A Reflection on the Life and Legacy of Prof. Dr. Surjit Singh Bhatti
(From the Perspective of His Ph.D. Scholar)
Dr. Devinder Pal Singh
A few months after joining, I received a message that Dr. Bhatti wished to meet me. Guru Nanak Dev University was only a short distance away, and after college hours, I went to see him. That meeting remains etched in my memory. He received me with warmth and sincerity, appreciated my academic achievements, and encouraged me to join his research group to further develop my potential. His words were not merely advisory; they were deeply inspiring and quietly transformative.
Motivated by his guidance, I began working with him as a part-time research scholar in late 1979. Those were demanding yet enriching days. I would engage in research in the evenings after college hours and on holidays. Under his mentorship, research became a disciplined yet joyful pursuit. By early 1980, we had published our first joint research paper in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of India, followed by another milestone when our work was presented at the International Conference and Exhibition on Ultrasonics in New Delhi. These early achievements instilled in me both confidence and a sense of direction.
Later in 1980, I was selected as a permanent Lecturer at Shivalik College, Naya Nangal. As I prepared to leave Amritsar, Dr. Bhatti suggested the possibility of a research fellowship at the university. However, given my professional commitments, I chose to take up the new position. Despite the physical distance, nearly six hours of travel by bus, my academic association with him not only continued but flourished. With his encouragement, I pursued research in my spare time, resulting in several publications in reputed journals such as Acoustics Letters (UK), Acustica (Germany), Indian Journal of Pure and Applied Physics, and others.
To complete my experimental work, I later took study leave (without pay) from my Institution and served as an ad hoc Lecturer at Guru Nanak Dev University; an opportunity arranged by Dr. Bhatti in collaboration with Dr. Hardev Singh Virk. Both became my lifelong mentors. By 1985, I had co-authored 22 research papers with Dr. Bhatti, and in 1986, I was awarded my Ph.D. degree. This achievement stands as a testament to his mentorship, intellectual generosity, and unwavering belief in his students.
Even after completing my doctoral studies, my academic journey remained closely connected with him. I expanded my research into new domains, including polymer physics, materials science, chemical physics, and ionic liquids, and eventually guided my own research students. Yet, Dr. Bhatti’s influence remained ever-present. I actively participated in conferences, workshops, and seminars organized by him, where he graciously provided me opportunities to chair technical sessions and deliver keynote addresses. These gestures reflected his enduring commitment to nurturing his students’ growth beyond formal academic milestones.
A particularly memorable milestone in my journey came in 1995, when I organized the State Seminar on Science Writing in Punjabi at my institution in Naya Nangal. Both Dr. Hardev Singh Virk, then Professor & Chairman of the Department of Physics, and Dr. Surjit Singh Bhatti, Professor & Chairman of the Department of Applied Sciences at Guru Nanak Dev University, inaugurated the seminar. Dr. Virk delivered the keynote address, while Dr. Bhatti chaired the first technical session. Their presence and appreciation of my efforts in academic and science communication pursuits proved profoundly motivating. That encouragement became a turning point, inspiring me to continue my work in science communication, an endeavour that eventually led me to publish 24 books and over 1,500 articles on science, the environment, and religion.
What made their mentorship even more remarkable was its continuity. Both Dr. Bhatti and Dr. Virk remained critical reviewers of my work, whether research papers, general articles, or books. Their insights, suggestions, and encouragement helped refine my thinking and strengthen my contributions across disciplines.
Even after Dr. Bhatti’s retirement in 2003, our association remained strong. When I migrated to Canada in 2008, geographical distance once again became irrelevant in the face of intellectual and emotional connection. Over time, Dr. Bhatti also joined his family in Canada, bringing us closer together once again. From 2018 onward, he actively wrote a blog on science communication, continuing his lifelong mission to make knowledge accessible and meaningful.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Bhatti’s leadership assumed a deeply humanitarian and spiritual dimension. When he undertook the endeavour to establish the e-Sangat platform in Calgary to share Sikhi vichar for the physical and mental well-being of the community, he once again demonstrated his foresight and compassion. He invited me to deliver a few lectures on Sikh teachings on this platform, an opportunity I gladly embraced. Through e-Sangat, he not only facilitated meaningful discourse but also encouraged young people and children to participate in Gurbani kirtan and to learn about Sikh doctrines.
What was particularly remarkable was his own active involvement. He delivered numerous talks on diverse aspects of Sikh doctrine, each enriched with deep Sikh wisdom and often offering fresh, thought-provoking insights into Sikh teachings. These sessions were not merely lectures; they were moments of collective reflection, learning, and spiritual nourishment amid global uncertainty.
True to his encouraging nature, when I established the Center for Understanding Sikhism in 2019, I invited him to serve on its advisory panel. He graciously accepted, extending his guidance and wisdom to yet another initiative aimed at bridging knowledge and spirituality. In a beautiful gesture of reciprocity, when he launched the literary magazine Sanjhi Virasat in 2022, he invited me to join its advisory panel. This mutual exchange reflected not only his generosity but also his deep belief in collaborative intellectual growth.
What remains most inspiring is his unwavering dedication to academic and literary pursuits until the very end of his life. Even in his final days, he remained actively engaged in meaningful work. It is both poignant and profoundly inspiring to recall that he was finalizing the February 2026 issue of Sanjhi Virasat when he passed away. Few lives exemplify such commitment, where the pursuit of knowledge and service continues literally until the final breath.
Prof. Dr. Surjit Singh Bhatti was not merely a distinguished physicist or an accomplished academician; he was a mentor who shaped lives, a thinker who bridged disciplines, and a human being of rare humility and grace. He had the extraordinary ability to recognize potential in others and nurture it with patience, insight, and compassion.
His engagement with Sikh philosophy added depth to his scientific outlook, demonstrating that science and spirituality are not opposing domains but complementary pathways to truth. His life itself became a living example of this integration.
As I reflect upon my journey, from that first interview in 1978 to decades of mentorship, collaboration, and friendship, I realize that his influence is woven into every aspect of my academic and intellectual life. He was not only a guide in my formative years but a lifelong source of inspiration.
Today, I feel a deep sense of gratitude, accompanied by an equally profound sense of responsibility; to carry forward his legacy, to mentor others with the same generosity, and to continue contributing to knowledge with integrity and purpose.
His life was a quiet illumination. His legacy is an enduring light that continues to guide all those who had the privilege of walking alongside him.
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