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8 - The Diaspora

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 November 2021

Gurharpal Singh
Affiliation:
School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
Giorgio Shani
Affiliation:
International Christian University, Tokyo
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Summary

In this chapter we provide a brief overview of the size and distribution of overseas Sikh communities. This is followed by a review of early forms of mobilisation by Sikh overseas communities before 1984. We then examine the main organisations that led the campaign for Khalistan during the turbulent decades of the 1980s and 1990s, focusing on their strategy and tactics and broader engagement with the community. With the decline of militancy in the Punjab in the 1990s and 9/11, new organisations emerged to actively engage with the ‘politics of recognition’ in the host states. We examine in detail the US-based Sikh Coalition and the UK-based Sikh Federation as organisations that are redefining the politics of the diaspora. The chapter concludes with reflections on the changing role of the diaspora in defining Sikh nationalism. As a small, self-conscious diaspora, the Sikhs are always prone to a critical event like 1984, a periodic tsunami that regularly restructures its politics and social life. The Sikh diaspora has the potential to lead the emergence of a global panth. It is also, however, a weather vane that continues to reflect the turbulent winds from South Asia.

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Sikh Nationalism , pp. 189 - 210
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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  • The Diaspora
  • Gurharpal Singh, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Giorgio Shani, International Christian University, Tokyo
  • Book: Sikh Nationalism
  • Online publication: 19 November 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316479940.010
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To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • The Diaspora
  • Gurharpal Singh, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Giorgio Shani, International Christian University, Tokyo
  • Book: Sikh Nationalism
  • Online publication: 19 November 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316479940.010
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • The Diaspora
  • Gurharpal Singh, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Giorgio Shani, International Christian University, Tokyo
  • Book: Sikh Nationalism
  • Online publication: 19 November 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316479940.010
Available formats
×