The Right Honourable
The Lord Singh of Wimbledon
CBE
Official portrait
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
24 October 2011
Life Peerage
Personal details
Born (1932-09-17) 17 September 1932
Rawalpindi, Punjab, British India
Political partyCrossbench
Alma materUniversity of Birmingham
OccupationJournalist, engineer, politician

Indarjit Singh, Baron Singh of Wimbledon CBE (born 17 September 1932), sometimes transliterated Inderjit Singh, is a British journalist and broadcaster, a prominent British Indian active in Sikh and interfaith activities, and a member of the House of Lords.

He is editor of the Sikh Messenger and known as a presenter of the Thought for the Day segment on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, and BBC Radio 2's Pause for Thought. He also contributes to British and overseas newspapers and journals including The Times, The Guardian and The Independent.

Biography

Singh was born in 1932 at Rawalpindi, then in the British Indian province of the Punjab, and came to England with his parents in 1933. His father was a medical doctor. After attending Bishop Vesey's Grammar School in Sutton Coldfield, he studied engineering at Birmingham University. Between 1955 and 1975, he worked in mining and civil engineering for the National Coal Board, for construction company Costain as a mine manager in India, and in local government in London.

He has advised, or been a member of, official bodies, including the Commission for Racial Equality and the Home Secretary’s Advisory Council on Race Relations. He is Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations (UK) and regularly represents the Sikh community at civic occasions such as the Commonwealth Service and the Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London. King Charles III, Anglican bishops and the Metropolitan police have consulted him. He is prominent in the national and international interfaith movement, a patron of the World Congress of Faiths and an executive committee member of the Inter Faith Network UK. He was invited to the wedding of Prince William of Wales and Catherine Middleton and the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla as a representative for the Sikh faith.[1]

His participation in the Thought for the Day feature on BBC Radio 4's Today programme lasted from around 1984 to 2019. He left after editorial disagreements with the BBC.[2]

Awards and honours

In 1989, he received the Templeton Award for services to spirituality. In 1991 he received the Inter faith Medallion for services to religious broadcasting. In 2004, he joined Benjamin Zephaniah and Peter Donohoe in being awarded an honorary doctorate (Doctor of Laws) from the University of Leicester. He came second to Bob Geldof in the BBC Radio 4's 2004 People's Lord poll.[3] An Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) since June 1996,[4] Singh was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours.[5][6]

On the recommendation of the House of Lords Appointments Commission,[7] he was created a Crossbench (independent) life peer on 12 October 2011 taking the title Baron Singh of Wimbledon, of Wimbledon in the London Borough of Merton.[8] He was introduced in the House of Lords on 24 October 2011,[9] being the first member of the House of Lords to wear a turban.[10] In the introduction ceremony, his Senior Supporter was The Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws and his Junior Supporter was The Lord Carey of Clifton. Singh received a coat of arms with a baronial coronet and, notably, the Khanda as his crest.

Lord Singh was chosen to present the Royal Glove to the King at the 2023 Coronation.[11]

Coat of arms of Indarjit Singh
Notes
The coat of arms displays two mottos: "Manas ki jat sabhe eke paichanbo" and its English translation, "Recognise the oneness of our human family".[12]
Crest
The Khandra Azure
Escutcheon
Azure a representation of the Golden Temple at Amritsar Proper and in base two Sikh Swords crossed in saltire Argent surmounted at the intersection by a quill pen palewise Or.
Supporters
Dexter a lion armed Or resting the interior foot on a miner's lamp enflamed Proper sinister a lioness Armed Or resting the interior foot on a closed book Azure edged Or.[13]

Personal life

Lord Singh is married to Kawaljit Singh OBE. They have two daughters and five grandchildren.

In Media

A rebellious soul at heart, Singh on Global Indian Network's podcast fearlessly voices his disagreements, advocating for a society where everyone is treated equally, discarding the notion of ‘different’ people. He believes religion should evolve alongside society, shedding its clutter and adapting to the changing times. Recognizing the blend of good and bad elements in culture, he encourages a sensible approach to preserving what enriches us while leaving behind what hinders progress.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Royal wedding guest list". BBC News. 23 April 2011.
  2. ↑ Kennedy, Dominic (4 October 2019). "Sikh peer leaves BBC Radio 4 show with swipe at 'thought police'". The Times. Retrieved 4 October 2019. (subscription required)
  3. ↑ People's Lord on Thought for the Day
  4. ↑ "No. 54427". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 1996. p. 13.
  5. ↑ "No. 58929". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2008. p. 8.
  6. ↑ Honours List
  7. ↑ "New non-party-political life peers". House of Lords Appointments Commission. 5 September 2011. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  8. ↑ "No. 59940". The London Gazette. 17 October 2011. p. 19793.
  9. ↑ House of Lords Minute of Proceedings, 24 October 2011
  10. ↑ Suroor, Hasan (7 September 2011). "Lords to have first turbaned Sikh peer". Chennai, India: The Hindu.
  11. ↑ "Coronation order of service in full". BBC News. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  12. ↑ Calian, Sara (26 May 2016). "Interview: Indarjit Singh, Crossbench life peer". Financial Times.
  13. ↑ Debrett's Peerage. 2019. p. 4388.
  14. ↑ "Religion, Faith, and Identity: A Call for Change with Lord Indarjit Singh - Global Indian Network". 22 July 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
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