Pashaura Singh Dhillon - The Life and Legacy of a Punjabi Poet, Culture, & Activism
Early Life
Born in District Lahore (now in Pakistan), he was just 7 years old during the Partition of 1947. Like countless others, his family crossed the Wagah Border overnight into India. They settled in village Bhakna, District Amritsar, where he was deeply influenced by Baba Sohan Singh Bhakna, a freedom fighter and founder of the Ghadar Party. The stories of struggle and sacrifice he heard in his youth planted the seeds for his passion for justice and poetry.
He wrote his first poem, Rooh Mere Punjab Di, for Chandigarh’s maiden Rose Festival in 1968, earning appreciation from Dr. M.S. Randhawa, then Chief Commissioner of Chandigarh.
Education & Professional Background
After graduating in Horticulture from Khalsa College, Amritsar, he began his professional journey with:
Later, driven by financial needs and responsibilities as the eldest in the family, he moved to England. There, he worked during the day and studied at night, earning a degree from the Landscape Institute, London. This led to a career in landscape architecture with Derek Lovejoy & Partners, one of the top firms in the UK.
His international career included work on United Nations-funded projects, taking him across five continents, including:
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Dodoma, capital city of Tanzania
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Abuja, capital city of Nigeria (landscape design of the presidential complex)
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Dubai, where he worked as Senior Landscape Architect with the Municipality, helping design iconic parks like Jumeira Beach Park and Dubai Creekside Park
Life in the United States
In 1992, he moved to Fresno, California with his family. He worked as an Agricultural Biologist before retiring in 2006 to focus on poetry, music, and community work. His wife, Inderbir Dhillon, became a Licensed Vocational Nurse, proving it’s never too late to pursue new dreams.
Punjabi Language, Culture, and Community
Even after decades abroad, Punjabi remains the heart of his poetry. He cannot imagine expressing poetic emotion in any other language. His blog is his way of staying connected—not only with his own generation but with younger readers and listeners too.
He remains an active figure in the Punjabi and Sikh community as:
He has helped organize:
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Interfaith Alliance events
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Literary and cultural gatherings
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Commemorative functions for Gadhri Babas and other freedom fighters.
Educational Advocacy
As Coordinator for Education and Awareness with the Sikh Council of Central California, he works with Dr. Onkar S. Bindra and others to ensure Sikh history is represented in California’s public school curriculum. After the events of 9/11, he recognized the urgent need for visibility and education to combat ignorance and prevent hate.
Final Thoughts
Through poetry, radio, gardening, and community activism, he continues to spark thought, preserve Punjabi heritage, and foster dialogue across generations. His blog is a labor of love, a lifelong commitment to culture, truth, and the power of the written and spoken word.
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