Gurdayal Singh
When Gurdayal Singh, born on 1st June 1954 at Jalandhar, Punjab, left for France, he was a stranger to
the European country and did not know anyone there. He was also not highly educated, nor did he have
any skill or knowledge for starting some work for his earning. He told in an interview that after about 2-3
months of stay in that land as a stranger, he met a Punjabi, Sh. Kuldeep Chand, who became one of his wellwishers
and taught him knitting and tailoring work. He started earning by doing some jobs and then started
his own business on a small scale. Although he had to pass through hard times, he had unflinching faith in
his Guru and spent considerable time in doing simran. He also installed the Beed of Sri Guru Granth Sahib
in his house and as there were no Gurdwara at that time Sikhs in the neighboring places started gathering
at his place for singing Gurbani and discussing Sikh history and religious issues. As the community grew in
number and wealth, S. Gurdayal Singh took initiative and planed a Gurdwara at Bobigny
This Gurdwara
was completed in 2010 with facilities of langar hall and residential rooms for the preachers who visited
the place form India and other places. S. Gurdayal Singh was the main preacher at the Gurdwara and he
connected the community with the teachings of the Gurus by spiritual discourses. He also started classes
for children where he taught them Punjabi and Gurmat. When the turban issue was created by the French
Government by making a law where the Sikhs and the Muslims could not use their religious symbols and
had to remain with uncovered head, he raised voice against it. One of the Sikh students who refused to
remove his turban was expelled from the school. Under these circumstances, the religious minority living there had no choice but to start their own school. It was again S. Gurdayal Singh who took initiative in this
matter and started a school in Shere Punjab complex. This vast complex of about 8500 sc. meter houses the
offices of more than 50 companies. This complex is also the contribution of S. Gurdayal Singh. He is really a
great leader of the French Sikh community.