The resident Indian community in this country predominantly comprises Sikh families, mostly in business, who have faced the vicissitudes of the Iranian Revolution of 1979 with an element of stoic realism.

The strength of this industrious community, most of its members hailing from Rawalpindi in undivided India, has dwindled over the years due to a combination of factors, including the problems of continuing with their vocation.

There are now only about a 100-odd families in this sprawling capital of 13 million persons, ringed by snow-capped hills, who have kept their moorings with relatives and friends in Amritsar, Chandigarh, New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

They are mostly people of second or third generation, having been born in this country after their forefathers first came here via Quetta to Zahedon between 1918 and 1930, a small hamlet on Iran’s border with Pakistan. Some of their peers had served in the British Indian Army and in the course of duty had travelled to Iran and made it their home ultimately.

Only a miniscule part of the Sikh community has taken Iranian citizenship though the majority of them retain Indian passports.

The community has its share of niggling irritants as they have to cough up a hefty sum of money every month per individual in the family for being able to pursue their avocation. This, despite the fact that for all practical purposes they are Iranians but continue to hold Indian passports.

Amarjit Singh Chaddha, 72, who heads a commercial company of his own, regrets that Indian leaders give a patient hearing to their woes whenever they are in Teheran, but when they return home these problems are conveniently forgotten. "We have submitted any number of memoranda to the Ministers with absolutely no follow-up with the Iranian authorities. Our only source of help is the Indian Embassy here".

"Most of the members of the Sikh community are in trading, imports and exports", Darshan Sawhney, 68, said. He has opted for Iranian citizenship and had applied for it during the deposed Shah’s regime. The sprightly Mr Sawhney, running a popular Indian restaurant and a hotel, stresses that life is by and large comfortable, barring the small irritants. His parents originally hailed from Amritsar.

He and others explained that they have been able to surmount some of the problems of post-revolution Iran, thanks to their rapport and proximity to Iranians. All of them speak fluent Farsi (Persian) and are highly popular among the fiesty and friendly Iranians.

They acknowledge that things have changed for the better under the reformist Iranian President Seyed Mohammad Khatami. They are, however, keeping a close tab on the crucial upcoming elections in Iran, scheduled to be held in June.

Juggu Sawhney, whose wife hails from Burdwan in West Bengal, and runs his own transmission company, says the Sikh community here is not alienated culturally. It has one of the biggest gurdwaras in this region and everyone is eagerly looking forward to the Baisakhi festivities on Friday.

The Indian community runs its own school, where Gurmukhi is taught by the granthi of the gurdwara, which is more than 40 years old. The granthi is invariably brought from New Delhi on a contract for a period of three to five years.

Mr Sawhney informed that granthis coming from India keenly look out for greener pastures despite all facilities. The previous granthi of the gurdwara zipped off to Manila in The Philippines when the Sikh community in that country offered him a lucrative package.

Overall, the law-abiding but small and robust Sikh community in this country enjoys considerable influence with Iranians. Interestingly, the Iranian ambassador in India has a host of childhood friends among the Sikhs, having grown up with them in his younger days in Teheran.