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Assamese Sikhs trace their Punjabi
roots
 AMRITSAR:
Nearly two centuries after their warrior ancestors arrived in Assam,
Sikhs from the state are currently on a visit to Punjab to discover
firsthand the culture of their forefathers, and behold the most
revered shrine of the faith, Harmandar Sahib, for the first time.
It was in 1820
that some 500 Sikh soldiers went to
Assam at the
initiative of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to help Ahom rulers in a war.
While some died
and some came back to
Punjab, a few
stayed on and made Assam their home, raising families. Their
descendants today —mostly concentrated in Nagaon district — are
Assamese for all practical purposes, and none speaks Punjabi, but
continue to maintain their Sikh identity and observe most tenets and
traditions of the religion.
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Dr Himadri Bannerjee on Assamese Sikhs
 “When
I first reached one of these Assamese Sikh villages, I was
surprised to discover that these men had maintained their Sikh
identity over the centuries despite the tremendous distance from
the
Punjab and the prevalent non-Sikh culture around them. I found
many who are confident of their Sikh identity. It is, therefore,
unfortunate that Assamese Sikhs who have maintained their
identity should still be referred to as kacha [incomplete] Sikhs
by a section of Punjabi Sikhs of the region.” |
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Currently , they
are in
Amritsar, their first visit to the holy city. A group of 185 paid
obeisance at Harmandar Sahib today . The Sikhs families are here on
the invitation of SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar, who during a
visit to eastern states was surprised to learn that none had visited
Amritsar. The expenses of the trip are being borne by the SGPC,
which has also made arrangements for their stay and visit to nearby
gurdwaras.
One of the
guests, Makhan Singh, said: “Over 160 Assamese Sikhs from the
Borkula, Lanka and Hojai areas of Nagaon district have come here for
the first time, expecting to get a glimpse of the land and culture
of their forefathers.” Leader of the group P.P. Singh said though
Harmandar Sahib was regarded as the most important shrine for Sikhs,
they had never had the fortune to visit it.
Papinder Kaur of
Borkula said, “Most of us have seen the
Golden Temple
only on television or in movies. This visit is dream come true. I
don’t have words to express my excitement.” For Kamaljit Singh, it
was homage to ancestors. “I am here to get a feel of the lifestyle
in Punjab.” Jodh Singh Bhandari, a local resident giving them
information and the history of the city , said: “It pleasantly
surprising to see that these people have maintained their Sikh
identity over the centuries, despite living amidst an entirely
different culture. And most of them are proud of their Sikh
identity. Our youngsters here could take a lesson from them.”
18 March 2009
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