Book Discussion with Virinder Singh Parhar 

Title : Exiled Alive 

Brief : “Sometimes, the ones we believe are lucky are simply walking a different path, one that leads to its own unexpected end.”

After his arrest, Virinder Singh Parhar entered a world where survival was never promised.

Shuffled through 16 American prisons, he was stripped of his name and reduced to nothing more than an inmate number. Violence was routine. Fear was constant. Trust could be fatal. Every day demanded impossible choices, where a single misstep could lead to brutal consequences. He witnessed savage assaults, endured crushing isolation, and navigated a prison system that seemed designed to erase identity, dignity, and hope.

Yet amid the brutality, he encountered moments of unexpected humanity that reminded him what he was fighting to preserve. Through relentless hardship, he refused to surrender his spirit.

This is the true story of a man pushed to the very edge: an unflinching account of survival, resilience, and the extraordinary determination to remain human when everything conspires to take that humanity away.

Author : Virinder Singh Parhar 

About : Virinder Parhar was born in India in 1960 and moved to the United States in 1981. He studied at Kean University in New Jersey and later at Ohio University, with the dream of becoming a professor of philosophy. He had every reason to expect a peaceful and fulfilling life, but fate had other plans.

In May 1985, he was arrested by the FBI and charged in a conspiracy to assassinate a high-profile political leader whom he believed had played a pivotal role in the 1984 anti-Sikh violence in India. He spent the next eight years in sixteen American prisons, an experience that transformed his life forever. During those years, he endured isolation, intimidation, threats, hardship, and profound emotional suffering.

Since returning to India in 2003, Virinder Singh Parhar has lived in a small village in Punjab, where he has devoted himself to writing and social service. He is the author of four books:

●       Exiled Alive: 8 Years in 16 American Prisons (Memoir)

●       Down with Revolution (Novel)

●       I Belong to Someone Else (Novel)

●       Ek Kutte De Aatam Katha

(Autobiography of a Dog, Punjabi Novel)

Virinder Parhar is also the founder of the charitable organization Home for the Homeless, through which nearly 300 homes have been built for homeless families. He has helped countless underprivileged students by paying their school fees and continues to support those living in poverty.

In 2022, he contested the Punjab Legislative Assembly election from the Hoshiarpur constituency as an independent candidate. Although he was not elected, he received more than 12,000 votes, reflecting the trust and support of thousands of people.

His mission is to uplift the poor, the marginalized, and the forgotten by providing safe housing, educational opportunities, and hope for a better future. He regularly visits orphanages, spends time with abandoned and orphaned children, and assists them with their daily needs.

Through his writing, Virinder Parhar hopes to preserve history, expose injustice, and inspire courage, compassion, and resilience in future generations.

Today, Virinder Parhar continues to write, serve humanity, and give a voice to those whose stories might otherwise remain untold. His life’s journey, from the halls of American prisons to a life dedicated to literature and humanitarian service, stands as a testament to resilience, hope, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.