By Sardul Singh, Ph.D.
Ek Shaam, Dallas ke Roshan Charaghon ke Naam. That was the evening of May 12, 2023 – filled with joy and excitement when over 200 guests gathered to honor Dr. Harbans Lal and eleven other luminaries (Roshan Charag), persons who act as beacons of light to the society around. These luminaries have attained outstanding achievements in their chosen fields and are involved in other community affairs and philanthropic efforts, in helping people in distress, and in advancing mutual understanding among people of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds, among others. Dr Harbans Lal was honored with Lifetime Achievement Award by the Al-Noor International Texas organization for his outstanding contributions to science as an internationally acclaimed pharmacologist and neuroscientist, for being an eminent scholar on Sikhism, and for promoting interfaith and multicultural understanding.
Dr. Harbans Lal is an accomplished scientist in the field of pharmacology and neuroscience and has published over 400 research papers and 28 books. He has served on the advisory boards of several national and international institutions including National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation, US Food and Drug Administration, and National Institute of Aging. He has been involved in developing longevity drugs that lengthen human life-expectancy (I guess he has been using them judiciously to be healthy and fit at 92!) He was honored with the Distinguished Neuroscientist Award by the Society of Neuroscience.
Besides being an eminent scientist, Dr. Lal is a well-known scholar on Sikhism. This is how he got his love for Sikhism. He says his parents told him that they got him as a gift from Guru Nanak and then raised him to serve the causes of Guru Nanak. So, from the childhood, he had deep interest in Sikhism and Gurbani. He served as the President of All India Sikh Students federation (AISSF) for 1954-56. For his contributions to the Sikh causes, he has been honored by the SGPC with the title of Bhai Sahib, and the Anandpur Sahib Foundation honored him with the Order of Nishan-e-Khalsa. He is the founder of Academy of Guru Granth Studies where effort is made to understand the true message of Gurbani, and a founding member of the School of Scientific and Logical Interpretation of Gurbani. In the new scientific age, it is imperative that the message of Gurbani is interpreted logically and correctly, and broadcast accordingly so that the new generation can relate to it and find sustenance from it. And Dr. Lal’s credentials of being a scientist with incisive insight, dispassion, and candor make him eminently qualified to do that. I have known Dr. Lal for nearly thirty years and benefited from his deep understanding of Gurbani. In his talks in our gurdwara, we often hear something from him that is new and provocative and something that relates Gurbani to real life. He believes that the planet earth will live or die as per the Cosmic Plan or Hukam. With the biggest telescopes available today, we are now discovering how little we know about Creation. Dr. Harbans Lal writes a blog, “Seeking Wisdom”, which I have found stimulating and insightful.
Dr. Harbans Lal is also well known for his leading roles in Interfaith organizations. As such, he is a household name in the Asian community in Dallas; any adult you talk to seems to know him, whether he is a Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, or Christian. This is because he has been a true believer in the Guru’s saying “manas ki jaat sab ek hi pehchanbo” (Regard all humans as one race). Every so often there are interfaith gatherings where people of different religions mingle and pray together in order to foster harmony among people of diverse faiths. In one such gathering, he mentioned that Guru Nanak was the first religious leader who started interfaith dialog. We are aware that Guru Nanak travelled to Hindu and Muslim places of worship and had dialogs with religious leaders of those faiths in order to foster mutual understanding among the different faiths. Perhaps touched by Guru Nanak’s ideology, Dr. Lal always has a peaceful and smiling face; it seems hate and anger have not touched him! He can listen to and relate to people of different faiths and nationalities as if they were part of his family, as if there was no “otherness”. This is what Guru Nanak would have loved him and us to be like, and Dr Lal has been treading on that path– Guru Nanak’s path– his entire life. He has lived an honest life full of love for others and God – the life of a Sachiaar! He represents a true ambassador of Guru Nanak’s philosophy!
The award ceremony took place in Roma Palace in the Dallas metroplex. The well-decorated hall had big round tables for awardees and their supporters. Each table had a beautiful picture of the awardee on some wooden surface. And there were specially designed mugs with “We Love You” messages. Each awardee was ushered into the hall to the beat of Dhol and excitement, while the organizers of the Al-Noor International Texas offered flower bouquets to the awardees. There was a slide show that showcased the achievements of the awardees, while the awardees themselves had time to say something about their personal lives. The event lasted about four hours.