GURMIT SINGH AULAKH (Dr.)

Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh (30.1.1938 – 21.6.2017) is one of the few Sikh intellectuals, who have contributed a lot to the Sikhs’ struggle for sovereignty. He was born at village Chakk 60 Jhang Branch (in Lyallpur district of the West Punjab). Hi ancestral village was Shahbazpur (distt Tarn Taran). Having passed his Bachelor’s degree from Khalsa College Amritsar, he migrated to the United Kingdom (in 1965) and worked as a teacher in Scotland. In 1970, he migrated to the U.S.A. In 1973, he received his Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics. He worked as a university lecturer till 1984. When the Indian army invaded Darbar Sahib, on June 4, 1984, he resigned his job and began diplomatic activity for the interests of the Sikh nation. He founded the International Sikh Organisation and became its president. On October 7, 1987, he was appointed as the Chairman of the “Council of Khalistan”. On May 22, 1991, he gave a live talk on the famous CNN television network. On May 28, 1991, he addressed the National Press Council, in Washington and presented the Sikh case for sovereignty. On June 25, 1992, he won the support of the U.S. Congress to cut financial aid to India. He succeeded in getting the support of 219 Congressmen. On September 30, 1993, he achieved another alike victory in the U.S. Congress. On January 24, 1993, he hoisted the Sikh national flag, in the secretariat of the “Unrepresented Nations of the world”. On December 27, 1993, he succeeded in getting moral support of Bill Clinton, the president of the U.S., in favour of the Sikh Rights. He died in 2017.

(Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)