Sikhs feel alienated

HYDERABAD: Nearly 60,000 strong Sikh community in the city has a history of its own. But as a community, the Sikhs neither appear to be too happy with their present position nor hopeful about their future.
They first came to the city, on the invitation of the Nizam IV in 1832, as a small group from Punjab to join the Nizam’s army and revenue department.Because the then ruler of Hyderabad wanted ‘strong’ men to join these services.
Times change. So do professions. They now have more members in businesses such as autospare parts, transport and others with salaried class comprising a small percentage of their population.
When the then Nizam wrote to Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the then ruler of Punjab, to send a contingent of strong people to help in strengthening his forces, the first group of Sikhs arrived here and settled down at Barambala, now the Cantonment area.
The Sikhs in the city now live mostly in Petlaburz, Ameerpet, Sikh Chawni, Gowliguda, Secunderabad, Sitaphalmandi, Balanagar and Jeedimetla. Out of about 20 gurudwaras in the city, the one at Kishanbagh is the oldest one.
The birth anniversaries of religious leaders, Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh are among the important festivals the community celebrates.
Unlike during the Nizams’ rule, the community members no longer enjoy special privileges and this has led to a sense of neglect among them.
“Successive governments have treated us like vote banks,� Ameerpet gurudwara managing committee president Ajit Singh Nisanchi said.
“Though the community comes under the minority category, there was no help from the government. We are not asking for big favours.We have been requesting the government to declare a holiday during our important festivals,� he said.
Over the generations, the community depended on itself and never looked at the government for employment. With the changing times, the younger generation is now veering towards modern education such as business management and information technology.
“There are very few who opt for employment. But, we are deprived of opportunities for reasons not known to us,� Nisanchi said.
Incidentally, this is probably the only community in the city that ensures that none of its members ever need to resort to begging for survival.
The community elders do not allow anyone to beg and help the individuals to sustain themselves by providing employment or financial help.