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Empowering the
Forgotten Sikhs
Engaging Sikligars into mainstream Sikh fold
Nanak Singh Nishter
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Continuing the series on Forgotten Sikhs, on the occasion of
Baisakhi, World Sikh News presents this soul-searching analysis
by our regular columnist Nanak Singh Nishter. Residing in
Hyderabad, he has been relentlessly pursuing the case of the
Sikligar and other underprivileged Sikhs over the past few
decades, running from pillar to post, knocking on the doors of
Sikh organisations and governmental forums. He is clear that the
Sikhs need to practice “Dharam” with “daya” as taught by our
Gurus.
In the right spirit of brotherhood, let this Baisakhi be the
occasion for each concerned Sikh individual to take effective
steps to engage our less privileged brethren into the mainstream
of Sikh society. |
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 Sikligar
is a distorted form of “Saiqal + gar”, which is a compound word of
Persian origin for a person who burnishes metal. Sikligar Sikhs are
Amritdhari Sikhs since generations. They are not new converts. They
do not trim their beards and no woman plucks her eyebrows. They wear
the Sikhi Kachhhera. They do not consume tobacco, gutka, pan masala
and pan, but some of them consume liquor at the end of a tiring hard
day.
They are economically very poor, living below poverty line,
wandering in nature, with their absolutely meagre means; they live
in hutments in urban and rural areas, virtually in shanties and
slums. They do not own agricultural lands and cattle.
For
generations, they were master armourers and armoury manufacturers,
their skill known far and wide. With change in technology of
warfare, availability of new arms and armaments, strict restrictions
on the general making of arms, these master craftsmen, were forced
to become highly skilled blacksmiths. Today, they make household
utensils and other agricultural equipments from scrap iron.
 Working
throughout the day, with all members of the family, including women
and children putting in their share of work, they are hardly able to
feed their families. This though, has not deterred them from hard
work or weaned them away from whatever Sikh practices they follow.
They don’t have money to educate their children; they don’t get
loans to purchase manufacturing equipment or new raw material to
manufacture those articles that are in demand so that they can
compete in the market. They are not organised and there is nobody
is to guide them. They are scattered throughout the country in very
small groups.
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Wherever you live, in whichever part of the world, spare a
thought, some time, and some resource which will empower them
and by the turn of the next few decades the Sikligars would have
a place of pride in the community, in the same way they had
during the times of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. |
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In
some states, they are listed as Scheduled Castes and in some States
as Backward Class. In some of the States, no status has been given.
In Andhra Pradesh, representations have been made for their
inclusion as Backward Classes and the government is satisfied with
the contention, but no order for implementation of the same has been
passed, denying them the facilities that they could be entitled to,
in case they are so classified.
Justice Sachar Committee's
report
of 2006 revealed the facts that almost one-third of the Sikhs in
India belonged to the notified scheduled castes of the Constitution.
-30.70% Scheduled Castes and 0.90% Scheduled Tribes.
After prolong
sufferings and sacrifices, certain Sikh communities were included in
the List of Scheduled Caste of Punjab, such as Bauri or Bawaria,
Bazigar, Balmiki, Chura or Bhangi, Banjara, Chamar, Jatia Chamar,
Rehgar, Raigar, Ramdasia or Ravidasia, Kabirpanthi or Julaha, Mazbhi
Sikh,
Raisikh
and Sikligar.
Some of these communities are also listed as Scheduled Caste in the
neighbouring states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and
Delhi etc., and listed as Backward Classes in other states.
 I
have been humbly working to bring them into the Panthic mainstream
by teaching them Gurmukhi, Gurbani and Gurmat. I spend more time and
effort to impart regular school education for their general uplift,
than in spending money and resources to build a Gurdwara for them. I
am engaged in enabling them to understand the philosophy of the
Gurus so that despite their precarious lives and livelihood, they
continue to live the Sikh way of life. I am more than convinced
that there are no short term solutions.
It
is not surprising that the Khalsa Panth has no time for the poorest
of the poor. Whether it is India, UK or the US, millions are being
spent to build Gurdwaras and the clear order of the Guru that, “Sikh
ka Mooh, Guru ki Golak,” has been clearly forgotten.
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It is not surprising that the Khalsa Panth has no time for the
poorest of the poor. Whether it is
India, UK or the US, millions are being spent to build Gurdwaras
and the clear order of the Guru that, “Sikh ka Mooh, Guru ki
Golak,” has been clearly forgotten. |
I
am not cribbing. I am only suggesting what needs to be done. Whoever
is underprivileged and deprived of opportunity, for whatever reason,
requires counselling and impetus. The Sikligar Sikhs spread all over
India also require expert and systematic counselling.
They require counselling for availing Government schemes and
educating their children in the schools through the medium of their
mother tongue or local languages. Our problem is that we are not
aware of how to utilise the privileges made available by the
government to deserving individuals and communities. In fact, we are
not at all bothered to familiarise and make available the facilities
which can make the Sikligars and others to change the course of
their own lives and that of their progeny.
Alcoholism is a major problem with the Sikligar Sikhs (as with the
majority of the Sikhs) and in this area we need to take the services
of de-addiction counsellors, as it has become an old die-hard habit
and will take some time to be eradicated. This is one of the major
areas of work while working for Sikligar Sikhs.
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Education is
Power
Under the egis of the Guru Nanak Dev Educational Trust,
Hyderabad, after adopting candidates, we endeavour to look after
all their needs of counselling, medical needs, fees, extra
coaching, stationary even clothing, as and when required.
 Tagore
Singh is from Taluqa Miryalguda Guda of Nalgonda district in
Andhra Pradesh. Upto intermediate studied in Telugu medium. He
is a Sikligar Sikh and does not fall in the Scheduled lists for
government benefits. He got admission at the Guru Nanak
Engineering College in Bidar, secured 55.67% and was appointed
as Lecturer in Government Polytechnic in 1985. Now he is posted
at Hyderabad. In July 2006, while in service, he passed his
Masters in Technology with distinction scoring 78 percent.
During his studies at Bidar, his father expired and his mother
wanted him to discontinue studies. Upon persuasion, she agreed
to bear the sufferings for few more years. His engineering
education was funded in entirety by the Guru Nanak Educational
Trust
 Dr.
Laxman Singh is a Banjara-convert Sikh, from a remote village of
Shankapur of Medak district in Andhra Pradesh. The Banjara
community is listed as Scheduled Tribe in Andhra Pradesh and are
eligible to get reservation for admission and scholarships. The
Guru Nanak Educational Trust facilitated his admission and
scholarship. He completed his matriculation from village.
Studied Intermediate at Hyderabad in Telugu medium. All other
expenses of coaching, entrance exams fees and other
miscellaneous expenses were borne by the Trust. His entrance
exam fees and coaching into MBBS and the Post Graduate exam were
fully met by the trust.
He secured admission at the Medical College in Warangal
district, but could not get admission into the post graduate
course. In 1996, he joined government duty as Assistant Civil
Surgeon. He is the only doctor from his village.
 Shiv
Pal Singh is from a remote village Pedda Nagaram of Warangal
district in Andhra Pradesh. He is from the Banjara community and
was able to secure scholarships and seat reservation on that
basis. From Intermediate class onwards, all his expenditure has
been borne by the Trust. His project work too was funded by the
Trust. He is now in the Final year of Engineering at Warangal. |
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The
community needs to spare hundreds of volunteers to join the “Each
One, Teach One” campaign, started and sustained by many well-meaning
individuals and small organisations. It is my call to all those who
care to stop worrying about what the SGPC, the DSGMC and other
organisations are not doing. This Baisakhi, let us make a resolve
to spare time, effort, expertise and monetary resources. The time
has now come to introspect and ask what each one of us are doing,
can do and should do.
Wherever you live, in whichever part of the world, spare a thought,
some time, and some resource which will empower them and by the turn
of the next few decades the Sikligars would have a place of pride in
the community, in the same way they had during the times of Guru
Gobind Singh Ji.
Believe me, I speak from experience that dedicated individuals are
better than the established bodies, who have been talking and
boasting a lot but have done little or nothing. This has been my
personal experience. I have had the satisfaction of empowering a
Sikligar Sikh to become an engineer, another to be a Polytechnic
lecturer and a Banjara Sikh to become a doctor and occupy the
coveted post of an Assistant Civil Surgeon, another as an MBA. Four
others have become engineers and three are pursuing pharmacy
graduation courses.
Every community works for the uplift of their own people. We have
closed our eyes to the less fortunate brethren of our community. We
seem to ignore our own poverty and live in the illusion that Sikhs
are a rich community and only others are poor.
Christian Missionaries are taking the advantage of our negligence
and aggressively campaigning and converting the weaker sections of
the Sikhs into their folds in Punjab, Jharkhand, Bhilai of Madhya
Pradesh and other parts of the country.
Though Guru Nanak Sahib has clearly defined Dharam-religion
as the son of Daya -mercy, we are practicing Dharam without
Daya. The First of the Five Beloveds of Shri Guru Gobind Singh
Sahib was also Daya Singh followed by Dharam Singh. Sadly, we have
forgotten this basic virtue. In fact, we have become so
materialistic and self-centred that the notion of Daya has
been converted into the giving away of Daan, like that
practiced by the wily Brahman. The very concept of Daya of
the Guru is under challenge by the Sikhs themselves and this is my
fear and concern. Like the Brahman, we too have started to believe
in deifying than in enriching the persona of an individual or a
cross section of our society.
Let
us start from what we can do. The least that any well informed Sikh
can do is to counsel them and enable the Sikligar and other
underprivileged Sikhs to take up job-oriented courses, pay for their
education, and enable them to avail of government grants and
facilities meant for minorities and weaker sections.
Collective efforts of individuals will inspire others. We need to
usher in a movement to uplift one family each and then “Panth di
Chadhdi Kala” will no longer be a dream.
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Every community works for the uplift of their own people. We
have closed our eyes to the less fortunate brethren of our
community. We seem to ignore our own poverty and live in the
illusion that Sikhs are a rich community and only others are
poor. |
So,
let us arise from our deep slumber. Let us begin. Go ahead and form
a simple forum, a society, if you have the diligence and good sense,
go and register it with the local authorities wherever you live.
Start teaching, enabling and empowering in whatever way you can and
with whatever means and resources you can. Do not wait for anyone.
Do it. Deliver.
Yeh
aam baat hai, Bhagwan banane ka hunar.
Baat to jab hai ke, insaan bana kar dekhein.
The
art of making Gods is a general practice.
If
you can make a human being that will be an achievement.
 Nanak
Singh “Nishter” is a
Hyderabad
based orator, writer and Urdu poet. He is a regular columnist of
World Sikh News. He is an activist-academician making immense
contribution to the social and cultural welfare of Sikh society. He
is director of International Sikh Centre for Interfaith Relations.
He is also the driving force behind Guru Nanak Dev Educational
Trust,
Hyderabad.
He may be contacted at nanaknishter@gmail.com
15
April 2009
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