TORONTO, Ontario—Professor Uday Singh of Toronto, Canada passed away this past Friday, November 22nd after having suffered a heart attack a few days earlier. Professor Uday Singh was well known in the Toronto area for his dedication to teaching children Gurmukhi and Gurmat. For over 40 years Professor Uday Singh taught young children Gurmukhi, Gurmat and Santhia at his Gurmat School, all for free. He was a Math professor at the Laurentian University in Ontario and after retiring he began to focus all his time and attention towards teaching children Gurmukhi.
He started out in a small basement where children would come to learn to read and write Punjabi, he was then able to buy a small unit where he could teach more children, in a school setting. He never asked for a cent from the students in return, all he asked was for them to put in the effort to learn what he was teaching. He taught thousands of students in the Toronto area, many of whom would not be able to read or write Punjabi if not for his efforts. He taught the children of his earlier students, and then their children as well—spanning three generations in the Toronto area.
Professor Uday Singh was a companion of the great Sikh, Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh for 16 years and doing seva in Amrit Sanchars with Bhai Sahib for many years. He then immigrated to Canada in 1961 and had never gone back. He was a staunch supporter of Khalistan, which cost him his Indian passport and the ability to ever go back to his original home.
Professor Uday Singh wrote many books during his life, one of them named I made friends with a Saint about his time spent with Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh. Another of his books was titled The Waning and Waxing of the Khalistan Movement, which is the book he believed cost him his Indian Passport and got him put on the black list.
“I have reason to believe it is this book poisoned them against me and my passport was taken away,” he said once.
Professor Uday Singh provided financial support to the families of Ajaib Singh Bagri and Inderjit Singh Reyat during their Air India Bombing trials. He believed them to be innocent of the crimes they were accused of, saying in a 2007 interview, “No Sikh is guilty of doing that. The Hindu government got it done.”
He sent monthly checks to the families of Inderjit Singh Reyat and Ajaib Singh Bagri saying, “I have every sympathy with the whole family, especially with the mother who has suffered most. To me they are like a bunch of flowers, very fragrant and very well-behaved and high-quality people to me.”
Although he was financially stretched by running his free Gurmat School, he still managed to send monthly checks to the families. Professor Uday Singh was known to live on only 10% of his earnings and give 90% towards Panthik causes. A Sikh is obliged only to give 10% towards the Panth and live off the remaining 90%.
Professor Uday Singh’s body was draped with the flag of Khalistan at the public viewing—his support for Khalistan was strong throughout his life.
He was an accomplished Gursikh, having Sangat of many renowned Gursikhs in India from the mid-1940s until 1961.
After immigrating to Canada in 1961 he dedicated all his time to teaching children Gurmukhi and instilling Gurmat values in them. He will be missed by the thousands of people he taught and met, and thousands more who heard of his undying need to teach the future generations of Sikhs. He had strict adherence to Gurmat and was not afraid to voice his opinion no matter who stood with him or against him.
The Panth has lost a great jewel in Professor Uday Singh, however his legacy lives on in the thousands of people he touched and inspired throughout his life.
Khalistan Zindabad.
Khalistaan Jindabaad