Jagjit Singh (activist)

For other uses, see J. J. Singh and Jagjit Singh (disambiguation).

Jagjit Singh, better known as J. J. Singh (October 5, 1897 – 1976), was an Indian-American activist and president of the India League of America.^[1][2][3]

Jagjit Singh
Born	Jagjit Singh October 5, 1897 Rawalpindi, British India (now in Pakistan)
Died	1976 (aged 78–79) United States
Nationality	Indian-American
Other names	J. J. Singh
Occupation	activist
Years active	1926–1959
Organization	India League of America
Known for	lobbying for the Luce–Celler Act of 1946

Singh, third from right, observing President Harry S. Truman signing the Luce-Celler Act of 1946.

Biography

Singh was born in Rawalpindi, British India, on October 5, 1897.^[4][5]

From 1926 to 1959, he lived in the United States; he ran a successful textile import business in New York City and lobbied for the passage of the Luce–Celler Act of 1946, which permitted Indians to naturalize in the United States.^[6][7]

Personal life

Singh married Malti Saksena, daughter of Ramji Saksena, a diplomat with Indian Consulate.^[8] His granddaughter Sabrina Singh has served as the Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary in the United States Department of Defense.