ABSTRACT
In 2006, there were an estimated 15,000 Sikhs in Singapore.1 Since the early migration of Sikhs – most notably as recruits in the security forces – to Singapore and Malaya during the colonial period, the present generation of Sikhs in Singapore have established themselves as a successful minority group characterised by a sizeable and prominent group of Sikh middle-class professionals who enjoy economic success and social mobility. In spite of their success, there exists a constant insecurity, shared in general by Sikhs in the Punjab and abroad, over the minority status of Sikhs that is reflected in the desire to maintain and assert a distinctive Singaporean Sikh identity. This insecurity has been further heightened by concerns over the marked generational, regional and caste divisions within the community, and the absence of ‘neutral’ figures of authority and symbols that could rally and unify the community. The proliferation of various Sikh groups and community organisations, each with their own – often conflicting – agendas, has resulted in divisive struggles for authority, legitimacy and resources within the Sikh community.
