A LEEDS LIFE
SELFLESS
SERVICE
Dr Sewa Singh Kalsi
1930 – 2024
By Kiran Kalsi
My dad, Sewa Singh Kalsi, was born in the rural village of Dosanjh Kalan in Punjab, India. He was the first in his family to attend college. He would have been 17 years old when India achieved independence in 1947. At college he encountered progressive communist ideas and he became a full-time trade unionist, fighting for the rights of downtrodden, poor workers.
Ujjal Dosanjh, former premier of British Columbia, Canada, grew up in the same village as Dad. “I remember Sawa Singh from my teens when I was at school at Dosanjh Kalan,” he recalls. “He was a young man and me a child, but I would see this impeccably dressed man riding his bike in the village. I knew him from afar as one of the most educated, brilliant and progressive minds our area, not just Dosanjh Kalan, had produced’
After marriage and with two very young children, Dad went back to university as a mature student and entered the legal profession. He came to the UK via Kenya, seeking to set up his legal practice, but found his qualifications were not recognised. Like many immigrants he started work as a labourer. By a chance encounter he heard of a one-year teacher training certificate for overseas graduates at Margaret Macmillan Teacher Training College in Bradford. He then became primary school teacher in Dewsbury, eventually moving on to higher education. After completing a PhD in his 60s in the department of Theology and Religious studies at Leeds University, he went on to publish academic articles and books based on his research on the evolution of the Sikh Community in Leeds and Bradford. He set up a highly successful module on ‘Sikh Studies’; his work has been described as groundbreaking and he himself as a pioneer in his field. His book on Sikhism in the simple guide series is highly popular. He spent a large sum of his own money to have it published and distributed for free to schools, libraries, Gurdwaras and other community locations.
He continued his political life in the Labour Party. He was a founder member of a group of first-generation Sikhs who set up the first Gurdwara in Chapeltown. In the early 90s, as chair of the Race Relations Unit, he was asked to welcome Nelson Mandela to the city of Leeds, an honour he never forgot. As an honourable, committed man, educationalist, social reformer, he always stood up for everyone. He never compromised his ideals for status or financial rewards, worked very much in the background and his wisdom and courage to face the truth and do the right thing always came through. He never forgot the political ideology of his youth. Around age 80 he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, but he never gave up, carrying on heroically to keep himself fit both mentally and physically, even going on to make a training video for West Yorkshire Police.
I remember him as a playful dad. He always had time for us as children. He joined us in our games, and performed with us in little dramas at home, especially when we had guests. These were such joyful times, full of fun and laughter. As a sensitive child, I remember holding on tightly to Dad’s powerful hand for comfort, him telling me with love and consideration “not to worry, all is well and always will be.” He told me I needed to “grow a thick skin to be a survivor.” Wise words indeed. He had been a primary school teacher for a while and had the great skill of telling funny, intriguing stories, often making them up as he went along, making everyone laugh and included, his warmth shining through.
"His name means ‘selfless service’ and he lived up to it. As a father he was loving and encouraged me to choose my path in life, always there for me in the ups and downs of life."
One idea of his was ‘Sikh Christmas Dinners’ This amazing concept brought the great and good to celebrate the festival in the Sikh tradition with food, dance, singing and speeches. He encouraged me and my school girlfriends to perform a Punjabi folk dance for the guests. It was such good fun and for a good cause, creating good community relations, and we would all be gifted a generous book token as a reward for our extra-curricular activity. Always encouraging us to grow, reach out and be of service in whatever way we could.
Wherever I go, I meet people from all walks of life who remember him with deep affection and regard and how he helped them. His name means ‘selfless service’ and he lived up to it. As a father he was loving and encouraged me to choose my path in life, always there for me in the ups and downs of life. When a perfect storm hit my life a few years ago, I naturally turned to my dear parents for the answer. What to do? He sat up and said, “Believe in Guru Nanak’s message of Oneness, embrace the human family, be creatively engaged and be of service to everyone.” I carry these principles in my heart and try to live by them. Dearest Dad continues to be the greatest inspiration in my life. It gives me great joy to see people talk about him with great affection whilst sitting on his memorial bench in Roundhay Park. As the plaque says, he was a “Selfless Public Servant’, which sums him up perfectly. As a family we are also in the process of setting up a Bursary in his name at Leeds University, which will encourage students to research in the area he was passionate about. As he said, “I want to leave this earth in a better place than the one I entered.”
What a Guy, we love you Dad, always in our hearts.