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Sikh Diaspora Nationalism in Canada
Author(s) -
Shahed Kalam
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
studies in ethnicity and nationalism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.204
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 1754-9469
pISSN - 1473-8481
DOI - 10.1111/sena.12307
Subject(s) - diaspora , nationalism , militant , gender studies , colonialism , politics , mainstream , hinduism , ethnic group , political science , nationalist movement , sociology , religious studies , anthropology , law , philosophy
A collective memory of the pre‐colonial, colonial and post‐colonial periods in India underpins Sikh identity and mobilization for peaceful protest as well as militant activity. Developing within a dominant Hindu socio‐political milieu, Sikh nationalism of the twentieth and twenty‐first centuries can be viewed as reactive as much as it remained primordial and ethno‐religious in nature. Sikh nationalism among the diaspora Sikh community in Canada, which portrays a distinctive Sikh ethnic and national identity, as well as the accompanying call by many activists for the creation of an independent Sikh state ( Khalistan ) in India, saw a marked increase from the 1980s. Sikh diaspora nationalism in Canada has also nurtured a remarkable political and social mobilization for greater community awareness and political participation. An examination of Sikh diaspora nationalism reveals that ‘civic’ and ‘ethnic’ nationalism have become intertwined, existing in parallel. Canadian multiculturalism helped both to sustain the movement and to tame the associated militancy, opening up space for debate and accommodation. Canadian Sikhs have demonstrated remarkable economic and political success in creating a vibrant community in Canada, which is often overlooked by the mainstream media.