Baru Sahib: Working for poor, Padma Shri Iqbal Singh passes away at 96

Solan, January 29

Renowned social worker and Padma Shri awardee Baba Iqbal Singh, in-charge of the Kalgidhar Trust, died today at the age of 96 years at Baru Sahib in Sirmaur district.

He had started his journey of service towards humanity following in the footsteps of his mentor Sant Attar Singh Maharaj. He was also conferred with Shiromani Pant Rattan award.

Baba Iqbal Singh worked relentlessly towards imparting value-based education in rural India.

In-charge of the Kalgidhar Trust since 1965, before he had retired in 1987, he built the organisation brick by brick that now runs 129 CBSE-affiliated English medium schools, which have more than 70,000 children, most of them are from five rural North Indian states. Far from the urban milieu, these schools focus on value-based education to children from marginalised sections of society.

There were only five students in his one-room school called ‘Akal Academy’ at Baru Sahib, Sirmaur. Baba Iqbal Singh used his pension to construct the school building and managed it for the first year. Earlier, it was a forest area. The following year, more than 70 children from nearby districts took admission. Many families also came forward to help the trust later, said staff of the trust.

However, soon it was realised that establishing one school could not solve the problems faced by children in nearby districts. The trust thus opened Akal Academy in Muktsar in 1993.

By 1999, it had opened 19 academies across Punjab and the count now goes up to 129 schools spread across Punjab, UP, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana. Many students have nationally topped the IIT, IIM and NEET exams.

As a social worker, Baba Iqbal Singh didn’t restrict himself just to the education sector. He was involved in every facet of community life ie. schools, hospital, colleges, women care centre and de-addiction centres. With his team, he set up Akal Charitable Hospital at Baru Sahib, Sirmaur, which provides medical care to rural poor and other deprived sections of society. Every year, medical camps are organised in which doctors from Mumbai, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab provide free medical care, including free surgeries, to poor people.

Under a women empowerment programme, underprivileged young women are rehabilitated by way of education and jobs. — TNS

Played significant role in edu sector

• Baba Iqbal Singh was in-charge of Kalgidhar Trust since 1965
• The organisation now runs 129 CBSE-affiliated English medium schools
• The schools focus on giving value-based education to children from marginalised sections of society

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