Gurdwaras

Gurdwara is a great institution and is the anchor around which the Punjabi Diaspora constructs its religious, social, and emotional identity. It is a useful contact and resting point for travellers. Gurdwara is a unique institution which provides an important link amongst the immigrants. Sikh websites give slightly exaggerated presence of Gurdwaras globally and at time include homes of devout Sikhs who have Sri Guru Granth Sahib. These references include rented premises where Sikhs gather on Sundays, holidays, and important religious days. The Gurdwara and the so-called Khalistan Head Quarters in Quito, Ecuador do not exist. In some countries such as Bolivia, the Sikh 'Sangat' is so small that they cannot afford to keep a 'granthi' and yet the place is well maintained. It provides a venue for social gatherings and helps retain linkage with religion, community and heritage of 'Punjabiat'. It was interesting to learn that post setting up of the Gurdwara in Argentina, the community has got more connected, and the younger generation is getting to develop better linkage with Punjab, Punjabis, Sikhs and Sikhi. For early migrants, Gurdwaras in places like Calcutta and Singapore were a saviour as they could stay there, sometimes for long periods, before catching a boat to their destination country. The stay provided information which otherwise was scanty and emotional succour to the migrants bereft of their own countrymen.

Country Profiles

In the first phase visits were made to Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil in the summer of 2005 followed by travel to Belize, Mexico, Cuba, Panama and Ecuador in 2006. The entire study of the subject is basically case studies and interview based. Detailed interviews are available. POPULATION COUNT: Population estimates are extremely difficult and problematic for any country and more so in Latin America for obvious reasons. The problem of who is a Sikh always crops up. Also, the illegal immigrants, who in some countries can be quite a significant number especially in Europe. In the country census in most cases, Sikh as a religion is not categorized. The attached table by the High-Level Committee is indicative of small number of Indians in Latin America. The Commission, according to me, had not done a thorough count but confined themselves to data available with the Embassies, which is more often a case of limited information only. Gurharpal Singh and Darshan Tatla have ventured to mention in their book" Sikhs in Britain - The Making of a Community", the population of Sikhs in 2005 of Mexico at 5000 and Argentina at 1000. Some Sikh websites give figures but how reliable these are is a matter of concern. (1) The website sikhphilosophy.net has an email by DhartPanjNadDi@a of 22ndAugust 2004 which says: "South American countries of Argentina/Venezuela 20,000. There are two Gurdwaras in Caracas,and a third being built in another city Cobota, I think.Brazil, Chile, and Bolivia are also known to have Sikh communities. Mexico has two Gurdwaras". (2)In Sikh Net website, an email by BikDhillon on 4/02/2000: "Americas - Mexico about 1000. There was a report about the Sikhs of Mexico mainly native Mexicans converted to Sikhism during the tercentenary celebrations". (3) TheSikhi Wiki website: "Sikh population of Mexico as 8000 and South America as 2000. Rest of South America - there have been reports from travel writers and newspaper correspondents about a number of Sikhs in Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Brazil, Nicaragua etc who are successful businessmen owning mainly hotels." The above would indicate difficulty of estimating the size of Sikh Diaspora in Latin America.