According to information, two stalwarts of Punjab have been included in the prestigious Padma awards announced by the government this year. Bhai Harjinder Singh Srinagar Wale for outstanding contribution in the field of Gurbani Kirtan and Onkar Singh Pahwa for outstanding contribution in the field of industry and social welfare will be honored with Padma Shri.
The special thing is that both the faces belong to Ludhiana in the state. The President has approved a total of 139 Padma awards for 2025. These include 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 113 Padma Shri awards. This year’s list includes 23 women, 10 from the Foreigner/NRI/PIO/OCI category and 13 posthumous awards. Also in this list there is a couple case, which is counted as an award.
Bhai Harjinder Singh of Srinagar is considered to be the main pillar of the Gurbani Kirtan tradition of Sikhism. He has brought alive the stories of Gurbani and the sacrifice of the Sahibzades through passionate and melodious kirtans. He was born in 1958 in Baldwal village, Gurdaspur district, Punjab.
His father was also a ragi, and his younger brother Bhai Maninder Singh of Srinagar is also a famous ragi. Bhai Harjinder Singh received his education from Shaheed Sikh Missionary College, Amritsar under Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. In the 1980s, he entered the field of Gurbani Kirtan and started performing Kirtan in a Gurdwara in the Srinagar region of Jammu and Kashmir.
Onkar Singh Pahwa, who is the Managing Director of Avon Cycle Limited, has taken the Indian bicycle industry to new heights. Born in 1952, Mr. Pahwa joined the family business in 1974 and became the Managing Director of the company in 2002. Under his leadership, the annual production of Avon Cycles increased from 1.4 million to 2.5 million.
They expanded the company’s product range from 25-30 models to 170+ models and made it globally popular. Mr. Pahwa has also pushed the company in an environmental direction, investing in wind power and solar power. His social service initiatives, which include donations in the fields of health and education, are also commendable.
