ABSTRACT
Dialogs concerning the transmission of culture and religious identities are pertinent within diasporic communities across the globe. The ever-increasing pressure on British-born Punjabi youngsters to become “westernized” is an issue that has held my interest in recent years, especially the task of transmitting the Punjabi culture, ethnicity, and Sikhism to my own three children, whom like myself, are British-born Sikhs. Generational differences with regard to cultural transmission are an important feature of this chapter. In this respect, Arthur Helweg remarks that “cultural transmission examines why and how ethnic identity is transmitted to the next generation. In other words, why and how do members of an ethnic community promote their cultural concepts.” 1 The Ravidasis, 2 Valmikis, and to some extent the Namdharis, have an extra issue to deal with—that of their religious identity. Aspects of their worship and fundamental beliefs raise thoughtful discussions as to what notion of their identity, as distinct or an amalgamation or hybrid of a number of Indian religious traditions, is being passed on to the younger generations. In this respect, many similarities appear as in the study of the Sindhi Hindus by Steven Ramey, whereby a theory of the syncretism of a number of Indian religions has been suggested. 3
