Punjab: Darshan Singh Rudel, a 57-year-old Sikh resident of Ropar district's Nurpur Bedi has recently been felicitated for practising organic farming in his state for the last 17 years.
But this is not the only thing that Rudel is known for. He also has an extraordinary story behind his name.
Rudel was originally a French national, earlier known by the name of Michael Rudel. He had applied for a change of his name from Michael Rudel to Darshan Singh Rudel in a French Court in 1995. But his application was declined.
Singh had a love for the Sikh faith and wanted to adopt it for life. He, therefore, decided to change his nationality for the same cause.
He renounced French citizenship and became a UK national. The UK had issued him a passport in his new name — Darshan Singh Rudel.
In 1997, he became an Amritdhari Sikh at Anandpur Sahib – the place of birth of Khalsa in Punjab, India. Here, he married Malvinder Kaur, who teaches English at a college in Nangal.
Since then, the couple is living at Nurpur Bedi where he has been practising organic farming to support his family.
Rudel has set an example before everyone. As along with practising farming as a profession he has also indulged himself into helping people by resolving their issues related to this farming technique.
Darshan Singh Rudel strictly follows the tenets of Sikhism and has a deep love for his new religion. He also has a message inscribed outside his house that reads 'drunkards are not allowed to enter'.
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