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Sikhism - An Introduction: Sikh communities

by Owen Cole

Sikhs are to be found in almost every country of the world. From the earliest times they have been migrants within the vast subcontinent of India despite linguistic, cultural and religious difficulties. (It must be remembered that India’s many languages are not different dialects of one tongue but are as varied as English and Welsh or Russian and often possess completely dissimilar scripts.) Nevertheless, wherever they have gone, Sikhs have taken their scripture, written in the gurmukhi script, and their language of Punjabi with them, enabling Sikhs worldwide to maintain a sense of unity and identity. This does not mean that there are no tensions or disagreements. What place should the language of the country of settlement have in worship? Should Sikhs sit on the ground for langar or use tables and chairs? Should the dead be buried or cremated? Should the turban be retained in countries that require the use of crash helmets on motorbikes or hard hats on building sites? These are a few of the ongoing issues that exercise the minds of members of diaspora communities.

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