Sikhism for Key Stage 34 Identity in Contemporary

Sikhi-sm for Key Stage 3/4: Identity in Contemporary British Sikhism Catherine A. Robinson Bath Spa University

Sikh Identity • • • Is it religious? Is it cultural? Is it social? Is it political? Is it ethnic? Is it some combination? How distinct are these?

Sikhs in Britain • Three sides of triangle – Panjabiat – Sikhi – Modernity/Westernisation/Globalisation (Nesbitt, 2011, p. 236)

Sikhs in Britain • Challenges – Fears of apostasy and conversion to other religions – Existence of gora Sikh converts to the faith

British Sikh Report • Various chapters and themes • Based on questionnaire data • Compiled by members of the British Sikh community • First report issued in 2013 • See http: //www. britishsikhreport. org/wpcontent/uploads/2018/05/British-Sikh-Report 2018. pdf

British Sikh Report • 2018 version has a focus on mental health and care for elderly Sikhs • Some questions asked every year, including those addressing issue of identity: ‘The overall trend remains the same as in previous years whereby Sikhs continue to select “British”, “Sikh’, “Punjabi” or a combination of these categories…. Singular labels such as “British”, “Sikh”, “Indian” or “Punjabi” are much more popular than combination categories such as “British-Sikh” or “Punjabi. Sikh”. ’ (British Sikh Report Team, 2018, p. 23)

Sikhs Diaspora • Figures of c. 16 million Sikhs worldwide with 1 million in diaspora (lit. dispersion) given for the end of the twentieth century • Estimate that c. half a million Sikhs live in Britain, however, 2001 Census returned figure of 336, 000 on basis of voluntary question on religious affiliation which, in 2011, had only increased to 423, 000 though the Ravidasia returned separately

Sikh History in Britain • Pre-Second World War – Few Sikhs resident in Britain, e. g. travelling salesmen and visiting princes – Khalsa Jatha British Isles founded in London in 1908 which, in 1913, established a gurdwara – Sikh population tiny and mainly itinerant, e. g. students studying at British universities, soldiers performing ceremonial duties

Sikh History in Britain • 1950 s – Large-scale migration as post-war Britain invited workers from the Commonwealth to provide labour – Migrants largely male and unskilled from rural Jat farming families – Some small local communities formed and a few gurdwaras established

Sikh History in Britain • 1960 s – Migration reached its peak – Process of community formation and gurdwara establishment continued, reinforced by an influx of wives and children from the Punjab (‘chain migration’) – Some Sikhs arrived from East Africa and their arrival had a significant impact

• 1970 s Sikh History in Britain – Another wave of migrants, mainly Ramgarhia Sikhs displaced by Africanisation policies in East Africa with valuable experience of practising their faith as members of a minority – Sikh families began to be able to move out from inner cities to the suburbs

Sikh History in Britain • 1970 s (cont. ) – New generation of Sikh youth brought up in Britain espoused different concerns from their parents – Changes in employment patterns with a mainly industrial and entrepreneurial focus shifting towards skilled and professional occupations

Sikh History in Britain • 1980 s onwards – Community dynamic changed, partly as consequence of the end of large-scale migration and increasingly tight controls on the residence rights of marriage partners from India – British Sikhs retained strong links with the subcontinent while forging strong international connections with the global Sikh community

Sikh History in Britain • 1980 s onwards (cont. ) – Some tensions over political issues surrounding the Khalistan campaigns and some clashes over values exposed by controversy surrounding the play Behtzi (Dishonour) by Gurpreet Bhatti but, notwithstanding racism, discrimination and other difficulties, Sikhs have come to occupy an important and, in some respects, influential position in British society

Sikh History in Britain • 1980 s onwards (cont. ) – Sikhism accepted one of the six so-called ‘World Religions’ taught in schools, with Sikhs playing a full part in Religious Education nationally and locally – Sikh participation in inter-faith dialogue and work in chaplaincy – Represented on radio stations and television channels – Coverage in television programmes and films

Sikh History in Britain • 1980 s onwards (cont. ) – Some younger Sikhs have moved elsewhere in the diaspora in search of new opportunities whereas some older members of the community have chosen to go back to the Punjab on a permanent or long-term basis (‘return migration’) (Bance, Paul and Anand, 2008, pp. 2, 6; Nesbitt, 2011, pp. 227 -228; Singh and Tatla, 2006, pp. 43 -68, 138140; Tatla, 1999, pp. 55 -56)

Further Aspects of Sikh Identity • Khalsa identity has privileged position as shaped by Tat Khalsa with its focus on equality • There are different ways of being a Sikh and not all Sikhs belong to or aspire to belong to the Khalsa • Neo-orthodoxy rejects the spiritual significance of social or gender differences and arguably any form of hierarchy

Further Aspects of Sikh Identity • Various types of Sikhs among whom there are – – – – Punjabi Sikhs Gora Sikhs Vegetarian/non-vegetarian Sikhs Mazhabi Sikhs Khalsa Sikhs Non-Khalsa Sikhs with living Gurus Khalsa Sikhs with particular Sants (Takhar, 2005, p. 188)

Further Aspects of Sikh Identity • Caste affiliation – Dominant discourse stresses that caste is irrelevant but some contrary evidence – ‘[T]he passage of time, generational shift, and successive fashions in popular culture contribute to both intra-zat diversity and cross-caste homogeneity’ (Nesbitt, 2011, pp. 238 -239)

Further Aspects of Sikh Identity • Gender – Dominant discourse stresses that women and men are equal but tension between ideal and real – ‘They [Sikh women] told me that they were equal in terms of taking part in religious performances but not in the management of religious institutions’ (Rait, 2005, p. 26)

Issues in British Sikh Life • Controversies around Khalsa and/or Sikh identity – Wearing Turbans (Dastar) / Kara • School uniform – Gurdwara Weddings • Eligibility for Anand Karaj

Leading British Sikhs • • • Campaigner Jasvinder Sanghera Chef Tony Singh Artists the Singh Twins Life peers Indarjit Singh and Sandip Verma Sikh MPs elected to this parliament (including first Sikh woman and first turban-wearing man)

Bibliography Bance, B. S. , Paul, S. S. and Anand, G. S. (2008) Khalsa Jatha British Isles, 1908 -2008. London: The Central Gurdwara (Khalsa Jatha). British Sikh Report Team (2018) British Sikh Report 2018. Available at: http: //www. britishsikhreport. org Kalsi, S. S. (1994) ‘Sacred symbols in British Sikhism’, DISKUS, 2 (2). Nesbitt, E. (2011) ‘Sikh diversity in the UK: contexts and evaluation’, in Jacobsen, K. A. and Myrvold, K. (eds. ) Sikhs in Europe: migration, identities and representations. Farnham & Burlington, VT: Ashgate, pp. 225 -252. Rait, S. K. (2005) Sikh Women in England: Their Religious and Cultural Beliefs and Social Practices. Stoke-on-Trent and Sterling: Trentham Books.

Bibliography Singh, G. and Tatla, D. S. (2006) Sikhs in Britain: the making of a community. New York: Zed Books. Singh, J. (2011) ‘Sikh-ing beliefs: British Sikh camps in the UK’, in Jacobsen, K. A. and Myrvold, K. (eds. ) Sikhs in Europe: migration, identities and representations. Farnham and Burlington, VT: Ashgate, pp. 253 -277. Takhar, O. K. (2005) Sikh Identity: An Exploration of Groups Among Sikhs. Aldershot and Burlington: Ashgate. Tatla, D. S. (1999) The Sikh diaspora: the search for statehood. London: UCL Press, pp. 55 -56.