HIGHLIGHTS
Sikhs are present almost everywhere on the globe -
earlier on they were easily visible because of the
turban and beard but not so now in many cases. Gurdwaras
have been set up wherever their presence is significant.
About 2 million Sikhs live outside India which is about
10% of its population against India's total migration of
about 1% of its total population. One in ten of Indian
migrants abroad is a Sikh. In the industrialized
developed countries, Sikh percentage is even higher and
in some countries like Italy, and Greece, Sikhs are in
majority amongst Indian migrants. The contrast is
evident particularly if one considers that Punjab, the
homeland of Sikhs, is a land locked state, which was a
major constraint until mid-20th century - air travel
became affordable and popular only from 1950s. The
earlier migrants used the sea routes from Bombay or
Calcutta. Presence of Gurdwaras in these two major
seaports helped as shipping schedules were not available
in Punjab and migrants had to wait for long periods in
these ports before they could sail to their
destinations. Sikh migration started post Maharaja
Ranjit Singh's demise (1839) and thereafter the two Sikh
Wars (1845-6 &1848-9) which enabled the British to annex
Punjab. Although Sikh Army lost, the British noted the
bravery of the Sikh soldiers and started enlisting them
preferentially in the British Indian Army to assist them
in expanding their empire in Southeast and East Asia and
other countries globally. The first Gurdwara outside
India was set up in Rangoon (now Yangon), the foundation
stone being laid by the British Police Inspector
General. The British encouraged the Sikhs to build
Gurdwaras and keep turban and beard. Wherever the
British were present, they preferentially encouraged
Sikh migration. According to Prof. Jacobsen of Norway:
'Sikhs have been pioneers in exploring new areas of
settlement'. Sikhs are soon going to become in Canada
the same percentage of the country's total population as
they are in India. In Italy and Greece, they are in
majority amongst the Indian community. Unfortunately,
Sikh population is declining in India but increasing
outside India. Migration from Punjab is likely to remain
top priority for the Sikh youth as the economic
situation of Punjab is not likely to offer many
attractive job opportunities. No major industry is
likely to come up, being a border and land locked state.
Going abroad by the young as students is the preferred
route than using the illegal route (termed as
'donkeying'). The only salvation is opening of land
border between Pakistan and India when industries would
find it attractive to set up manufacture in Punjab to
meet demand of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Central
Asian countries. Unfortunately, this is highly unlikely
in the near future.
INDIAN MIGRATION
It would be useful to look at the total Indian migration
in order to anchor Sikh migration. Since the nineteenth
century, Indians have established communities on every
continent. They went first in small numbers as slaves,
later in large numbers as indenture labour of one type
or the other (Fiji, Mauritius, Caribbean Islands,
Surinam, Guinea, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Malaya). There
were small trading communities of Indians in some of the
Indian Ocean countries. The next big phase of Indian
migration was as free immigrants to almost all
continents especially Asia Pacific, North America,
Australasia, Africa, Europe mainly UK and even Latin
America. Sikhs were an important segment of India's free
migration. Emigration to the United Kingdom and Northern
America started during colonial rule in India. However,
the number of emigrants was insignificant, both in
relation to emigration from India, and to total
immigration to those countries.
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