Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
Takht means throne.
When Guru Hargobind Sahib established the Akal Takht, he declared something that has echoed through Sikh history ever since: Our Panth would never wait for permission to govern its own affairs. Today, the Sikh Coalition is excited to announce that the first cohort of Takht: The Sikh Political Leadership Training Program is here—and they are not waiting for permission.
We received an extraordinary response to Takht’s inaugural application cycle. After a rigorous review process, we are proud to introduce the Sikhs who will make up this historic first class. They come from across the country and share one key conviction: that Sikh voices belong at every table where decisions are made.
- Balwinder Singh (Lodi, California): Balwinder Singh leads the Future Mobility Research program at California DOT, where he works on advancing new transportation technologies and supporting innovation across the state. With experience in transportation systems, electrical engineering, and public‑sector project delivery, Balwinder is known as a thoughtful problem‑solver and forward‑looking mobility expert. Deeply rooted in community service, he has volunteered in the Stockton area for many years and has mentored youth at the Lodi Khalsa School since 2005, supporting its growth to more than 240 students. Balwinder has also served three terms on the San Joaquin Regional Transit District Board, is President of the Sacramento Section of Professional Engineers in California Government, and has been a board member of the San Joaquin Engineers Council since 2007.
- Harshdeep Singh (Cupertino, California): Harshdeep Singh is a student at UCSD studying Political Science. He serves as the founding director of Khudrang Roots, a platform for students to create and implement projects in Panjab. Harshdeep has also led SSA De Anza and contributed to various projects with the United Sikh Movement to support and advance community interests. Additionally, he has interned on multiple state election campaigns, shaping outreach and advocating for issues he believes in.
- Harveen Kaur (Bakersfield, California): Harveen Kaur is a Bakersfield native and grassroots leader. She found her seva as a Community Organizer with Jakara Movement in the Central Valley advocating for immigration justice and gender equality—which eventually led her to finding her path to law school. Harveen is an elected Delegate for the California Democratic Party and continues her seva throughout the California Sikh community.
- Komal Kaur (Indianapolis, Indiana): Komal Kaur, MSW, LSW, is a first-generation Sikh Punjabi immigrant, social worker, entrepreneur, and community organizer dedicated to advancing mental health and addressing addictions. She is also the Founder and Mental Health Hub Director of Umeed-Hope, a Sikh-led mutual aid organization that centers equity, collective care, and liberation in partnership with marginalized communities. Komal is running for Franklin Township School Board.
Over the next year, Takht participants will meet virtually, working through a curriculum on campaign management, fundraising, electoral strategy, power mapping, the legislative process, public communications, and community organizing. The program is non-partisan, rigorous, and designed for Sikhs interested in running for office for the first time. Then, later this fall, the cohort will come together in person alongside Sikh elected officials from across the country for a historic first convening.
Despite the exciting forward movement for this program, we want to acknowledge that simply placing Sikhs in office is not enough. History has shown us, including in our own lifetimes, that representation without accountability can become its own form of abandonment. Takht is not designed to produce politicians who happen to be Sikh; instead, it is meant to produce leaders who are rooted in Sikh history, Sikh values, and the lived experience of the sangat they seek to serve. Takht participants will be steeped in that tradition: what it means to lead as a Sikh, what our community has endured and built, and what the panth has the right to expect from those who seek to speak for it. The sangat is not a constituency to be managed, but a source of legitimate authority—and every Takht participant will understand from day one that they answer to it.
Takht is made possible by the generosity of donors who believe in the future of Sikh civic power. If you want to invest in this cohort and the ones that will follow, you can make a gift at sikhcoalition.org/donate. Every dollar stays in the mission, and every gift helps build the next generation of Sikh leadership.
As always, the SIkh Coalition urges you to practice your faith fearlessly.
Chardi Kala,
Manpreet Kaur
Sikh Coalition Director of Political Development
Vice-Mayor of Bakersfield, CA