This is a humble attempt to list the top 10 jewels who have made the Sikh community proud, through hard work and dedication that has become their trademark over the years. Honestly, it was not an easy job: whether to limit the list by gender or by generation. There are many important names that we have missed out, including that of eminent painter Amrita Shergill, legendary cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi, erudite economist Montek Singh Ahluwalia, or Monty Panesar, the left-handed spinner from England. The following is the list we came up with, in no particular order.
AJAYPAL SINGH BANGA
As CEO and President of Mastercard Incorporated, this Sikh-American was chosen among the top 50 people in business by Fortune magazine. Born into a Sikh family in Khadki, near Pune, Maharashtra, in India, Banga’s origin can be traced to Jalandhar in Punjab. He received education at St Stephen's College, Delhi University and did MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Banga’s business career began as a management trainee at Nestlé, India, where he worked for 13 years, followed by top-notch management positions at corporations such as Citigroup, Pepsico and Kraft Foods.
HARBHAJAN SINGH
Indian cricketer and former captain of IPL team Mumbai Indians, Singh scored the second-highest number of Test wickets as a specialist bowler. He was conferred the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour, in 2009. He is popularly referred to as Bhajji by his Indian fans, while outside India he is called The Turbanator – derived from his reputation as a bowler who successfully terminates innings of the opposing team. He wears a black turban when he plays cricket, which has become an iconic fashion trend of sorts.
MANMOHAN SINGH
An economist, Manmohan Singh served as the 14th Prime Minister of India from 2004 - 2014. The first Sikh in the office, he was also the first Prime Minister since Nehru to be re-elected for a full term. Singh's family migrated to India during Partition in 1947. He obtained his doctorate in economics from Oxford, and then worked for the UN. In the 70s and 80s, Singh held several key posts in Government of India: as Chief Economic Advisor of the PM (1972–76), Reserve Bank governor (1982–85) and Planning Commission head (1985–87). In 1991, as India faced a severe economic crisis, Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao elected Singh as the Cabinet Finance Minister.
MILKHA SINGH
The Flying Sikh, as he is popularly known as, was an Indian sprinter who served the Indian Army. He was the first Indian male athlete to win an gold medals at Commonwealth Games, Asisn Games. He represented India in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome and the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his sporting achievements.
Milkha Singh is best remembered for his feat at the 1960 Olympic Games, where he finished fourth place in the 400 metres final. He managed to lead the race till 200 metres and then allowed his competitors to go ahead. Yet he continued to be the darling of the Games. His fourth position achieved in 45.73 became the Indian national record that was held for almost 40 years.
YUVRAJ SINGH
An all-rounder left-handed batsman and bowler, he was the Man of the Tournament in the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, which India won. In a match against England at the 2007 World Twenty20, he hit six sixes in one over - an achievement that was achieved only three times before and not yet repeated in any international match between two Test cricket teams. Unfortunately, in 2011, Yuvraj was diagnosed with cancer in his left lung and underwent chemotherapy in the US. In March 2012, he was discharged from the hospital and he made his international comeback in a Twenty20 match in September against New Zealand. Yuvraj was conferred with the Arjuna Award, India's second highest sporting award, in 2012. In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri.
KIRRON KHER
She played mostly supporting roles in Bollywood films, such as Main Hoon Na (2004), Hum Tum (2004), Veer-Zaara (2004), Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005), and Singh is Kinng, and won rave reviews. Kirron Kher is an Indian theatre, film and television actress, who has also hosted TV talk shows.
Kher is active in non-profit movements such as Laadli (a campaign against female infanticide) and Roko Cancer (a campaign for awareness against cancer). She joined the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2009. She campaigned for the party, including in Chandigarh, for the 2011 municipal corporation elections. In May this year, she was elected to the Lok Sabha from Chandigarh.
KALPANA CHAWLA
Born in Karnal, India, she was the first Indian woman in space. After gaining a PhD in aerospace engineering in 1988 from the University of Colorado, Boulder, she joined NASA. Chawla held a certificated flight instructor rating for airplanes, gliders as well as commercial pilot license for single and multi-engine airplanes, seaplanes and gliders. In 2003, she went to the space on the Space Shuttle Columbia, with seven crew members. But the space craft disintegrated during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere.
ARPINDER KAUR
A flight instructor in San Antonio, USA, Arpinder Kaur is the first turbaned woman Sikh pilot for a major US commercial airlines company. Her recruitment marks another effort to overcome discrimination among the dynamic young Sikhs. Arpinder has been famously quoted as saying, “Two of the reasons I did this were: first, my love of flying and, second, to set a precedent for the community so they know you can be in your Sikh appearance and do anything out there.”
KIRAN BEDI
A retired Indian Police Service officer, Kiran Bedi is now engaged more in social activism. In 1972, she was the first woman IPS officer. Her last posting before retirement was as Director General at the Bureau of Police Research and Development. She has founded two non-profit organisations in India: the Navjyoti India Foundation in 2007 for welfare and preventive policing, and the India Vision Foundation for prison reformation, drug abuse prevention and child welfare. Bedi was awarded Ramon Magsaysay award in 1994. In recent times, Bedi was one of the names instrumental for the formation of India Against Corruption to help pass the Lokpal Bill at the Parliament.
KHUSHWANT SINGH
A lawyer by education, and a novelist and journalist by profession, Khushwant Singh was best known for his love for poetry and his humour was often laced with acid wit. He served as the editor of several literary and news magazines, including The Illustrated Weekly of India, the National Herald and Hindustan Times during 1970s and 1980s.
Singh was a Rajya Sabha member from 1980 to 1986, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. Prior to this, in 1974 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to the country and its people. However, during the seiige of the Golden Temple by the Indian Army, Singh returned the award in protest. The Indian government decorated him with the Padma Vibhushan in 2007.