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Britain's first Sikh museum opened
in Derby
WSN Network
LONDON: The
first museum in the UK to be dedicated to Sikh history has opened in
Derby.
Hundreds of people gathered for the official opening of the National
Sikh Heritage Centre and
Holocaust Museum
in Pear Tree. The £25,000-plus project is the first in the world to
showcase Sikh history from the perspective of British Sikhs.
It also looks at
the Sikh holocaust, in which more than a million people lost their
lives because of their faith.
The idea for a
national museum came from the Sikh Community Youth Service in the
1980s.
It considered
venues from all over the country but chose a former factory in
Derby,
owned by the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara, because of the
enthusiasm which had been shown by the city's Sikh community.
Gurmel Singh,
one of the volunteers who helped to set up the museum, said he
expected people from all over the world to visit the centre.
He said: "The
people in
Derby expressed
such an appetite for this centre. All the funds have been donated by
the community and they have put in a lot of time and effort to make
it happen.
"We want Sikh
young people to get a sense of their connection with Britain as
Sikhs and the British have been interacting since the 1700s.
"I think this
will become a major tourist destination for people all over the
world."
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A resolution passed at the opening of the Sikh Museum at Derby
vows to work to get back the artefacts and other stuff taken
away by Indian forces after the attack on Golden Temple in
Amritsar in 1984. The resolution reads:
Resolution 2311
Following the destruction of Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar in
1984, the Indian government took illegal possession of
historical Sikh artefacts and sacred manuscripts from the
Treasury (Toshakhana) Reference Library & Museum
The Indian government now publicly acknowledges that these
historical Sikh artefacts and sacred manuscripts are in their
possession
As we celebrate the opening of the National Sikh Heritage Centre
and Holocaust Museum, we the UK congregation resolve to work in
partnership with other Sikh and non–Sikh organisations to
campaign for the return of the items to Sri Harmandir Sahib and
for the Indian government to issue a formal apology to the Sikh
nation. |
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The museum,
which is opposite the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara gurdwara, off
Prince's Street, features a collection of cannons, hand-held weapons
and coins from the Sikh empire in 18th-century India and also
memorabilia from the time of the British Raj.
There are soon
to be interactive displays and a full educational section with a
specialist library of more than 300 books.
There is also a
collection of material addressing the history of Sikh persecution.
During the 18th
century, Sikhs were outlawed by the Indian government and endured
barbaric persecution for about 50 years.
In the wake of
Indira Gandhi's assassination in India by two of her Sikh guards in
1984, thousands of Sikhs were slaughtered.
Mr Singh said:
"The world is quite rightly aware of the Jewish holocaust but also
the Sikhs have had an experience and it's almost an untold story."
The opening was
attended by the Mayor of Derby, Councillor Barbara Jackson, and the
MP for Derby South, Margaret Beckett.
Mrs Beckett, who
released 300 balloons at the event and was wearing Sikh dress, said:
"I think this is a tremendous thing that we now have in Derby. It's
very important for the young people of the Sikh community to know
about their origins and for others to learn about it."
26 November
2008
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