Although it has currently become a popularly used coinage of a word in the global market of discussions of academicians of diverse disciplines, the term “Diaspora”, is an ancient word, etymologically derived from the Greek Diasperien, from dia meaning “across” and sperien “to sow or scatter seeds”. Tracing the journey of its meaning and connotation, “Diaspora” can, perhaps, be best understood to refer to the displaced communities of people who have been dislocated from their native homeland through the movements of migration, immigration or exile. The Greek translations of Hebrew Scriptures, explicitly intended it for the Hellenic Jewish communities in Alexandria (circa 3rd century BCE) to describe the Jews living in exile from the homeland of Palestine. The “Diaspora” had, therefore, a definite religious overtone in the medieval rabbinical writings to describe the plight of Jews living outside of Palestine. No surprise, a perceptive reviewer of, The Sikh Diaspora, The Search for Statehood by Dr. Darshan Singh Tatla, has taken a quite serious view in asserting that “the very title of this book evokes a heart-rending dilemma … the term “Diaspora” brings to mind the Jewish plight whereby the community dispersed throughout the world after being let loose from Babylonian bondage. Sikhs have suffered no such enforced dispersal.” The reviewer would indeed be quite correct – if the Partition of India, which drove out hundreds and thousands of Hindus and Sikhs from their historical homeland, is excepted. The other early historical reference is the Black African Diaspora, beginning in the 16th century with the slave trade, forcibly exporting West Africans out of their native lands and dispersing them into the “New World” i.e. the parts of North America, South America, the Caribbean and other destinations of the slave labour. It has been estimated that as many as 12 million West Africans were sold into slavery and forcibly exiled to the so-called “New World” during almost the 400 year period of legalized slavery. Diaspora, in the globalised community of the rapidly changing world we now inhabit, embraces diverse groups of displaced people across the continents.
It is indeed interesting to note that during the period of last two decades, a vast quantity of academic theorization of Diaspora has emerged in area studies, ethnic studies, and cultural sites. Since the publication titled Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies in 1991 in U.S.A, debates over the theoretical, cultural and historical resonances of the term have proliferated in academic journals devoted to ethnic, national and other related concerns. The explosion in various fields – literature, sociology, anthropology, film studies, area studies, ethnic studies – in work about Diaspora has imparted new dimensions to the studies of this subject. All the contemporary forms of movement, displacement and dislocation – from travel to exile – are inextricably linked to the theorization of Diaspora. The mass migration movements, the multiple waves of political refugees seeking asylum in other countries, the changing configuration of nation states - more recently in Central Europe and the Balkan States - has demanded that the concept of nationhood take account of the specific geopolitical circumstances precipitating the movement of people and communities in the late 20th and early 21st century. It may be observed that Diaspora does not transcend differences of race, class, gender and sexuality nor can Diaspora stand alone as an epistemological or historical category of analysis, separate and distinct from all these interrelated categories. During the last century, under the pressure of monumental transnational and global shifts, the nation as a political ideal and as a state form has undergone significant transformation, if not massive ideological erosion. The established generations of Diaspora populations across the globe – Jewish, African, Chinese, Indians – have been grappling with complex questions of memories of the homeland in terms of deeply rooted nuances of cultural heritage. Thousands of Vietnamese refugees evacuated after the fall of Saigon in 1975 and nearly two million other South-East Asian refugees who fled Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia between 1976 and 1979 represent people with the psychic and physical brutalities suffered during the war and its aftermath. The thematic aspects of Diaspora would certainly require to be studied in the context of Modernity and Globalization; Ethnicity and Identity; Gender and Sexuality and the whole gamut of cross-cultural connectivity in this era of historical globalization with the multinational corporations as the super agents of international division of labour and creating ‘First World’ zones in the ‘Third World’ countries. It may also be noted that the earlier geopolitical, systemic, and ideological shifts – colonialism, capitalism, decolonization, and communism – resulted in world migration and the last century was defined by innumerable border crossings of the dictatorial and destabilized states, even as it bore witness to Holocaust, Apartheid, the resurgences of ethnic nationalism, as in Rwanda and the Balkan States, marked by brutal excesses and inhuman violations of ethnic cleansing.
Coming to the epoch drama of Indian Diaspora, it may be pointed out that as long as Britannia ruled the waves with the sun never setting on her vast empire, every Indian in the world was practically a British subject. It also needs to be pointed out that in the wake of the abolition of slavery throughout the British Empire in 1834, a large number of Indians in the poor economic conditions were induced, often with false promises of a bright future, to emigrate to various parts of the empire to fill the gaps of labour to develop the virgin lands. Their situation in distant and inhospitable lands was often deplorable. These migrants were usually followed voluntarily by traders and other enterprising people in search of fortunes in these foreign lands. The second category was administratively distinguished as Overseas Indians, i.e., those who were staying abroad for an indefinite period for whatever purpose such as employment and business, whether on their own or on special Government assignments or working in international organizations. They were later identified as Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in the Foreign Exchange Regulations Act, 1973. This category represents a comparatively recent, mid 20th century phenomenon, which was an entirely voluntary response to the demand for labour to fuel faster development in the U.K. and other countries of Europe in the post – World War-II period and then in the 70’s the newly emerged oil rich countries of the West Asia / other regions. In the following years, the process assumed the shape of an exodus of technically and professionally qualified personnel, mostly to the advanced countries, particularly to USA, Canada, Australia etc. A number of these NRIs opted for the naturalisation to become the citizens of the countries of their livelihood. The category of Overseas Indians (OI), i.e., the descendants of the earlier waves of the workers taken abroad mostly by the British, ‘re-christened’ as Persons of Indian Origin (PIO's), are now well-entrenched as socio-political groups in Fiji, Malaysia, Burma, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, East and Central Africa and the West Indies. The Indians in South Africa have gone through a long drawn struggle until they became an important component in Nelson Mandela’s 'Rainbow Country' and Government.
It is extremely interesting to note that during the period of almost three decades of Independence, the Government and the people of India had entertained a somewhat dim view of the Indians living abroad. The obtaining of the passport was itself a Himalyan task. While those in the category of the PIO’s were generally perceived as the descendants of the ‘illiterate coolies’ and ‘petty traders’, the NRIs were termed as ‘truants’ who should have better served the motherland instead of being the part of the ‘brain drain’. These perceptions and general impressions started radically changing some time in 70s and early 80s with the success stories of many Indians residing abroad. It was asked whether their achievements abroad can be replicated back home particularly when India was embarking on the 21st century under the youthful leadership of Rajiv Gandhi, who became a personal icon of India aspiring to be a significant world player, powered by science and technology. There has been no looking back from what Sam Pitroda of the Chicago University, a self-made young man from the backwaters of Orissa, initiated in the sector of telecommunication ‘to connect’ the people of India. The big money made abroad by the Lakshmi-worshipping-children of mother India started speaking in the decision making rooms of the Government of India and also in the board rooms of the Indian companies. The foreign exchange remittances of the Indians living and working abroad, mostly of the hard working technicians and workers in the oil rich countries, had become a significant element in the economy of the country. The coming to power of the Bhartiya Janata Party under the leadership of Shri A.B. Vajpai started the unfolding of the long prepared agenda of the party to attract the Indian Diaspora to be a partner in the overall development plans of the country. The report of the High Level Committee on Indian Diaspora headed by Dr. L.M. Singhvi, presented in Dec. 2001, quickly became the blueprint and the framework of reference for a comprehensive plan of action for the engagement of Indian Diaspora with the motherland. It has indeed proved appropriate to designate 9th of January – the date when Mahatma Gandhi returned to India in 1915 after a stay of about 21 years in South Africa – as the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas; the rest is, what they call, history. The annual conference of the Indian Diaspora since 2003 has become a multi-dimensional mega event for the Indian Diaspora what is now even called, ‘Doosra Hindustan’. It is a matter of satisfaction that the members of the Sikh community settled abroad have been enthusiastically participating in these annual conferences Sardar Narinder Singh Kapany, called ‘father of fibre-optics’ in the U.S.A. and a philanthropist for establishing institutions of the Sikh heritage and Sukhinder Kaur Gill, the youthful and eloquent (then) Mayor of a major city of New Zealand, were specially honoured in 2004.
The specific subject of Sikh Diaspora would require to be carefully analysed and understood as the concentric circle in the overarching larger circles of the Indian Diaspora and the Punjabi Diaspora respectively. There is, of course, no denying the fact that the ‘Kesdhari Sikhs’, preserving the symbols of the five K’s have been facing extra impediments in their professional and personal life. It is pointed out that the interest of the Sikhs in the ‘new world’ was generated by the Sikh troops, when they passed through Canada on way to the U.K. for Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1897 and later the coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. The poor economic conditions in Punjab with famines and epidemics in the early 20th century had also a role to play to motivate Punjabis to seek new lives in distant lands. They had, however, to face overall hostile situation in terms of racial prejudice and the fear of the local people about the cheap labour taking away their own employment. They decided to face all the odds by adopting different strategies and to prove that their presence in the country of adoption would contribute to the overall development and prosperity and that they don’t seek any confrontation. The dawn of independence of India certainly boosted their morale in terms of personal dignity but they were also confronted by new challenges. The decolonization of the former British colonies where they had sizable populations like Mauritius, Guyana and Fiji witnessed the local Indian communities assuming leading political roles. The Indian communities in countries of East Africa had, however, to face severe restrictions and expulsions. The considered advice by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to the Indians settled abroad was that they should identify themselves with the aspirations of the local people and that their loyalty should be to the country of their adoption but they were most welcome to strengthen their cultural links with India.
In terms of country-wise analysis, it would appear to be appropriate to start with the Indian Diaspora community in Britain, which could be considered representing the diversity of India and the unique historical linkage between the two countries. At present, we are indeed dazzled by the success stories of the Indians settled in the U.K. to pursue a variety of vocations – the list is led by Nobel prize winners Amratya Sen and Sir V.S. Naipaul – both products of Oxbridge education; among the rich and powerful are steel-king L.N. Mittal; thinker-industrialist Lord Swaraj Paul (with roots in our own Jalandhar); rich and influential Hinduja Brothers, not to speak of Liberal Party leader Lord Navneet Dholakia, Economist Lord Megh Nath Desai, writer Salman Rushdie and above all the young Monty Panesar, the first Sikh with family links of Ludhiana, to play for the MCC i.e. the English Cricket Team and who has become the latest youth icon in the U.K. It is revealing to note that until 1947, the presence of Indians in Britain was quite negligible – 1188 in 1931, rising to 2205 in 1951 and 4801 in 1961: mind it, until 1962 U.K. had allowed free entry to Indians! The profile of the Indian community in the U.K. started getting totally transformed in the mid 60’s, primarily due to deliberate British policies in response to shortage of industrial labour. Britain’s Imperial past also contributed to a sudden rush of refugees - numbering 27,000 - arriving from Uganda in 1972 to be followed by the Kenyans. The Indians presently form the largest groups of emigrants in Britain estimated at 840,000 in 1991 and closer to 1.2 million in 2001 making them about 2.1% of the population of the country.
The religious break down of the Indian population, though problematic to calculate, is an important aspect underlining the culture and the language of the various groups. Obviously, those categorised as Hindus are the largest group followed by the Sikhs – it is pointed out that while the Sikh population in India is under 2%, estimates of Sikhs as a proportion of Indians in Britain are put at more than a third. Within the Hindu group of population, Gujaratis dominate the scene estimated being three quarters with Punjabi Hindus around 15%. It is extremely interesting that according to religion-wise figures of education in 2004, 33% of Muslims of working age in Britain had no qualifications and were also the least likely to have degrees or equivalent qualifications (12%). The Sikhs having no qualifications are accounted to be 20% while the figure for Hindus is 15%. The degree holders among the Hindus are estimated at 29%; and for Sikhs at 20%. It is also interesting to note that for 64,000 school-aged-Sikh children, there are only two state-maintained faith schools for the Sikhs, catering for just around 600 children. The figures for ownership of housing are indeed impressive for the Sikhs, who are U.K’s top house-owners; 8 out of 10 Sikhs are likely to own a house, considered the basic symbol of prosperity. The success of the Sikhs is considered to be the result of the hard work of the first generation and the ever-growing economic success and educational achievement of subsequent generations. The figure of 82 % of home ownership among Sikhs compares to 70% among the Christian majority; Hindus and Jews are also ahead of Christians in terms of home ownership with figures of 74 and 77 respectively. The figures compiled by the Office of National Statistics from 2001 census further revealed that Britain has 41 million Christians with Muslims being the next largest group with 1.6 million, followed by Hindus (558,000), Sikhs (336,000), Jews (267,000) and Buddhists numbering 150,000. Muslims have the largest households, 3.6% in each home on an average, and are also the most likely to suffer overcrowding. The United Kingdom has been passing through a challenging process of ushering in a society based on multiculturalism, plurality and tolerance for the differences of colour and creed. The legacy of the Empire can be relished in food, fashions and films – the popular variety of curry has indeed arrived as “Britain’s true national dish”. The Afro-Asian music has been in the forefront of the youth culture and the Indian artists and writers have surely found ‘home’ away from home in Britain. The latest addition to the distinctions in the realm of literature is the Bookers prize won by Kiran Desai, a rare case of a daughter emulating her mother. The Sikhs have been distinguishing themselves in several fields – the High Commissioner of Britain in India has recently revealed that, “there are less than 100 Sikhs serving in the British Armed Forces, but we are working with the Sikh communities in the U.K. to attract more” adding, “we have adapted our uniforms to suit their needs”. High Commissioner Michael Arthur further recalled that at the time of First World War, Sikhs formed 20% of the British Army i.e. 100,000 and that the Sikhs won 14 Victoria Crosses, a record on a per capita basis for the entire British Armed Forces.
The Sikh Gurdwaras – since the opening of the first in 1911, the number has reached more than 200 – are spread out in length and breadth of Britain and have become the centres of many positive and some controversial activities of the community. In what could be termed a total contradiction of the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, there are caste-oriented Gurdwaras and a significant number of them are controlled by the elements rejected by the mainstream Sikh community. Many devout Sikhs are of the opinion that the Gurdwaras, with their considerable financial resources, could certainly do more to provide institutional facilities for the younger generation to supplement cultural education and more purposeful recreational activities for the elderly of the community. The Sikhs have particularly distinguished themselves in the arena of sports – the great success of the film, ‘Bend It like Beckham’ has captured the agony and ecstasy of a Sikh family struggling to cope with modernity and change in their social and cultural environment in Britain.
The Indian independence had certainly awakened the pride of Indo-Canadian community, which was particularly reflected in an unprecedented reception to the first Indian High Commissioner, Sardar Hardit Singh Malik. Jawaharlal Nehru had strongly advocated the cause of the community during his visit to Canada. Like elsewhere, the Indo-Canadians are organized on the basis of linguistic, regional and religious characteristics – the organizations with an overarching character are not as cohesive. The Canadian agencies like Heritage Canada and Canadian International Development Agency have also been funding religious, quasi-religious and cultural activities as part of their official mandate of supporting multiculturalism. Lal Bahadur Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute has made excellent contribution in facilitating interaction between the academic communities of the two countries by facilitating seminars, fellowships and research programmes and has also helped in promoting Indian Studies in Canada and vice versa. The Indo-Canadians community has also produced some distinguished writers, artists, dancers, film-makers and TV personalities – Ms Deepa Mehta’s latest film ‘Water’ has been selected to be the Canadian entry for the Academy Awards. A number of Indo-Canadians have received the Order of Canada – one of them, A.S. Johal, had arrived as a semi-literate worker and went on to become a leading figure in the forestry industry in British Colombia. Indo-Canadians celebrate their religious and cultural festivals with extra enthusiasm and the Canadian Ministers and even the Prime Ministers have appeared at such functions.
The Canadian connection of the Sikh community has been in a much sharper focus in the recent decades. Though the history of the arrival of the Punjabis in this far flung vast land evokes a history of more than a century, the present profile of the community started taking shape only in the 60’s with the liberalisation of the immigration policies. A survey indicated that 49% of the Indo-Canadian population of about 851,000 (2001) were the Sikhs, with 24% Hindus and 10% affiliated with other religions – the community as a percentage of the Canadian population of 30 million represented about 2.8%. The Indo Canadian community is highly urbanized and almost 90% of them live in metropolitan areas, especially in Toronto (capital of Ontario); Vancouver (capital of British Columbia), Montreal (the largest city in Quebec), Calgary and Edmonton. It is estimated that over 30% of them have jobs in professional and managerial positions, both within the Government and the private sector whereas 23% work in manufacturing sector. The average annual income of an emigrant from India is nearly 20% higher than the national average. The immigrants from India are more likely than other groups to possess a university degree, though the community also has more non-matriculates than other community groups. Indian immigrants have a large component of persons with mathematics, engineering and applied sciences background than other groups. Indian students and those of Indian origin do well in Canadian universities, particularly in technical faculties like computer science and engineering, medicine, basic science etc. The Indo-Canadian community is likely to gain more importance and strength with the expansion of the knowledge based industries in Canada and it is expected that the community would donate more generously towards the charitable causes in India and would also make bigger investments with the overall economic climate becoming more and more attractive.
As for the Sikhs, it may be mentioned that during the celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the Khalsa Panth, the majority of the Canadian Cabinet made an appearance. The annual Baisakhi functions organized in the Canadian Parliament Complex have also been attended by the Prime Ministers. There are more than a 100 Gurdwaras and temples throughout Canada. The Indo-Canadian community has been nursing a feeling that they could achieve more but for the concealed racism in a white dominated society. Some Indo-Canadians are also worried that their Canadian born children are losing touch with the traditions and the values of India. The sentiments born out of a mixture of insecurity, desire to assert a distinct identity and the psychological alienation could be considered common to their Indian counterparts in USA and to some extent in UK. They are accentuated in Canada because of the distinctive character of the community, which has traditionally been composed of first generation rural migrants. The cultural difficulties get manifested in an inflexible adherence to community tradition and religion, marriage and dating and even psychological and behavioural problems caused by alienation and discrimination. According to analysts, these problems can be manifested in an increasing emphasis on ones own separateness and religious affiliations. The perceptions of the developments in Punjab in 1980’s certainly added to this volatile mixture and the results were heartbreaking for the concerned. Some places of worship in Canada began to be used for narrowly defined political purposes. The extremist movement found an echo in certain sections of the community leading to the tragedy of Kanishka in 1985. It may be observed that despite certain problems, the community has been becoming more integrated with the mainstream, as Canada pursues more liberal and enlightened policies in immigration. The inter-marriages between second generation Indo-Canadians and white Canadians have not been uncommon. It is reasonable to expect a progressive dilution in the attachment that the Indo-Canadian community feels for more restrictive social traditions in India.
The political prominence of Indo-Canadians has been growing and the Canadian politicians have been avidly cultivating Indo-Canadian ethnic groups. The Liberal Party of Canada has been known to attach great importance to the ethnic vote and the nature of the Canadian political system has helped the Indo-Canadian community to make its presence felt in the mainstream Canadian politics. The province of British Columbia had the first Indo-Canadian Premiere (Chief Minister) in 2001, Ujjal Dosanjh of the New Democratic Party – Dosanjh had migrated to Canada in 1968. The British Columbia Liberal Party had 7 Sikh Members of Provincial Legislature in the same year. Herb Dhaliwal (Liberal Party; Indian born, Canadian educated) became the first Indo-Canadian Cabinet Minister. The Canadian Sikh community has established closer network of relationship with the Sikh communities in the U.S.A. and U.K. It would appear that the trends spurred by the separatists’ movement of the 80’s in the Punjab have been reversed. The systematic steps initiated by the various Governments in New Delhi to cultivate the Indian Diaspora have indeed positively impacted the Sikh community in Canada also. There are several achievements to the credit of the Canadian Sikh community including recovery of the volumes of Guru Granth Sahib lying with the Canadian courts; the permission to wear turbans and Sikh symbols in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP); the rehabilitation of 173 Sikh refugees of M.V. Amelie etc. The tragedy of Air India flight 182 has continued to haunt the community. It may, however, be underlined that the Sikh community in Canada has carved out a significant role in the multicultural profile of a large country and has a potential to emerge as a role model for the hard working and talented people of Punjab.
The U.S.A., the sole superpower looming large over the globe in the 21st century, has certainly emerged as the single largest and the fastest growing component of the Indian Diaspora, of Punjabis and Sikhs in particular. The achievements and the status of the community has earned the respect of all the other communities – the term “brain drain” was coined primarily to refer to the migration of highly qualified professionals from India to the United States – Dr. Har Govind Khorana of the MIT, winner of Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1968 and Dr. S. Chandrashekhar for Physics in 1983 became the outstanding examples of their kind for the first generation of the Asian Diaspora. The Sikhs, fitting into the larger profile of the Indian Diaspora in the U.S.A., could be broadly categorized as (a) those from an agricultural background and (b) entrepreneurs, store owners, self-employed, small businessmen, etc. The 60’s onwards witnessed the beginning of the large-scale arrival of professionals including doctors, software engineers, management consultants, financial experts, media people etc. The high profile presence of Indo-Americans in the Information Technology and the Health sectors, the number of CEOs of Indian origin of the multinationals and their increasing presence in the world of international finance and management has imparted a new image to the Indian community. It has registered the fastest growth in comparison to the other communities - estimated 815,000 (1990) and 1.7 million (2001), the Indo-Americans are presently reckoned to be about 2.1 million and are viewed with a new found respect in the United States. In terms of statistics, the Indian Diaspora in the U.S.A. is one of the largest and also one of the most well off, with medium income being 1.5 times of the host country. The American Association of the Physicians of the Indian Origin (AAPIO) boasts a membership of more than 35,000 and the wealth generated by the Indians entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley has been estimated around $ 250 billion – the names that immediately crop up among the successful Indo-American in the field of technology have a fair sprinkling of the Punjabis and the Sikhs including Vinod Khosla, Kim Singh, Kanwal Rekhi, Subir Bhatia not to speak of many earlier path finders. The Indians, along with other Asians, have the highest educational qualifications of all ethnic groups in the U.S.A. – 67% of Indians have a bachelor or higher degree compared to the 20% of the national average; almost 40% of Indians have a Master, Doctorate or other high professionals degree which is five times higher the national average – no wonder, one in nine Indians in the USA is a millionaire. A study by the University of California has reported that one-third of the engineers in Silicon Valley are of Indian descent, while 7% of valley’s hi-tech firms are headed by the Indians. It is also revealing that Indians own 50% of all economy lodges and 35% of all hotels in the U.S., having a combined market value of almost $ 40 billion. The Indian Diaspora in the U.S.A. has indeed arrived and there are pointers that it would be playing an increasingly important role in the overall relations between the two countries representing the largest and the strongest democracies of the world.
As regards the specific issues confronting the Sikh community in the U.S.A., a particular note has to be taken of the serious problem of the terror backlash in the aftermath of the 9/11 resulting in the hate related crimes under the mistaken identity of the Sikhs. The killing of Balbir Singh Sodhi, an Arizonian petrol station owner, on Sept. 15, 2001, was shocking. There is some satisfaction that the culprit has been punished according to the due process of law. The photographs of hotelier Sant Singh Chattwal with former President Bill Clinton in the prominent social publications, it is hoped, would help in disseminating the correct identity of the Sikhs in the U.S.A. who have struggled and won many battles against bigotry, identity and the pious symbols. The words of Dalip Singh Saund, who had become in 1956 the first Asian Congressman and headed the prestigious Foreign Affairs Committee, during his address in the Khalsa College, Amritsar would appear most appropriate to be quoted, “40 years ago, when I was departing for the U.S.A., my mother advised me, “my son, wherever you go, make new friends, and no one an enemy; even if some one displays ill-disposition towards you, try to reconcile with him – if you do not win over the one who is annoyed with you and don’t stitch the piece of cloth which is torn, how will the matters be mended?” My mother is no more in this world, but I remember her words”. Turning to the students, he had said, “My boys, work hard and harder…study higher and higher…education indeed defines a man!” How true and eternally valid words for those Indians who have chosen the United States or any other foreign land to be their homeland!
Having made a broad survey of the Sikh Diaspora in the three major countries of its concentration, the complex and divisive issue of the support and degree of commitment of the Sikhs abroad to the so-called ‘search for statehood’ or to put bluntly, “Khalistan”, could be approached purely from a scholastic point of view. It may, perhaps be stated without serious contention that an overwhelming opinion of the Sikh masses in Punjab and also abroad have dissociated themselves with the concept of the demand based on the presumption, “to save Sikhism from dilution and absorption in the sea of Hindu India”. There is no need to elaborate on the still intact umbilical cord relationship and traditions of deep mutual trust and overall admiration between the two communities i.e. the Hindus and the Sikhs and also the overall good relations of the Sikhs with the other main religious groups in India including Islam. The superficial differences and the semantic divides have been sought to be accentuated to achieve narrow political gains by the self-serving individuals posing as the saviours and leaders. The chief glory of the rule of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh over a vast kingdom was, in the words of Khushwant Singh, Sher-e-Punjab’s “ability and success to arouse the nascent sense of nationalism amongst his people and make them conscious that more important than being Muslims, Hindus or Sikhs was the fact of being Punjabis”. The crisis of Punjab assuming such destructive proportions in the 80’s has also been variously explained with references to the complex combination of internal and external forces; poor judgment and perception of those in positions of higher responsibilities and the petty games played by pigmy politicians. The economic and social dimensions of the post-green revolution developments in Punjab could also not be fully comprehended and anticipated in their long-term entirety. Today when the high positions of the Prime Minister, Chief of the Army Staff, Head of the apex body of the Planning Commission and not to mention many more are held by those who bow to the Guru Granth, one may say that the march of history has to go on and the valiant and pious followers of the teachings of the Gurus must seize the multitude of new opportunities beckoning them in the new era of globalization in Punjab, India and abroad.
It may be interesting and fruitful to spare a closer attention to the fact that the Sikh Community in India and abroad has been celebrating significant anniversaries of its history in the past decade including the tercentenary of the founding of the Khalsa; the quadcentenary of the Compilation of the Adi-Granth; the quadcentenary of the Martyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev and few other significant milestone events. It is only appropriate that such important anniversaries are always considered the occasions for a faithful for the deeper reflection and retrospection over the journey of the faith in totality and the various tasks to be accomplished in the overall spectrum of the new realities. It is a matter of great satisfaction that the Sikh faith has stood the test of time in terms of not only the validation of the universality of its message but also in coping with and making the best of the opportunities created by the developments in science and technology. It is to the unique credit of the teachings of the Gurus enshrined in the Sikh scriptures that the spirit of the faith is never at variance with the spirit of scientific enquiries. It is felt that the Sikh community in India and abroad could have, perhaps, made a much more positive utilisation of the modern media and other international platforms to highlight the liberal values, all inclusiveness, and the concept of ‘welfare of all’ as the core values of the faith. The Sikh institutions like the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) may examine the need for more self-appraisal and transparency as well as accountability to the larger Sikh community. In this era of global reach of the visual media, while the live telecast of the daily Kirtan from Harimandir Sahib has a capability to connect the larger community of the faithful, the live reports on the TV channels of the country showing the most unbecoming scenes of the fist fights and violent clashes in the holiest of the premises in Amritsar during the meetings of the elected representatives and other high dignitaries of the community are indeed shocking and mocking.
When I was sounded some time back by Dr. Mohinder Singh for the topic of the lecture this evening, at the subtle prompting of Prof Pritam Singh, I remained at a loss for quite many days as to what aspect of the Sikhs and their faith I was qualified and confident to speak of. The task compelled me to examine critically (Plato said, “an unexamined life is not worth living”) all these years of my own life. Incidentally, I happen to be the seventh speaker in the series of lectures and the first non-academician and a Punjabi to the very core of my being who even contests the credentials of being described a ‘non-Sikh’. I could arrive on the topic of Sikh Diaspora with a clear thinking that I have personally experienced, many of the plus and minus elements of being away from ‘home’, totalling a period of more than 26 years during my career in the Foreign Service. I had a very rewarding experience of serving among other countries in Iran, the closest historical and cultural neighbour of India; the historic ‘Catholic super power’ of Spain; 'the holy land' of Saudi Arabia and our ‘blood-relation neighbour' Pakistan. I can only say that this wonderful world of ours would appear to have been designed by the Most Magnificent Maker to be a garden of humanity, as if each country were a different flower! The history of mankind, alas, has been replete with the bloodiest of conflicts – there can be no worse tragedy than a whole group of people turning into the enemies of other group of people. The most celebrated as well as most controversial author Salman Rushdie has coined the well-known phrase, “ Children of Midnight” – a large number of us present here belong to this category i.e. born around 1947, the year of India’s freedom and also historically unprecedented partition of the people; a number of us may have been eye witnesses to this cataclysmic tragedy, aptly described by the eminent modern historian Mushirul Hasan, “never in the history of mankind, the destiny of such a large number of people was determined by such a few persons in such a short time”. No surprise, many thoughtful and well-meaning persons, in what is called the sub-continent, are convinced that the lasting peace and tranquillity will be restored in this part of the world only when the people of this historic region would be again free to travel and trade from Kabul to Kolkata. As a former diplomat, I do share such a long term vision and am glad to share with you that there have been indeed encouraging trends towards this goal. Inspired by the success of other regional groupings like the ASEAN and the European Union, the countries of the South Asia have also started inching forward to strengthen various mechanisms of cooperation among all the countries of the region under the forum of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
It may be stated that many perceptive watchers of the affairs of the Sikh community in India and abroad point out that the economy of Punjab has been undergoing a radical transformation in the wake of unanticipated negative consequences of the Green Revolution in terms of the farmers resorting to excessive tapping of the precious underground water and the massive usage of chemical fertilizers as well as the attendant mechanization of agriculture. The state has been confronted by the large-scale unemployment and problem of drug addiction among the youth. More and more of the younger persons, a large number of them not having any professional and technical qualification, are extra keen to go abroad by resorting to illegal practises. Many of them become victims of unscrupulous agents who extract heavy amounts of money from them and have no hesitation to put in danger even the lives of these innocent persons in the process of somehow pushing them across the borders. There are regular reports in the media of the Punjabi youth suffering in the prisons in various countries. It has been further observed that the time has indeed come for the well-to-do among the Punjabi and Sikh Diaspora to play its role in creating opportunities in Punjab by investments in the identified sectors and also in the upgrading of the educational institutions and the general quality of life in the rural areas of Punjab. It is a matter of satisfaction that some villages in Punjab have got a complete facelift, thanks to the success of some ‘son of the soil’ in a distant land. There is certainly a lot more awakening and concern among the local authorities and voluntary bodies in Punjab to extend a hand to the non-resident Punjabis in enabling them to ‘water’ their roots. It may also be mentioned that the Diaspora factor has been in the adverse news for the fraudulent marriages in Punjab – it has been reported that there are 15,000 to 20,000 young ladies in Punjab who have been duped by their ‘foreign husbands’. The newly created Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) has recently organized a national seminar to tackle this growing human problem.
It is interesting to point out that the Diaspora has been exercising a powerful influence on the cultural life of Punjab in the recent decades. The flock of folk singers led by talented Gurdas Mann and others has been growing rich and famous. The 'Jathas' of the gifted 'Raagis'; popular preachers and charismatic saints and 'babas' have also become globetrotters, quenching the ‘spiritual thirst’ and catering to the other concerns of the minds of the well-to-do disciples who miss the ‘air’ of the homeland. It has been mentioned earlier that in the waves of the migrants from Punjab, there were a large numbers of persons who had been teachers and highly qualified persons and some of them had been long aligned with the political parties. After initial period of struggle and settling down, they were able to form active literary and cultural organizations in their new nests. In the recent past, the newspapers and magazines in Punjab have been devoting special attention in publishing their good or not so good writings. It is worth mentioning that the respected monthly, ‘Punjabi Duniya’ has devoted a special issue in 1996 to the theme of, ‘Parvasi Sahit’ i.e., the literature of Diaspora. The Punjabi Diaspora Literature has indeed become a major factor on the literary horizon of Punjab. The poetry, novels and the short stories written by the Diaspora authors have inspired meritorius research projects leading to the doctorates. The lectures this evening has made me rediscover interesting examples of high-class creativity particularly in the works of short story writer Raghbir Dhand, novelist Swaran Chandan and poet Pritam Singh Grewal. The book titled, ‘Inhan Mundian Ne Jaldi Mar Jana’, ie. ‘These Boys seem Destined to Die Young’ by Gurbachan has explored a new ground in the subtle portrayal of the seamy side of the so-called glittering life in the distant countries. The novel, ‘Death of a Passport’, by Iqbal Ramoowalia has also received a large critical acclaim. The universities of Punjab have been organizing special seminars, inviting authors and academicians settled abroad. There are regular reports of the functions to award prizes instituted by the rich Diaspora Punjabis. Inspired by the success of films of Bollywood, a few Punjabi film-makers have also come forward to produce films tackling the themes of challenges of living in a far-off country with different traditions and culture – the film titled “Jee Aiyan Noon”, ie. 'Welcome' proved a big success with its message by the hero who has been able to persuade the heroine residing in Canada to come back to Punjab. The Punjabis who make a success abroad would also appear to be keen to make a big show of their wealth back home – the media had widely reported the news of a foreign bridegroom who flew away with his bride in a small aeroplane from the site of the marriage ceremony.
As for my personal encounters with the Diaspora during the postings abroad, I must make a special mention of the Sikh community settled in Iran, perhaps the only Muslim country in the world to be proud of having a Gurdwara in Tehran. Before the Islamic Revolution, there was a sizeable presence of the community, many of them with old family links with Rawalpindi and other cities of Pakistan. They had risen to a great prosperity dealing in a variety of trades when Iran’s economy was bursting at seams with the wealth of oil during the regime of the Shah. I have fond memories of my stay in Tehran in 1975-1978. The Gurdwara which has a secondary school in its premises, managed by the Guru Nanak Trust (then chaired by Gopichand Hinduja) was indeed the centre of activities of the entire Indian community. The caretaker of the Gurdwara, Bhai Makhan Singh, was a noble soul and was specially known for his work to arrange the appropriate last rites of the cremation of any Indian citizen whose body was authorised to be cremated locally. Sardar Rattan Singh Rangi, a former Senior Manager in a British company, was always a generous contributor for any charitable cause in India. Most interestingly, Sardar Narinder Singh Sawhney, born and brought up in Iran, was so well- known for his command over Persian language that the Shah had insisted on his inclusion in the official delegation during the visit to India. In my duties of the work pertaining to the welfare of a large number of Indian professionals, including highly qualified doctors, engineers, managers etc., I had opportunities of meeting many talented persons. I could also make a lasting friendship with Dr S.S. Johl, who was at that time serving the FAO. I have also the most respectful memory of Shri. Ali Jawad Zaidi, a great patriot and an eminent Urdu poet, who was serving as the Special Representative of the All India Radio for the region. Shri Zaidi was instrumental in activating the Sahit Sabha and bringing together all those interested in Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi literature. Shri Zaidi, it may be mentioned, has written the most acclaimed History of Urdu literature (commissioned by the Sahitya Academy), not to mention his own several works of poetry and his last book was about the various versions of Ramayana written in Urdu, both by the Muslims and the Hindus.
While the postings to Maldives, Romania, Spain and Saudi Arabia provided me with interesting opportunities for purposeful cross-cultural interactions, it was in Pakistan that I could experience directly and intimately so many realities of the mythic and historic un-partitioned Punjab. I am glad to state that, inspite of severe restrictions imposed on the Indian diplomats, I could make rewarding friendship with a number of writers, artists and the activists of the cause of Punjabi language. The few opportunities to make a pilgrimage to Nankana Sahib and Panja Sahib and educative trips to Taxila were indeed the fulfillment of the deeply felt cravings of the soul and intellect since early childhood. Looking back now with all the experiences of age and travels to so many countries, I feel that the Punjabi language has undergone the most complicated pulls and pressures of religious and political kind – the condition of Punjabi could be compared to a mother whose own sons can be held responsible for her ill-health and neglect. My posting to Armenia, a small but an ancient country of most dazzling beauty in the Caucasus, revealed to me the most astonishing facts about the destiny of the Armenian language. The Armenians have been most patriotic about their language. It may be stated that the Armenian Church – independent of all other denominations of Christianity in the world – has always been served by the most learned priests deputed in the country and abroad. These priests have been instrumental in the preservation of the various classics on religious and secular themes, written originally in Greek, Latin and Arabic, which are now available only in editions of Armenian translations. I cherish the memory of my visit to Echmiadzin i.e. the Armenian Vatican where I was shown the large size letters – made of pure gold – of the script of Armenian language.
In conclusion, I must refer to my posting as High Commissioner to New Zealand, the last part of the planet to be spoiled by the feet of man. I can only say that it is never an easy task to gain the cooperation and confidence of the Indian community, which is, as in India, often divided by personal rivalries and petty prejudices – the Punjabis and the Sikhs in particular. I, of course, relished the challenge of the task also. I had the satisfaction of speaking – in the language, which the ‘sangat’ understood – in the most prominent Gurdwara of the community in Hamilton. The comparatively smaller Sikh community in New Zealand had also witnessed sharp divisions during the difficult times of the crisis in Punjab. After the function, when I was being escorted to the ‘langar’, it was whispered into my ear, “would you like to partake the ‘langar’ sitting on the floor?” and it was added that there was also the table-chair arrangement to do so. A friendly person explained to me that during the critical times, there was crisis in the Hamilton Gurdwara also, when people were divided and insisted on one or the other arrangement. He explained that it was decided that there would be both arrangements and it should be left to the devotees coming to the Gurdwara to make their choice. I also quietly made my choice that I would have the ‘langar’ sitting on the floor but would prefer to have the sweet dish and the cup of tea on the chair-table side! I think my message did not go amiss! It is never an easy path when people unnecessary rake up controversies. It may, perhaps, be wiser not to pit ourselves against the tides of time; everything – animate and inanimate - is subjected to the elements of Nature: March of Mankind has ultimately to keep pace with the ever-evolving ideas and environment around. Please permit me to conclude with a couplet of poetry:
Imaan bhi hai khatme Nabuwwat pe hamara
Mehsoos bhi karte hein, payambar ki zaroorat!
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19. Raghbir Dhand,
20. Trilochan Singh,
21. Dr. S.S. Johl , "Ranga Di Gagar", "Biographical Glimpses" Asia Visions, Ludhiana, 1996