North London Interfaith Events

Our aim is to break through barriers of ignorance and prejudice so that harmonious living in a multifaith society becomes a reality.

Challenges and opportunities facing second generation Sikhs in Britain.

A talk by Talk by Kiran Kalsi on 20 March 2007

My first degree was in Peace Studies and this was started by the Quakers at the University of Bradford. When I was a student there in the late seventies the Dept of Peace studies was considered very radical, shaking things up a bit , asking questions, and there was a famous sit-in as well. So Quakers have been part of my educational background. I have a lot of respect for the work Quakers are doing for peace.

The question for this evening is about the challenges and opportunities facing second generation Sikhs in this country and being a second generation Sikh myself, I hope to bring in some of my own experiences in terms of highlighting these issues.

The Sikh community began to be formalised in this country in the 1960s when a wave of new immigrants settled here mainly for work purposes. Soon families joined them. My family came to join my father in 1966. People went to the more industrial areas where there were more jobs. We find the rise of the Sikh communities in places like Southall and Hounslow, West Yorkshire, the Midlands, Birmingham and so on and as the families joined their men folk, the community started to develop, and with it the rise of the Sikh temple, the Gurudwara, which is of course the religious place of worship for the community. We have many Gurudwaras now in this country. I think the biggest Gurudwara outside India is now in Southall.

Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was born in India in 1469 during the Moghul Raj. Historically, we can say that Nanak was a revolutionary in the sense that he was trying to bring together Hindus and Muslims, two communities who were in conflict, and also bring about the idea of the oneness of God. Hinduism is a very complex religion which posits the idea of a Universal Life Force, but there are different deities so you could perhaps say many gods and Islam has its own practices. Nanak was trying to bring these two ideas together

At the same time, the 10th Guru founded a unique Sikh identity, to try to make Sikhs separate from Muslims and Hindus. He had this idea of the 5 Ks, which distinguishes them. One is Kesh, hair. You keep your long hair because you are made in the image of God so you should maintain that image. Both men and women have long hair traditionally. By keeping their beards and wearing turbans Sikh men maintain a distinct identity.

The caste system is very much a part of Hinduism. Nanak and the following gurus wanted to do away with the caste system and encourage the idea of equality among Sikhs. But although in principle we don’t believe in a caste system I think people still do in terms of arranged marriages and in everyday practice.

Sikhs are a very hardworking people so in terms of the Protestant work ethic we can similarly identify the Sikh work ethic. The idea is that you really reach your goal, your sense of spirituality, through hard work rather than meditating in a forest for five hours. Spiritual life and work life are both integral to human beings. Sikhs developed the idea that it is through working hard for your living that you develop your spirituality. Sikhs are a very successful community in this country and they are high achievers in terms of exam results and entrance to universities. This is because there is a very strong ethos of hard work and education at home. Parents encourage their children, girls as well as boys, actively to learn. The first generation worked hard in factories, small businesses and so on. The second generation broke away from that through education. Sikhs took advantage of the opportunities provided by the country and did, and are doing, very well in education and in business life.

Sikhs take great pride in a family member entering one of the professions, becoming a doctor or a lawyer. For example, in my family one of my cousins who went to Cambridge, was always mentioned by my father at family gatherings, to show how proud the family should feel. This was done to encourage aspirations in a positive way – you can make it.

The second opportunity is in terms of integrating into British society. Although there is a unique Sikh identity which is evident in terms of the 5 Ks (I’m wearing a kara a steel bangle which must be simple, not fancy or made of gold or silver. The circle symbolises the oneness of God). Maintaining a unique identity is important for Sikhs. Some of us have moved away from wearing long hair but that doesn’t mean we don’t identify with Sikh principles. So there is change and adaptation. Sikhs are a part of the present multicultural society. They want to integrate into British society, but not assimilate.

I think the third opportunity is in political life. Quite a lot of Sikhs have gone into political life, particularly via the Labour Party. There are Councillors, Lord Mayors, MP, so there is a desire to enter mainstream British society.

Fourth, the media – Examples are Inderjit Singh (editor of Sikh Messenger) actress Meera Syal (Hindu and Sikh) Hardeep Singh Sodhi, comedian who wears a turban. (He is from Glasgow so he often wears a kilt as well!). Sikhs have made the most of living in this country and made a positive contribution to society.

The Gurudwara is a very open place. Sikhs are welcoming and generous. One of the traditions the 10th Guru started was guru-ka-langar. (feast) Part of the prayers is a meal. There is always a meal prepared in the temple, by both men and women as voluntary work. Everyone is invited to share this meal at the end of the ceremony and prayers. This was a way of bringing people together as Guru Nanak wanted.

Traditionally high caste Hindus do not eat with low caste Hindus because of the concept of pollution but Nanak wanted to introduce a concept of equality. We should cook together and eat together. It is a way of breaking down barriers between castes and between men and women. Women and men may sit separately in the temple but this is justified by presuming that they will feel more comfortable this way. There is a welcoming atmosphere.

Sikh names are given to both men and women. Because you can identify a person’s caste from their name, the 10th Guru said all men should be called Singh (lion) and all women Kaur (princess). Although in this country we’ve started using surnames because it was crazy to have everyone as Singh or Kaur, traditionally Sikhs don’t use them.

In terms of challenges, these are many.

There is intergenerational rivalry in Sikh temples Members of the committee running a gurudwara tend to belong to the older generation, who obviously have more traditional views. There are few women in leadership roles. The second generation, brought up in this country, doesn’t feel a part of that. They question authority and want democratic elections. Visiting priests, singers and holy men, from the Punjab come and lecture and reinforce the old ideas. There is also a language barrier, the younger generation are more at home in English.

Arranged marriages. The first generation accepted these but the second generation challenged this custom. More enlightened parents listen to their children so instead of meeting only one person they may meet half a dozen and go out with them before choosing.

Some young people now choose interfaith marriages. Marriages with Hindus, Christians or Muslims may be frowned on but they are on the increase and so are interethnic marriages. In my family there is an acceptance of this kind of marriage. Another challenge is divorce which is more common in the community. Education has led to economic independence which makes women less inclined to put up with an unhappy marriage. But divorced women still find it difficult to find a husband within the community. Men find it easier and often go back to the Punjab to find a wife.

Boys have more freedom in marriage than girls. Mothers often spoil their sons, although not in my family. Pampered young men don’t want to take on responsibilities.

How do you transmit Sikh values to the third generation? A lot of youngsters are choosing to keep their hair. They have a strong Sikh identity yet feel a part of British society. For us there was a conflict because we were the first ones who had to try to integrate so there was the question where you fit in. The third generation are more comfortable with who they are. They don’t have the confusion of identity (Indian, Punjabi and Sikh) that we had. They are more integrated and secure in themselves.

Challenge of racism. Our identity makes us very visible. Sikhs have been confused with fundamental Muslims so Sikhs have been attacked since rise of terrorism.

Institutionalised racism In the job market, in professions, there is a real challenge when they hit a glass ceiling. Sikhs don’t want any special privileges. They don’t look to the state for support but to their own community. The sense of economic independence is very strong. People help one another a lot.

Maintaining links with Punjab. The first generation often have property there but not the second generation. So there isn’t the same pull. Home is in this country so maintaining those links is difficult. As the community matures and has more elderly people, the extended family living in nuclear units can no longer care for them. There are now some homes for Asian elders.

Desire to have male children. The culture is patriarchal. There have been cases of female foeticide, which is illegal in this country so people just go back to India for abortions. Unfortunately it is on the increase. It is having a negative effect on the population in Punjab, where it is becoming more difficult for men to find a female partner. This is a real challenge for us.

Yet all these challenges can be seen as opportunities and Sikhs are making a unique contribution to society in this country.