Sikhs in Pakistan

Lahore: There is a curious liking for Sikhs in Lahore. The moment locals see a Sikh, they warmly greet him "Sat Sri Akaal Sardar Ji!" and go out of the way to enquire about his health. Shopkeepers even feel embarrassed taking money from Sikh customers.

In a city where there are just seven Sikh families, they stand out with their turbans and flowing beard. "It's their exotic look that perhaps attracts people here," says Zaheer Hussain, a research scholar. Hussain feels Sikhs also have a lot in common with local Muslims. There are more than a dozen sub-castes that the Sikhs share with the people here. "For instance, if you have Sidhus, Randhawas, Virks and Bhattis among the Sikhs, you have them among the Muslims as well. As a result, locals feel an immediate affinity," Hussain says.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-heritage/26378-sikhs-in-pakistan.html

Amritsar and Lahore were known as the twin cities before the Partition. If Lahore was the cultural capital of pre-Partition Punjab, Amritsar was its business capital.

Ashraf Ali, a businessman, however, feels Sikhs are liked here for a historic reason. "We feel that in India both the Sikhs and the Muslims were not being treated fairly. So, we tend to identify ourselves with them and give them love and affection when they come here," he says.

Many equated the 1984 Operation Bluestar with the demolition of Babri mosque in 1992. They feel persecution by the Hindus binds Muslims and Sikhs.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Evacuee Trust Board announced that more than 25,000 acres of land had been acquired in Nankana Sahib for the proposed Guru Nanak Dev International University. Asam Hashmee, chairman of the board, said a governing body had been constituted to spearhead the project.

 
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Seven families. God damn. Far cry from the day when Non-muslims were the majority of the wealth was with Non-muslims.

HAHAHAHAHA this article conflicts its own purpose. They like sikhs but only when 7 families are left !!!! The shopkeepers feel embarrased from taking money from them ?? i think i know the reason, those shops belonged to sikhs formerly and during partition they were looted and acquired.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26378
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26378

I have lived in Amritsar and i will not compare it to Lahore where there are Lashkar taiba rallies, gun and drug mafia ruling. THATS **** !!!

comparing bluestar and babri demolition is so absurd, this is making no sense. How can our Sri Darbar Sahib be compared to ruins ???? this is insulting .

Overall this article is too political rather than showing cultural ties.

The JASWANT SINGH shocker...Real story of Partition 1947...( which has been promptly BANNED in BJP run Gujerat..because the TRUTH is very difficult to swallow ) reveals so much of the FALSEHOOD on which most Indians have been fed all these 60 years....the Power Crazy Nehru, Patel and Gandhi who were the REAL REASONS behind Partition..because they would rather DIVIDE the HOUSE than give some due respect to the younger brothers..the Muslims the Sikhs !! Nehru just couldn't wait to begin RULING...and Patel just couldn't wait to kill off all the Princely states especially the SIKH ones..to enable just MAJORITY RULES !! minorities can go to Pakistan..Sikhistan..whatever...we dont care attitude...just get the hell out and let us be the rulers after 1000 YEARS !! of SLAVERY....The Muslims took what was offered..the SIKHS fell for the SUGARY LIES and got nothing. NOW after 60 years..people on BOTH SIDES are realising they were taken for a ride by the wily POLITICIANS...and NOW while the Hindutva BJP wants the entire Sub Continent "united under hindutva"..the Taliban types want the Mughal Empire Back..BOTH will not get what they desire...the people may choose what they really want a nd deserve..for once...?? Dare we hope for peace and goodwill..the genuine type to resurface after all this hatred and killing of past 60 years..and three wars...

I have been to AMRITSAR..and certainly the SIKH shopkeepers there dont feel any embarrassment to cheat even fellow GURSIKHS..especially if they are NRIs like myself who dont know the real prices !! Prices of even ordinary things like karras and kanghas kirpans etc right INSIDE the darbar sahib complex are all so INFLATED....and the shops are owned and operated by "sikhs"..and whats worse sikhs who are in Guru Ki nagree day in and day out listening to Gurbani 24/7 !!
IN Contrast..things in Lahore were indeed given at a discount to us as soon as they found out we were from malaysia.....a "muslim country"...One taxi driver refused point blank to take the fare from us...and showed us a few more places than we asked for..all for FREE....it may be just our "luck" that we have yet to meet any such type in India even though we travelled to india all over for many years..so benefit of the doubt is there..BUT we have met a few more such good souls in various other countries we have visited over the past decades of travel..of necessity such accounts are highly personal and biased..but then thats what a personal account is...NOT every person is "politically motivated" ( I mean its not necessary for an Indian to "hate" a pakistani simply because the two nations have fought wars ?? or Vice Versa... is it ??)
I am also aware of how the SIKH Jathas that go to paksitan on Gurpurab visits..have members that are smugglers, and bad hats..who go for businesss rather than pilgrimage...so such are on both sides.
I found the article encouraging...hopefully more such will emerge and turn into reality..

I agree with that Nehru and patel should also be blamed for partition but in no way Jinnah was innocent.It was Jinnah's call for Direct action day which started mass riots in calcutta in 1946.Jinnah did nothing to stop Riots in pakistan .Hardly any sikh survived in west punjab and sikhs lost much of their land.so how could we say that Jinnah was seculer.Muslim league was the main culprit behind the riots in Punjab.Here is the link to the book which
has account of riots of partition.

Muslim League Attack on Sikhs and Hindus in the Punjab 1947

I know its been banned but do a bit of research though. Its been banned because Gujarat Congress was planning protest for saying things which were anti-Patel and so Anti-Gujarati.

CM's of Chattisgarh and MP refused to ban it. They are also BJP ruled.

Come on man. Why did they specially want the Sikh princely states? Infact, sikh princely states were some of the smallest. Patiala, Jind and Nabha all put together are not even a quarter of the size of Rajasthan or Hyderabad.

If you're going to use this logic of princely states then you should recognise the fact that Hindu kings were the biggest loser in the partition. They got the double whammy by Congress. They had their lands taken off them and then they were denied what was promised to them at partition.

Also, the main ideological difference between Jinnah and Nehru was the debate on the central government. Nehru wanted a strong central government with weak states. Jinnah wanted strong states and weak central government. When he could could not get that he wanted something like 30% representation of muslims in the parliament. At last he quit congress and joined Muslim League.

Also, one of the most important reason was the end of Zamindari. India ended Zamindari while it is running strong in Pakistan. Muslim Zamindars lost big time under Zamindari hence some of the biggest estate owners moved to Pakistan.

I know you would want Sikh majority areas to become Sikhistan and i have no problems with that. However, If Sikhs were recognised separately you would not even have the punjab you have today. Majority of Eastern Punjab was given to India because sikhs and hindus COMBINED held a majority over muslims. IF it had been separate, alot of modern day punjab would be in Pakistan.

I don't like Jinnah or Nehru. My people got ****** over by both of them. However, I don't mind Jaswant Singh telling both sides of the story.

Having said that, I feel a bit sorry for Nehru. Pakistanis, other Muslims and Sikhs call him a Hindu zealot while the Hindu right curses him for being a Muslim lover. History has not been kind to any of the leading figures in the Indian partition.

I don't understand double standard of BJP. Gandhi too was from Gujarat But RSS love's To criticise him But at the same time they love Sardar patel .If people can criticise Nehru,Gandhi, Jinnah then why can't they criticise patel.