NEW YORK (TIP): Amardeep Singh, a Singapore-based researcher, writer, and documentary filmmaker is the recipient of ‘The Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize’ for the year 2022. The ceremony will be hosted on Monday, November 14, 6 PM onwards at Crest Hollow Country Club Emerald Room, Woodbury, New York.

The Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize recognizes and supports the efforts of those individuals and organizations that work to advance the vision of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, who taught that we discover our oneness with humanity by exploring our differences.

The Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize was established with a gift from the family of the late Sardar Ishar Singh Bindra and Sardarni Kuljit Kaur Bindra, prominent Sikh Americans who lived in Brookville, New York. In September 2000, the Bindra family endowed the Sardarni Kuljit Kaur Bindra Chair in Sikh Studies at Hofstra University in honor of the family’s matriarch. The family’s company, Jeetish Group of Companies, based in New York City, is a major distributor of apparel, and the family has substantial interests in real estate as well. The Bindras are deeply involved in philanthropic activities that benefit both the Sikh and non-Sikh communities. The Guru Nanak Interfaith Prize is an expression of Sardar Ishar Singh Bindra’s longstanding dedication to interfaith harmony.

Amardeep Singh after studying at the Doon School in Dehradun, India, went on to receive his degree at the Manipal Institute of Technology. He later obtained his MBA at the University of Chicago. He worked in the financial sector for over 25 years, serving as head of the Asian Pacific Region at American Express for Revenue Management. He authored two books, Lost Heritage, The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan and The Quest Continues. Lost Heritage, The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan describes the culture, history, and legacy of Sikh history. Amardeep has also produced two documentaries on the forgotten Sikh legacy remnants in the five states of Pakistan. He and his wife, Vininder Kaur, have produced and directed a 24-episode documentary series titled Allegory, A Tapestry of Guru Nanak’s Travels, which was filmed across nine different countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Tibet, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The past recipients of the award are:-
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso in 2008,
Rabbi Arthur Schneider and Religions for Peace in 2010, Dr. Eboo Patel in 2012, Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia and The Rev. Dr. Katharine Rhodes Henderson in 2014, The Pluralism Project and Serve2Unite in 2016, Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding in 2018, and Karen Armstrong and The Interfaith Center of New York (ICNY) in 2020.