Panth & Power

The Khalsa was born as a sovereign force in world affairs. We carry that legacy forward.

While advocacy organizations respond to today’s crises, Harvard Sikh Center asks a different question: What should the Panth’s strategic position be — not just for this case, but for the next century?

We produce the research and frameworks that inform how Sikh institutions engage with power.

Our work spans diaspora advocacy, international religious freedom, transnational repression, and the geopolitics of South Asia.

We don’t replace the lawyers and advocates on the front lines — we provide them with intellectual foundations and long-term strategic vision.

What We Do

Strategic research

Peer-reviewed analysis of geopolitical trends affecting Sikh communities worldwide

Policy frameworks

Developing positions rooted in Sikh political philosophy, not just borrowed from existing civil rights discourse

Global monitoring

Tracking developments across the diaspora (U.S., Canada, UK, Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, Afghanistan) and Punjab

Leadership development

Training the next generation of Sikh policy thinkers through our fellowship programs

Why This Matters

Decisions that shape the Panth’s future are made in capitals, boardrooms, and international bodies where Sikhs have little voice. Advocacy organizations respond case by case. Lawyers fight in courtrooms. Activists mobilize communities.

But who asks the longer question: What should the Panth’s strategic position be — not for this crisis, but for the next century? What frameworks should guide engagement with state power, international institutions, and diaspora politics? What does Sikh political philosophy actually offer — and where does it need development?

That’s the work we do. Not replacing advocates and lawyers, but equipping them. Not reacting to events, but anticipating them. Not borrowing frameworks from others, but developing positions rooted in the tradition’s own resources.

We don’t litigate cases or lobby legislators. We produce the scholarship and strategy that those who do can draw upon.