Applauding Dutta Family, Fellowship Recipients

SALDEF expresses its deepest gratitude to the Dutta family for endowing two fellowships at SALDEF this year. As a direct result of their visionary gift, two emerging Sikh American leaders, Harmann Singh and Harnek Singh, were afforded the opportunity to work on important policy and media issues for the Sikh American Community with SALDEF.

“When the Dutta family made this generous gift, we realized it had the potential to be transformative,” said SALDEF Executive Director Deepinder Singh. “As a direct result of their contribution, SALDEF has expanded its reach in media and policy by leaps and bounds. The Duttas’ foresight and seva (selfless service) will serve as an inspiration for years to come.”

Harmann Singh, Rajinder Singh Dutta Fellow in Government and Policy, worked on anti-bullying legislation at both the state and federal levels, including helping to organize the U.S. Department of Education’s conference to prevent bullying of Sikh, Arab, Muslim, and South Asian students. He also represented SALDEF at meetings with at senior Congressional and White House staff while also advocating for Sikh American passengers at the Transportation Security Administration. Finally, Harmann worked with the 2016 SikhLEAD Summer Interns to organize the largest ever Langar on the Hill.

“It was both an honor and privilege to serve the Sikh community and broader Asian American community,” said Harmann Singh. “If we continue to fuel our activism with a spirit of chardi kala (eternal optimism) and humility, I have no doubt that this progress will continue into a bright future for our community in this country. I look forward to using the skills and experiences I’ve gained to serve marginalized communities across our country after law school.” Harnek Singh, Kanchan Kaur Dutta Fellow for Media Relations, helped expand the organization’s presence on social media, supported the communications department on innovative ways to engage the community, and worked on the new SikhAmericans.org portal. He produced SALDEF’s year-end video, supported the SikhVote project, and was instrumental in managing SALDEF’s SikhLEAD Internship and Leadership Development programs.

“The past year as SALDEF’s media fellow has been an amazing experience,” said Harnek Singh. “I’ve learned so much from everyone in the organization. I end my fellowship with SALDEF inspired to continue to working with SALDEF, our community, and nonprofits in the future.”

The fellowships are supported by the Dutta Family to commemorate their parents’ legacy. The Dutta family and SALDEF both aspire to raise awareness about Sikhs while supporting promising leaders to work as civil rights advocates. SALDEF thanks the Duttas for their contributions to further strengthen the Sikh American community. Gifts for programs like these can me made here or by calling 202-393-2700.