and Harinder Singh Khalsa, the new secretary of the powerful Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee known as the Sikh “parliament”, has covered this journey at a rather young age of 44.
Khalsa had first hit the headlines in June 1984 when, he tendered his resignation as the Indian Charged Affairs in Norway in protest against what he terms as “Army’s invasion in the Golden Temple”. He had joined the Indian Embassy in Norway in 1981 after having first served the Indian missions in Thailand and Indonesia. He had joined the elite Indian Foreign Service in 1974. Teaching experience: Before joining the IFS, Khalsa, who looks more like a dedicated university scholar, taught English literature in the Khalsa College in Ludhiana for more than four years. He did his post- graduation in English literature from the Government College, Ludhiana. Khalsa comes from a political background. His father, Gopal Singh, was a committed Akali leader. He remained the leader of the Opposition for five years from 1952 to 1957. Earlier, he had also been the chief parliamentary secretary to Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, the then Chief Minister of the United Punjab before the partition.
Running Dhaba: Life has not been a bed of roses for Khalsa ever since he left the IFS in June 1984. Immediately after resigning from the foreign service, Khalsa had to start a small Dhaba in Norway to make his living. He says with a philosophical smile: “For six years, my wife and I ran this small dhaba in Norway. We used to cook dishes together, wash utensils and clean the floors. It was a question of survival.”
As PHRO Chelf: Khalsa, accompanied by his wife and two minor children returned to India in 1990. He decided to settle down at Ludhiana, his hometown. He joined the Punjab human rights organization and started preparing reports on the police excesses in Punjab. Soon he was elevated as chairman of the organization.
Khalsa looks happy to take on his new assignment as the SGPC secretary. He has replaced Manjit Singh Calcutta, a controversial close confidant of the former SGPC president, Gurcharan Singh Thora. Unlike his predecessor, Khalsa carries no security guards with him. (Statesman Oct. 18).
