Sikhs in Asia Pacific: Travels among the Sikh Diaspora from Yangon to Kobehrine of defiant love
Book Title
Sikhs in Asia Pacific: Travels among the Sikh Diaspora from Yangon to Kobe
Author: Swarn Singh Kahlon, Chandigarh Publisher: Manohar Publisher, New Delhi Year of Publication: 2016; Pages 352; Price. Rs. 1195/- (Hard Bound) Reviewed by: Dr. Hardev Singh Virk, Visiting Professor, SGGS World University, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab (India).
Swaran Singh Kahlon is an avid traveler with a mission to explore Sikh diaspora all over the globe. His first book: “Sikhs in Latin America” was published in 2012. The book under review is divided into 13 chapters followed by 18 appendices. It explores Sikh diaspora in 11 countries of Asia Pacific in 11 chapters and has one chapter devoted to Sikh Participation in Ghadar and Indian National Army (INA) and one on conclusions of study. The author has followed the same style of writing as adopted in his first volume, i.e. tracing the history of Sikh migration followed by case histories recorded in India or abroad.
The author begins the text with a brilliant Introduction to the region under study; his methodology and field visits concerning his project; history of Indian migration to Asia Pacific; and parameters of Sikh migration at global level. This chapter has 8 tables summarizing highly useful data for social scientists and historians regarding global Sikh population, migration patterns and setting up of first Sikh temples (Gurdwaras) by the Sikh diaspora in Asia Pacific region. Chapter 1 is focused on the theme: “Sikhs in Burma.” The author starts this chapter with mention of two romantic poems about Burma: one by Rudyard Kipling and the other by Mughal king, Bahadur Shah Zafar, who immortalized his death in Burma by this epitaph written on the prison wall. Sikh migration to Burma started with the British Indian army in the 19th century when Burma became a province of India in 1856. The 1931 census listed a total of 10,761 Sikhs in Burma with many more coming until the Second World War. Sikh presence and enthusiasm can be gauged from the fact that in early 1950s there were 136 Sikh Gurdwaras, 11 Khalsa High Schools, 5 Libraries, 1 Girls School, 2 Ashrams and 1 independent Langar Hall. The Sikhs were well organized under Khalsa Diwan – Burma and spread throughout the country engaged in all professions, business, farming and dairying.
The present Sikh scene in Burma is disappointing and after three exoduses, their numbers have dwindled which is indicated by closing down of Sikh institutions, including Gurdwaras being reduced to only 48. The military dictatorship nationalized Sikh institutions and businesses without any compensation, resulting in large scale exodus of Sikh population to other countries. During my own visits to Burma in 2005, I noticed the impact of Sikh migration on the general morale of Sikhs in Burma; only those who have no means to migrate are left in Burma. Hopefully, the situation may improve for the better with recent change over of military regime to democracy. The author has recorded case studies of some prominent Sikhs of Burma. The most interesting story relates to Bibi Balbir Kaur who is head Granthi of main Gurdwara in Myanmar (Rangoon), a privilege being denied to Sikh ladies in India.
Chapter 2 relates to Sikh presence in Thailand. Sikh migration to Thailand started in 1884. By the year 1911, many Sikh families had settled in Thailand, with Bangkok as the centre of immigrant Sikhs. The first Sikh Gurdwara was set up in 1912 in a wooden Thai style house but the present one is a six floor building with a school running inside it. Sikhs in Thailand are the largest community amongst Indians and maintain good relations with the king of Thailand. They are mostly settled in areas adjoining Pahurat Road in Bangkok and engaged in textile and real estate business. Outside Bangkok, Sikh presence is visible in Chiang Mai and Phuket with big Gurdwaras existing in both towns. The Sikh community in Thailand is prosperous by all means, engaged in profitable business ventures and philanthropy. The Namdhari Sikhs migrated earlier than Jat Sikhs and are well settled as real estate tycoons. During my visit to Bangkok, I observed a unique harmony among Sikhs of Thailand, which is reported by the author also, that there is only one common Gurdwara being frequented by the Sikhs of all shades; a feature absent in India.
Chapter 3 is based on Sikhs in Malaysia; which has the largest Sikh community in Southeast and East Asia, numbering around 80,000. Sikh migration to Malaya (Malaysia) started in 1873 when Sikhs arrived as policemen in Perak. The first Sikh Gurdwara was set up in 1881 in Cornwallis in the Police Lines. The first public Gurdwara was inaugurated in 1903 in Penang. During the British rule in Malaya, the Sikhs were a pampered lot. They occupied top positions in Police and Army. It is a fact that there are more Sikh Gurdwaras (15 in number) in Kuala Lumpur than the Muslim Mosques, with dominant Muslim population in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia. Sikh diaspora in Malaysia has assimilated in the mainstream while keeping its identity intact. Malaysian Sikhs are rooted in Sikh culture and its moorings in a better way as compared with other Sikh diaspora anywhere in the world.
Sikhs in Malaysia actively participate in all 55 social organizations. The pioneer Sikh socio-religious organization was Khalsa Diwan Malaya, which was founded in 1903 in Taiping, Perak. Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia (SNSM) has been the most active Sikh organization catering to the socio-religious needs of the Sikh youth of Malaysia. The SNSM has been organizing youth camps annually since late 1960s. The SNSM’s initiatives to help victims of natural calamities resulted in the formation of Global Sikhs, which is also supported by United Sikhs of America. Sikhs in Malaysia are a minority community amongst 30 million strong Muslim majority comprised of Bhumiputras. They face discrimination in getting jobs and starting new business ventures under the affirmative action policy, as it favours only Bhumiputras.
Chapter 4 deals with Sikhs in Singapore. The author calls Singapore Sikhs as a model minority. They are professionally organized and have succeeded in various walks of life such as business, education, civil services, military and the corporate sector. There are less than 20,000 Sikhs in Singapore but they have earned a good reputation in the country for their contributions to Singapore economy. Singapore was part of Malaya under the British and the Sikhs migrated to Singapore as policemen. The Sikh Foundation and the Punjabi Foundation of Singapore are promoting the Sikh heritage and Punjabi language, respectively. Some of the prominent Sikhs who earned name and fame in Singapore public life are as follows: Justice Choor Singh Sidhu, who rose to be the first Sikh Judge of Supreme Court; Jaswant Singh Gill, the first Commander of the Singapore Navy; Brigadier General Ravinder Singh who became Singapore’s Army Chief; Inderjit Singh and Davinder Singh, the two Sikh MPs in Singapore Parliament; Bhajan Singh, the Educationist; and Kartar Singh Thakral, who is the owner of Thakral Group of Companies and reputed to be one of the richest Singaporeans.
Chapter 5 deals with Sikhs in Indonesia. They started migrating to Indonesia in end of 19th or beginning of 20th century. They mostly worked as farmers and in the dairy business. They opened a Khalsa High School in 1920s in Medan (Sumatra). Sikhism is not a recognized religion in Indonesia and hence the Sikhs have to register under Hinduism or any other recognized religion. Sikh population in Indonesia is estimated at around 7,000 spread out in various provinces. Many Sikhs have moved from Medan area to Jakarta for better opportunities. The Sikhs are engaged in Sports goods and furniture business and established a foothold in shipping by starting the Gill Shipping Company.
Chapter 6 forms the subject matter of Sikhs in Fiji. While other Indians migrated as indentured labour, the Sikhs migrated to Fiji as free passage immigrants. In 1874, Fiji came under the British Crown and over the next 40 years, more than 60,000 indentured labourers from India were brought to work on sugarcane plantations. Majority of Sikhs arrived in Fiji between 1920-30 from Nawanshahar, Garshankar, Phagwara and Phillaur tehsils of Jallandhar district. The Sikhs have built 5 Gurdwaras in Suva, Lautoka, Labasa, Tagitagi and Nasinu. The Sikh Educational Society of Fiji formed in 1960 established 5 Sikh Schools: 3 Primary, one Khalsa Secondary School at Labasa, and a Khalsa College at Ba. In recent years, due to political crisis in Fiji following two coups, there is a large scale exodus of Sikhs to Australia and North America.
Chapter 7 “Sikhs in Philippines: The ‘5-6 Bumbay’ Moneylenders” is an interesting account of Sikh moneylenders who are known by their pet name as ‘5-6 Bumbay’. The first Sikh migrant in 1902 who settled in Manila just accidentally while on way to USA was from the village Sangatpur, near Jallandhar. During 1930s, the Sikh population was just 250 but it started rising slowly and steadily reaching 23,300 in 2000. The Sikh moneylenders are able to accumulate substantial amount of money to establish their own retail stores in Manila. Some others are employed in MNCs, established restaurants and Indian specialty stores but their most lucrative business is moneylending.
The author has discussed in detail the mechanism of moneylending by the Sikh migrants. The economy of rural areas of Philippines is based on credit provided by Sikh moneylenders. It involves no paper work, no bank guarantees, and is totally hassle free. The interest rates are high going up to 20 percent in 4 months. With a hassle-free life style and easy availability of women and sex, the Philippines is an attractive country for Punjab village youths, whose landholdings are small and who just have high school education with no prospects of a good job in India. But this business involves high risks and every year there are reports of Indians being murdered or shot while on their rounds to collect payments. The author has recounted some success stories of Indian Filipinos; the most interesting being that of Ramon Bagatsing, who was elected as Mayor of the city of Manila from 1971 to 1986. Most of Sikh migrants earn enough money and return to India after a decade.
Chapter 8 is devoted to Sikhs in Hong Kong. Possibly, the earliest recorded Sikh migration took place in 1841 to Hong Kong as described in the book: “Sikhs in Hongkong” edited by Gulbir Singh Batra and reviewed by me. The present author has challenged this claim and considers 1867 as a more plausible date of migration. It is however agreed that Sikh policemen were recruited from Punjab as prison guards and security personnel to control rebellious Chinese in Hong Kong and mainland China. Sikhs continued to play an active and important role in the Hong Kong Police force right up to 1950. The author visited Hong Kong Police Museum to record his impressions about the role played by the Sikh Police in maintaining peace in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong was a transit point for the Indian troops deployed in China. During 2nd World War, Hong Kong was occupied by the Japanese in 1941. The Sikh Regiment was deployed to defend Hong Kong but Japanese killed and captured Sikh soldiers. Large scale killing took place in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s strategic location made it hub for onward migration of Sikhs to other countries, including Canada and USA. The Komagata Maru episode has direct links to Hong Kong as the trip to Vancouver was started from this port. The present Gurdwara in Hong Kong was built in 1901 but there is evidence of earlier Gurdwara started in Police barracks. After the Chinese occupation of Hong Kong, the Sikh migration has almost dwindled to the bare minimum. But the Punjabi Sikhs have co-existed harmoniously with the local Chinese community for over a century.
Chapter 9 “Sikhs in China” is almost an appendix to Chapter 8. The Sikh migrants went to Shanghai (and mainland China later on) as policemen and security guards or watchmen in the same way as they immigrated to Hong Kong. However, after 1949 Chinese revolution, they moved out to Hong Kong, or returned to India. The British won the Opium Wars in China with the help of Sikh troops. The Chinese hated the Sikh policemen and there was no love lost between the two communities. Author has visited Shanghai Police Museum and inserted some photos/cartoons showing Sikh policemen. Shanghai Gurdwara (1908) is occupied by Chinese families and its building is deteriorating. There is a revival of interest in mainland China and Thakral Brothers of Singapore have set up their business enterprise in Shanghai with over 1,000 stores across China.
Chapter 10 “Sikhs in South Korea” describes the pattern of Sikh migration to South Korea as different to the pattern in other Asian countries. Sikhs went to Korea looking for jobs in mid-1980s as there was a shortage of labour in the country. The Sikh migrants work on farms and most of them are illegal and avoid contact with the police. There are two Gurdwaras in the suburbs of Seoul. Dr. Lakhwinder Singh, who is a Professor in University of Seoul, provided answers to queries made by the author regarding the Sikh migrants and their situation in Korea, in the form of a questionnaire. Chapter 11 “Sikhs in Japan” describes two distinct communities of Sikhs in Japan. The older Sikh migrants in the Kobe area are well entrenched and affluent in Japan while the new entrants prefer to stay in Greater Tokyo area and majority of them are ‘overstayers’ and vulnerable to being deported. As reported by the author, the first Sikh student who joined Tokyo University in 1899 was Puran Singh, who returned to India after 3 years. There were Sindhi businessmen already in Tokyo before 1899. The Sikh migrants docked their ship Kamagata Maru in Yokohama en route to Canada to pick up passengers. But there is no historical evidence of Sikh presence in Japan before 1936 when Thakral Brothers of Singapore set up their overseas branch in Japan. The Sikh merchants were staying in Kobe before World War II and the first Gurdwara was set up in 1952. Kobe Sikhs are engaged in business dealing with electronics, automobile parts, textiles and other sundries. They are quite rich and affluent. In Kobe, Sikh migrants retain full Sikh identity and maintain cultural links with Sikhs in South-East Asia.
Tokyo immigrants are mostly from Uttarakhand, Jammu and New Delhi and very few from Punjab. Apart from some IT engineers, restaurant owners and entrepreneurs, most are employed as factory workers, welders, electricians, etc. They are clean shaven and without turbans to hide their Sikh identity and illegal status. Some of them marry Japanese girls to avail legal status for stay. The Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara was started in 1999 at the time of 300th anniversary of Khalsa. It is as yet a make shift Gurdwara open only once a month when service is held.
The author has narrated some case studies of Sikh migrants. I will like to mention just 2 cases: Kirandeep Sethi family of Kobe and Sarabjit Singh Chadha of Tokyo. Kirandeep is married to a Japanese lady and has two sons; the family maintains Sikh tradition and acts as a role model for Sikh migrants. Sarabjit Chadha is the first non-Japanese singer of Enka- a genre of Japanese songs that can be compared to ghazals for their slow, meaningful melody. Chadha owes a lot to the turban and can easily pair his turban with a kimono. He is a popular TV artist in Japan and is known as Dancing Maha Chadha, and every Sikh with a turban is called Chadha in Japan.
Chapter 12 covers an important aspect of Sikh immigrants, who imbibed the spirit of freedom, and joined Ghadar movement and Indian National Army, popularly called Azad Hind Fauz, to liberate India from the clutches of British Empire. The author took the trouble to trace the history of these movements in South-East Asia but the main fulcrum of Ghadar movement was not Asia but North America. In the Conclusion, the author gives an abstract of all the Chapters briefly. He has given a comparison of profiles of Sikh migrants to East and West in a tabulated form. The book contains 18 appendices, which are highly useful for a researcher, as these illustrate history of Sikh Gurdwaras, including a catalogue of Sikh institutions and Gurdwaras of Asia-Pacific countries covered by the author in his book.
The book is very well written, free of flaws, and provides useful source material for researchers in social sciences and diaspora studies. I am waiting for his 3rd volume covering Sikh migration to Europe.