Hardayal Singh on United Sikhs

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/08/24

Hardayal Singh works for United Sikhs. UNITED SIKHS is a U.N. affiliated, international, non-profit, non-governmental, humanitarian relief, education, human development and advocacy organization that aims to empower those in need, especially disadvantaged and minority communities around the world. UNITED SIKHS is head-quartered in New York and registered as a non-profit, tax exempt organization, in New York pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and registered as a charity in the State of New York. It is also registered as a Charity in England and Wales under the Charities Act 1993, Charity Number 111 2055; registered in Australia as a non-profit NGO (ABN 24 317 847 103); a registered NGO in Belgium; is a registered charity organization in Canada with Canada Revenue Agency; registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in Punjab, as a tax exempt organization under section 80G of the Income Tax Act 1961; under the French Association Law 1901; under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan; as a registered society under the Registrar of Societies in Malaysia (registered as UNITED SIKHS Malaysia Humanitarian Aid Organisation- Reg. No: PPM-015-14-06042015); and as an NGO pending registration in the Republic of Ireland.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Today, we’re here with Hardeep Singh from the United Sikhs. When did the organization get started, and how has its development been for the Sikh community over time?

Hardayal Singh: The organization was started in 1999. It began in New York City and then spread to other countries. That’s how it initially began and grew.

Jacobsen: What about Canada, expanding outside New York to another country?

Singh: It was registered in 2008. It happened after the initial establishment in New York City. So I know it started in the US and then went to the UK. The UK expansion was around 2002 or 2003. From there, it went to India, then to Canada, and subsequently to France, Belgium, and Ukraine. Ukraine’s expansion happened recently, and we are also in Australia, New Zealand, and Pakistan. Those are the countries we are in, along with the United States. 

Jacobsen: How do you get recognized by the UN regarding affiliation to expand services and reputation?

Singh: To get recognized by the UN, you must work in disaster relief. When you go to disaster sites, you meet with UN officials and realize there’s a whole process of registering as an NGO. We started that process, and it took us almost a year and a half to two years to register. They go through a series of queries, financial reports, and data. Once we went through that, we were able to get registered as an affiliation with the United Nations, which gives a lot of credibility and value. You can collaborate with the UN’s resources during disasters, which is very helpful.

Jacobsen: How do you work with communities, families, and individuals to help them become economically self-sufficient again, especially those affected by disasters?

Singh: Project QT allows us to work with individuals to help them get back on their feet. Many people lost their ability to meet their economic and financial requirements during COVID-19, leading to job losses. We look at the person’s profession and see what training and funding they need. For example, if someone is a taxi driver or repairs mobile phones or windshields, we help them get the necessary training and bank loans to resume work.

Sometimes, we have significant guarantors for them because we thoroughly check the background to ensure we can vouch for any person. Then, we guide them through the entire marketing process and the aspects needed to set up independently, enabling them to care for their families. We also have numerous other programs, such as resources for helping with school bullying, which is a significant project.

Jacobsen: What are the issues that kids are facing in terms of school bullying?

Singh: As Sikhs, we look different and have our own identity. This difference is a primary reason for bullying, especially among Sikh boys. Girls may get bullied because of their long hair, braids, or maybe the colour, but it’s mostly boys who face bullying. Boys are bullied because of the turban or dastar they wear, or sometimes the colour or the kirpan they carry. Kids don’t wear the kirpan much, but some do. Mostly, the bullying is due to how they look and the beard they keep. Youngsters tie on their heads it’s mainly because of the small turban, called a patka. They face name-calling, such as “What’s that bandaid you’re wearing on your head?” or other derogatory terms.

Bullying is rampant, and any negative reaction to it is not good. We must train parents and students on what steps to take if they get bullied, how to approach the school, what to say to the supervisors, and how to handle the situation. We also visit schools and give presentations on what Sikhism is. Through dialogue, we educate people, helping them understand that we’re all human beings and appearance should not be a means to make judgments. Coexistence is key as long as nobody is harmful.

Jacobsen: How do you link up with Gurdwaras to help build community support, whether it’s helping those trying to get back on their feet economically or helping kids who are being bullied?

Singh: Gurdwaras are the central point, much like churches, where people gather for congregations. They connect, bond, and discuss what affects them and their families in their free time. It’s a place where people hook up, connect, and talk about their problems.

It’s a word-of-mouth system that has already spread among a few people, specifically with the management. The management is aware of what we do and recommends to the congregation members who to go to when such things happen. There is a huge benefit in bringing awareness to the Gurdwaras so that they and their schools can leverage the management, including posters and flyers, to raise awareness about who to contact in such situations. Farming is a big part of life for many, but hard times can come to anyone.

Jacobsen: How does farmers relief work in India?

Singh: Farming is currently facing a crisis. Right now, we are only helping from a humanitarian perspective, as the farmers in India are asking for certain rights and requirements. They want at least a minimum value of a fixed price from the government to meet their needs. When the industry is privatized, private owners dictate the pricing, and everyone wants a cheaper price. The concern is that big companies may negotiate better prices with large landowners, which smaller farmers cannot match. It’s similar to how big stores like Walmart affect small mom-and-pop shops.

Certain areas have restrictions to prevent big stores from dominating, ensuring the town retains some control. Modernization is important for survival, but more effort must be needed to streamline and find a solution. This is why farmers are protesting in India, particularly in Punjab, after seeing the high suicide rates among farmers in other regions. They realize that the current system is not working, so they are taking a stand and blocking rules until the government develops a strategy and does not privatize the sector.

Jacobsen: I’m heading to Ukraine for work correspondence in soon.

Singh: Wow, that’s going to be interesting. This will be my second trip, and I’ll be there for another few weeks. Where are you going in Ukraine?

Singh: We will land in Chisinau, Moldova, then go to Kyiv and several other cities. Last time, we went to Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson (about 5 kilometres from the front line), back to Mykolaiv, then to Dnipro, Kharkiv, and finally Kyiv. It’s quite a lot of movement.

Jacobsen: Air raid alarms are on every night.

Singh: I’m sure. It’s a constant concern for the relief workers.

Jacobsen: What kind of relief work are you providing for Ukrainians?

Singh: We are focused on humanitarian aid, providing essential supplies and support to those affected by the conflict.

In a national situation, our headquarters are at Shehyni, the entrance point from southern Poland into Ukraine. Shehyni is the first entrance point there, and we have a base camp and a warehouse where all the refugees coming in and out can take shelter and receive breakfast and other necessary supplies.

In Kyiv, we have a small warehouse where we work in various regions based on feedback from the mayor’s office and others to deliver food and emergency supplies as needed. We collaborate with the local systems, where each city has a mayor. The oblast, a larger administrative area, contains smaller cities. For instance, the Kyiv oblast encompasses numerous smaller cities.

In Kharkiv, we have another center in Chuhuiv, closer to Russia but still in Ukraine. We recently completed building two bomb shelters there, and the inauguration ceremony is scheduled for August 26th. These shelters, supported by the United States, are for senior citizens, women with children, and older women.

The needs shift to winter clothes, socks, and similar items during winter. People often question where the aid money goes, and the reality is that it first supports the army, which is defending the country. It also goes to civilians supporting the army’s camps in nearly all towns. Many older adults and those unable to join the army are left behind; they are the population we primarily serve.

We also support many orphanages. The situation remains tense, though less reported due to the Middle Eastern crisis. Every day and night in Ukraine brings uncertainty, but the people are resilient and strong-willed. Their resilience inspires us to ensure they get the support they need. When you’re there, you meet the people and see their adaptability to daily air raid alarms, which have become a normal part of their lives.

Jacobsen: So, Hardayal, thank you very much for your time today. 

Singh: Let me know if you’re going to Ukraine and if you need to meet with somebody there. We can connect you. Are you just going for journalism, or are you going to fight or something?

Jacobsen: No, no, it’s going to be war correspondence journalism. I’m going with a Romanian guy doing much live reporting there. He’s probably been there at least 200 days since the full-scale invasion. 

Singh: But are you going to the war zone? You’re going quite close. Kharkiv is a very hot spot. That area where you’re going is very intense. 

Jacobsen: We’ve been to Kharkiv before, so at least we will start in Kyiv this time. It’s one of the safer areas. He has the entire itinerary planned out because he works for Newsweek, Romania.

Jacobsen: Yes, we’re going to be visiting several cities. Once I know which cities, we can figure something out.

Singh: The bomb shelters are in Chuhuiv, very close to Russia. If you intend to go there or in that area, it’s quite intense, with fires and bombs falling here and there. You hope to be lucky to avoid those spots. I have some pictures of the shelters; I can send them to you.

Jacobsen: Yes, please. I’m doing a series if you have any relief or aid workers willing to be interviewed. The Center for Civil Liberties, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, has conducted a series of interviews with me. It would be interesting to get more perspectives. I even interviewed a restaurateur who turned her restaurant into a shelter, with tables becoming beds and the kitchen running 24/7 to provide food for civilians and soldiers.

Singh: Lots of opportunities indeed. All the best, and we’ll be in touch.

Jacobsen: Thank you, sir. Take care. Safe travels. Be safe.

Singh: Take care. Bye-bye.

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In-Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. ©Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing 2012-Present. Unauthorized use or duplication of material without express permission from Scott Douglas Jacobsen strictly prohibited, excerpts and links must use full credit to Scott Douglas Jacobsen and In-Sight Publishing with direction to the original content.