By Santokh Singh Bains | Opinion |
The largest concentration of Sikhs in the Caribbean region is in Trinidad and Tobago, which is a twin-island country located in the southern Caribbean area just off the coast of Venezuela. It is estimated that there are about 300 Sikhs in this nation.
The gurdwara, which is located on the Eastern Main Road in El Dorado/Tunapuna, is the only standalone Sikh place of worship in the entire Caribbean region. Also, this gurdwara is one of the oldest in the Western Hemisphere.
The Caribbean region mainly consists of 13 island countries. The names of these countries and their capitals are as follows: Antigua and Barbuda (Saint John’s), Bahamas (Nassau), Barbados (Bridgetown), Cuba (Havana), Dominica (Roseau), Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo), Grenada (Saint George’s), Haiti (Port-au-Prince), Jamaica (Kingston), Saint Kitts and Nevis (Basseterre), Saint Lucia (Castries), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Kingstown), and Trinidad and Tobago (Port of Spain).
In the Caribbean region, there are several territories and dependencies also which are administered by some important countries; these are as follows: Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands (United States); Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos Islands (United Kingdom); Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten (Netherlands); and Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthelemy, and Saint Martin (France).
History
Historically, the unique Sikh community dates back to the late 19th century when Sikh individuals arrived via indentureship, military service, or as political refugees following the Indian mutiny of 1857.
Hemraj Singh, Sher Singh, and Karam Singh arrived in Trinidad in 1880, 1890, and 1930 respectively; they were among the first generation Sikhs from India to arrive in this country. Hemraj Singh came forward to establish the gurdwara in 1880. His brother Hardit Singh founded a spice factory known as Turban Brand; spices produced at this factory became very popular in due course.
At present, most Sikhs live in and around the capital city of Port of Spain, and also in places along Trinidad’s east-west corridor such as El Dorado and Tunapuna (near the gurdwara).
In November 2009, then Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had arrived in the country’s capital to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). At that time, his wife Gursharan Kaur and their youngest daughter Amrit Singh visited the country’s historic gurdwara, and met with members of the local Sikh community.
Occasionally, Sikh Kathavachaks and Kirtanias from India and some other countries travel to Trinidad and Tobago to perform during the major Gurpurabs (Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary and Vaisakhi) at the Caribbean region’s only gurdwara.
As regards other countries and territories/dependencies, it may be mentioned here that there are about 200 Sikhs in Cayman Islands (UK’s overseas territory). They are mostly expatriates working in various spheres like finance, tourism, and construction. Even though there is no gurdwara in Cayman Islands, the Sikh community periodically organizes religious congregations, community programs, and charity drives. Most of the Sikhs live on Grand Cayman.
There are less than 100 Sikhs in Cuba. They attend monthly religious gatherings in Havana, the country’s capital, along with members of Sikh Dharma Cuba.
In island nations like Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas, the Sikh populations are quite negligible. The Sikhs there are mostly from some business or professional backgrounds.
Even though there are no formal Sikh congregations or gurdwaras in various American, British, French, and Dutch territories, a few Sikhs work and live there due to their involvement in global retail and trade networks.
Sindhi Presence
Some Sindhi merchant pioneers like the Boolchand and Pohoomull families arrived in the Caribbean region in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. They settled down in the Dutch territory of Curacao. Now, there are about 2,000 Sindhis in this island. Most of them operate retail, electronics, and textile stores in Willemstad.
As regards the Sindhis settled in the other Caribbean countries and territories, it may be mentioned here that there are about 1,500 Sindhis in Jamaica; about 500 in Barbados; a few hundreds in Sint Maarten and St. Martin; and 50 to 150 individuals in each of the following islands: Antigua, Bahamas, U.S. and British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, Aruba, Guadeloupe, and Leeward/Windward Islands.
As is well known, Sindhis share a deep historical connection with Sikhs and Sikhism. They hold Guru Nanak and Guru Granth Sahib in very high esteem.
Many Caribbean Sindhis keep the Gutkas at their houses, and regularly recite from Japji Sahib and Sukhmani Sahib. Some of them reverentially incorporate Guru Granth Sahib into their home shrines, and also at their several temples. Some of them happily perform Shabad Kirtan. They also celebrate the birth anniversary (Gurpurab) of Guru Nanak with great enthusiasm.
Are there any Sindhi Sikh Granthis/Dharam Parcharaks/Kathavachaks/Kirtaniyas with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)? If not, then it can easily find them in Ulhasnagar(near Mumbai), Pimpri (near Pune), Indore, or Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh). Such Sindhi Sikh teams should be regularly sent (particularly during the birth anniversaries of Guru Nanak) to perform at the Sindhi temples in the Caribbean countries and territories where Sindhis live in sizable numbers. The SGPC should also be able to persuade Bhai Harjeet Singh Ji Sindhi (Malerkotla Wale) to visit the Caribbean region; it is well known that the members of this Sindhi spiritual group sing traditional Sindhi Bhakti Geets and Bhajans while they are also deeply rooted in the Gurbani tradition. Such regular visits can definitely bring the Caribbean Sindhis more closer to Sikhism.
3HO and Sikh Dharma International
Way back in 1968-1969, Harbhajan Singh Yogi (Yogi Bhajan) had started his unique Kundalini Yoga/Sikh Dharma movement in Los Angeles, USA. While 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization) was officially founded in 1969, Sikh Dharma was legally incorporated and recognized in 1971.
Now, in some form or the other, the 3HO Foundation or Sikh Dharma International is operating in more than 50 countries. As regards the Caribbean region, their presence is very small, and extremely localized.
In Cuba, Sikh Dharma International operates under the banner of Sikh Dharma Cuba. The monthly gatherings are organized around religious services and Guru Ka Langar at two centers in Havana: the Guru Ram Dass Center and the Centro Arbol Center.
Besides the old traditional Indo-Caribbean Sikh community, there are some 3HO/SDI practitioners in Trinidad and Tobago also.
In Haiti, 3HO is known for the humanitarian initiatives and a small Kundalini Yoga network. As regards Puerto Rico (US territory) and the Dominican Republic (independent country), there are some certified Kundalini Yoga teachers who are affiliated with the International Kundalini Yoga Teachers Association (3HO’s sister entity).
Concluding Remarks
In various ways, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) should come forward to help the Sikhs and the Sindhis settled in the Caribbean region.
In Trinidad and Tobago, there are presently no established, formal, or in-person arrangements to teach Punjabi/Gurmukhi to Sikh students. Also, there is no Khalsa School in this country. India’s premier Sikh organizations can definitely play very significant roles in these matters. Also, the bright Caribbean Sikh students should be supported financially for their further studies, thus enabling them to get lucrative jobs in due course.
As regards the Sindhis residing in different Caribbean countries and territories/dependencies, suitable Sindhi and English biographies of Guru Nanak, and Gutkas of Japji Sahib and Sukhmani Sahib should be freely provided to them. As mentioned earlier, visits of India’s Sindhi Sikh missionaries to the concerned places in the Caribbean region should be sponsored on a regular basis.
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Santokh Singh Bains is a Chicago based writer and free lance journalist. His debut book titled Sikhs, Sikhism and the World was published in 2019. He can be reached at santokhbains713@gmail.com
* This is the opinion of the writers, organisation or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.
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