From left to right: Satnam Singh Sangra, Jacques Rizkallah, Amritpal Singh Arora, Manny Singh Sihota and Jaiinder Singh Bhullar
Former SFU students honour Sikh philanthopist with bursary fund
In March 2012, a group of four former SFU students and alumni joined forces to establish The Bhagat Puran Singh Sikh Community Endowment. One year later, Amritpal Singh Arora, Satnam Singh Sangra, Jaiinder Singh Bhullar, and Manny Singh Sihota have raised close to $20,000 from members of the Lower Mainland’s Sikh community.
Each year, the fund will provide a bursary to a full-time undergraduate student in any faculty with preference being given to students with a disability.
Says Amritpal Sing Arora, “We are very pleased with how the Sikh Community has supported this effort. We hope the value of the fund will continue to grow over time, so we can provide bursaries to even more students. This will truly honour the legacy of Bhagat Puran Singh, for whom the fund was named.
Bhagat Puran Singh (1904 – 1992) was a revered Sikh philanthropist from Punjab, India, who dedicated his life to serve persons with disabilities. He personally worked tirelessly to care for the disabled, and his work lead to the establishment of Pingalwara Society, a well-known non-profit organization serving the poor and disabled. He was also passionate about environmental issues. Before his death, efforts were made to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
