Library Progress (International) Print version ISSN 0970 1052 Vol.40, No.2, July-December 2020: P.377-379 Online version ISSN 2320 317X DOI: 10.5958/2320-317X.2020.00037.9 Review Article Available online at www.bpasjournals.com Dr. Jaswant Singh (1932-2020): In Memoriam MP Satija* Author’s Affiliation: *Honorary Professor, Dept. of Library & Information Science, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab 143005, India Corresponding Author: MP Satija, Honorary Professor, Dept. of Library & Information Science, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab 143005, India E-mail: [email protected] Received on 28.05.2020, Accepted on 11.11.2020 In India people donate money, material to temples, churches, etc. to ensure a place in heaven after this life. But a few enlightened and compassionate souls use their resources of mind, money to create a heaven on this earth for the hell-living poor and the downtrodden. One such person was Jaswant Singh. In the 21st century Third World democracy there are two competing forcers: one trying to capitalize on the ignorance and illiteracy of the marginalized and perpetually poor masses, the others are maneuvering to make them literate and aware citizens to effectively participate in a democratic polity and alleviate their poverty. Dr. Jaswant Singh belonged to the latter elite lot. Jaswant Singh, an NRI librarian and father of bookmobile in Punjab, passed away on May 16, 2020 at home in Rockaway, New Jersey. Due to old age, they recently had moved to New Jersey to be with their daughter, Amardeep. He is survived by his librarian wife, Jasjit Kaur (both married in 1969) and a daughter, Amardeep Kaur Gill, her family, and host of mourning friends and beneficiaries of his vision and personal kindnesses. He willed his mortal remains to be donated for medical research as if his charities and philanthropies while alive were not enough. Eldest of the ten children, Jaswant was born on May 20, 1932 in Jagraon, Punjab to Mrs. Bhagwanti and Mr. Anant Ram. He had his early education in Ahmedgarh, a small grain market town in District Sangrur. After graduating from Government College, Ludhiana in 1953, he went to Calcutta, now Kolkata, to teach in Khalsa High School, Bhawanipur. There he continued his further education to earn his M.Sc. (Geography) and B.T (now B.Ed) from the Calcutta University. Then he returned to Punjab to teach at Malwa Training (education) College, Ludhiana. He left India for England by way of Italy and France in 1960 and taught in East London for 3 years before migrating to Canada in 1964.While working on his graduate degree in Geography from the University of Albertahe taught social science and Canadian history in Silver Lake and Edmonton, Alberta. In 1970 on receiving a full scholarship from Western Michigan University,Kalamazoo, Michigan he migrated to the USA, settled in Michigan and completed his master and doctoral degrees in library science. There the famous Dr. John P. Comaromi (1937-1991) was his teacher. After earning Master of Library Science degree 1971, he worked as District Librarian in Ontonagon Public Schools in Michigan. In 1975, he became Director of Regional Media Center Region in Michigan (serving 24 school district for learning media needs) and earnedan Ed. D. degree in Educational Leadership from the Western Michigan University in 1982. In 1983, the family returned to Punjab with the intention to settle here. In 1984, he got a job of Reader in Education at the Punjabi Dr. Jaswant Singh (1932-2020): In Memoriam University, Patiala where he worked till August1986 and returned to Lansing, Michigan in 1986 due to politically disturbed conditions in Punjab. From September 1986 to February 1999, he worked as District Librarian for Ledge Public Schools, Grand Ledge, Michigan. He also served as President of State Media Association for two years. As an educator, he was the proud recipient of the Elizabeth Siddall Award from the Michigan Education Association along with the Loy Lasalle Award issued by the United Nations Association for his efforts to enrich Global Education. He took an early retirement to develop public library services in rural areas of Punjab. After surveying the situation about almost non-existent and unknown public library services in rural areas, he started bookmobile library services in villages of Jarohan, Rangoowal, Phallewal in November 2003and extended it to Gujjarwal, Kalakh and Dhulkot in the Pakhowal in Ludhiana district. The bookmobile served about 1500 active users. US modeled book mobile library services, which cost him about four millions in Indian currency, were totally free to all users in the six villages’ and continued till March 2009. The 26 feet long air-conditioned bookmobile had about 3000(with annual growth of about 10% new additions) books on varied subjects, especially for children. Everyone has the right to free access to books and libraries in a democratic and welfare society, he used to say. He always wished the people of his area to be enlightened citizens and believed books to be the best instruments for this purpose. The mobile library became popular and instrumental to some extent in inculcating a reading culture among the village children. Popularly known as “Bookman”, initially he used to move with the book mobile to personally serve the users, especially children. Catch them young was the mantra of this trained pedagogue to inculcate good habits among children. “The bookmobile has promoted the reading culture among the young generation” testified one village elder. This project, partially funded by the Anant Education & Rural Development Foundation, Inc., Grand Ledge, Michigan, U.S.A. was operated by Anant Memorial Charitable Trust (Regd.), Jarohan, District Ludhiana. Alas! the bookmobile had to stop due to the blind, bookish and callous bureaucracy which levied high taxes as on commercial vehicles. He decided to upgrade it to a permanent library in his village, Jarohan. In December 2010, the Trust built a new public library building with modern looks and facilities (Bhagwanti Yadgari Public Library) in Jorahan, District Ludhiana. Library services are given free to all in Jorahan and previously served villages by the bookmobile. In addition it has a small skill development centre. In his ventures he was fully supported and advised by his professionally trained librarian wife, Mrs. Jasjit Kaur. His enthusiasm went viral. He with his selflessness and high morals inspired a few more like minded Punjabi NRIs to emulate his example. Jaswant Singh motivated and guided them in building libraries in their villages. Now they have formed a network of free public library services to help and provide know-how to anybody interested in opening free libraries. A new building (Lopon Public Library) came up in November 2011 in the village Lopon, District Moga. This free public library is provided by his longstanding friend, Er. Baldev Singh Dhaliwal. Loponlibrary services are sponsored by Buta Singh Thekadar Charitable Trust (Regd.), Lopon, District Moga. It is an architecturallya green building. Another such library is Baba Sang Public Library by Joginder Kalsi (of Toronto) in his village Sang Dhesian, District Jalandhar opened in 2006. Another one is Baba Sajan Sidh Public Library in village Rauni, District Ludhiana established in 2009 by Surinder Binepal (Toronto).It is heartening to know the establishment of some more new libraries in Punjab. The first one is Amar Shaheed Public Library (2011) in village Latala, District Ludhiana. The second one is Master Karnail Singh Grewal Yadgaari Public Library (1997) in Pakhowal, District Ludhiana and 3rd library is Sunder Memorial Public Library (2012) in village Chak Bhaika, District Ludhiana. Under the influence of this movement the Thekedar Bishan Singh Trust, Amritsar in 2010 established libraries in five elementary schools in villages on the Indo-Pak border. These libraries are open to school children and to villagers as well. All public these libraries, equipped with state-of-the-art facilities with Internet connectivity, not only provide a congenial ambience for reading, but also each has a skill development centre as its integral part. In August 2012 they started a bilingual the Punjab Rural Libraries Newsletter: An NRI Sponsored Initiative. What a great contribution they have made in educating and socially uplifting the rural folk in their areas through small but lovely public libraries. They have helped numerous teenager girls from poor and marginalized families to acquire vocational skills for their lifelong living. The libraries and 378 Library Progress (International)/ Vol.40 No.2/ July-December 2020 MP Satija their skill development centers have empowered many such semi-literate girls to stand on their feet to live a life of assured dignity who otherwise are destined to work as extremely low paid and highly exploited household help in middle class families. Jaswant Singh along with some non-library friends (the Punjab Library Association (PLA) was of little help) worked tirelessly to promote libraries and literacy in his home state. He was of the view that exposed to books and libraries people love to read. This exposure is missing in Punjab, and the government of the day is unconcerned. Donning two doctoral degrees from the US universities, one in Education and other in library science, having experience of teaching pedagogy and providing library services then who could be better equipped to diagnose the malady of non-reading culture in Punjab and its ill effects. Time and again he used to emphasise that a legislated net work of libraries was a panacea for many economic and social ills of Punjab—while the government and its thought libraries as luxuries of the educated few. Nevertheless, his passion for books and philosophy of furthering oneself through education was left etched in all those he met. Since 1999, they have been lobbying and supporting the efforts of Punjab Library Association to get Punjab Library Bill enacted in the Punjab.