Introduction

Bobby Singh Bansal is a British born Sikh historian, writer and filmmaker who studied Business Management and Economics in England. After completing his studies he joined the family clothing business until 1990. Then in 2001, he founded an import company ‘Capital City Imports’, which he sold off in 2008 solely to concentrate on his hobby – researching and writing about Sikh History. He is married to Harvinder, an artist from Himachal Pradesh and has two sons – Aman and Reuban Singh.

His interest in Sikh Heritage and Culture has allowed him to interact with the Sikh diaspora all over the world. He has attended a number of major International Sikh and Indian conferences and has given numerous lectures on the theme of Sikh Heritage and History in Canada, France, United States, Scotland, Singapore, India, Sweden, Italy, Australia, Norway, Malaysia and Pakistan.

The reign of the ‘Lion of the Punjab - Maharaja Ranjit Singh’, remains a subject close to his heart, so much so that he has been a frequent visitor to Pakistan since 1989. He is a passionate advocate of promoting Sikh Heritage and Culture on a global scale, becoming President of the Sarkar Khalsa Foundation, an organisation that has been recognised with the conservation of historical Sikh monuments in India and Pakistan. The restoration of the tomb of Maharaja Sher Singh in Lahore is one example of his work that has been proudly acknowledged by various government institutions and organisations. Furthermore, he has been active in raising awareness on the political landscape of issues related to the plight of the Sikh communities with the provincial authorities of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Bobby Singh Bansal has been the recipient of numerous accolades and awards, some of them are, the Mighty Pen Award (Los Angeles 2010) - Asian Achievers Award for Media, Arts & Culture (London 2011) - Outstanding Achievements in India and Pakistan presented by Law and Health Minister Veerappan Moilly (New Delhi 2011) - Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Culture presented by Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, Maharani Praneet Kaur of Patiala and General J.J. Singh (New Delhi 2011) - Contributions to Preserving Sikh Heritage (London 2011) - Glory of India Award (New Delhi 2012) - Sikh Centennial Gala Award (Toronto 2013) - Sikh Appreciation Award for Afghan Sikhs (Toronto 2013) and Sikh Heritage Award (England 2014).

In 2010, his maiden publication, The Lion’s Firanghis – Europeans at the Court of Lahore, which charts the careers of European officers at the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was received positively by critics and audiences worldwide. His other notable works include the award winning but poignant documentary The Sikhs of Kabul which was screened at the British Houses of Parliament and voted best factual documentary at the Guanajuato International Film Festival in Mexico City in 2013. This was then followed by The Road to Mandalay – the Burmese Sikhs released in 2014, which gave a rare insight into the lives of the elusive proud Sikh community of Myanmar. His forthcoming publication Remnants of the Sikh Empire – Historical Sikh Monuments in India and Pakistan is due for release along with the documentary Kapurthala: A Glowing Heritage in 2016.

Contact email: sarkarkhalsafoundation@yahoo.com