TARAN SINGH (1922-1981), scholar and teacher of Sikh studies, was born on 18 February 1922, the son of Bhai Nidhan Singh Makan of village Kallar Kohar in Jehlum district (now in Pakistan). Having received his early education in the village school, he passed his Giani (Honours in Punjabi) examination of the Pahjab University in 1940. In 1941, he passed the Intermediate examination from. Khalsa College, Amritsar, where he was appointed a teacher in the same year.
He got his Bachelor`s degree in arts in 1947. He passed his M.A. in English from D.A.V.College, Lahore. The same year he became a destitute refugee as a result of the Partition. He had already lost his father during the communal riots which engulfed Rawalpindi district in March that year.
He found a job in 1948 as an inspector in the Food and Supplies Department of East Punjab. In 1950, he joined Ramgarhia College, Phagwara, as a lecturer in English. In 1952, he passed his M.A. (Punjabi) and joined the Khalsa College, Amritsar, as Professor of Divinity. He received his Ph.D. degree in 1959. During 1964-66 he also held charge as principal of Shahid Sikh Missionary College at Amritsar.
In 1966 he joined Punjabi University, Patiala, as head of the Department of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Studies. He went on.missionary tours to Malaya in 1955 and Iran in 1974. In 1978 he visited U.S.S.R. to represent Sikh religion in the World Religious Conference. He wrote several books mostly on Sikh religious thought and Punjabi literature. Dr Taran Singh died at Patiala on 30 January 1981.
References :
1. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, The Sikh Reference Book. Edmonton (Canada), 1997
