Jagir Singh Bains hails from the Hoshiarpur District of Punjab (India) by birth and now firmly settled in Queens Borough, New York for the past 45 years. He is past 87 years of age and still looks like an able-bodied 6 feet high, stout, sturdy recent retiree from Army; of course, he served in the Indian Army in the Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers from 1950 to 1969. He is also a decorated veteran of India for serving two wars in 1961 and 1965. He served in the Zambian Army as well during the period 1969 – 1974.
Soon after immigrating to America, he joined the United States Postal Service Department in the Vehicle Parts Supplies Section in New York where Mr. Bains rose to become the Vehicle Supplies Supervisor of the Tri-Boro area of New York. During his spotless service career in Federal Government. Mr. Bains has been awarded and rewarded many a time officially and publically. He was awarded Vice President Eagle Award U.S.P.S. in 2000, the Supervisor of the Year Award (National) in 2001, was Nominated for Technology Maintenance Council Award in 2001, and was finally bestowed with M V P Award in 2002.
Mr. Jagir S. Bains was elected as an Executive Board Member of the Sikh Cultural Society New York in the year 1990 and then he was made Vice President of this Society as well during the following term.
During his after-job hours, he has been devoting his time to his local community services. He used to work as Recording Secretary of Community Council 102 Pet up to the year 2000-2002 and then as a Member of Queens Community Board 8 since the year 2002 to the present, because of his dedicated community services Mr. Bains got Proclamation from New York City Council for Community Involvement in celebrating South Asian heritage 2003 and received the Proclamation from the City Council for Leadership Qualities July 2004.
Mr. Jagir S Bains was selected to represent his local Sikh community at the International level too. He was a Member of the Sikh delegation from the United States who met with POPE JOHN PAUL II and the Vatican staff for inter-religious affairs during celebrations of 400 years anniversary of Sri Guru Granth Sahib on Sept Ist 2004. He was also a delegate to the Queens Borough President’s General Assembly in the year 2004 and then he represented the Sikh community at Holocaust Center on Oct 25 2005 about the suffering of Sikhs throughout centuries and their survival under the Mughal rule.
As a devoted Sikh member, Mr. Bains has been coordinating in organizing the Sikh Day celebrations every year in the New York City Hall. He presented a paper at the Queens Borough President’s General Assembly about the Importance of turban and uncut hairs in the Sikh religion in Dec 2005. He also volunteers himself for helping people in need, about religion, responsibility, teaching young children, and learning from older generations.