| Something subtle and sad is occuring in the Indian state of Punjab. Sikh's are flooding out of India in record numbers, often with the tacit approval and encouragement of the government of India. Why? well for one, they will leave India, go and work abroad. Then send their remittance back to India helping the Indian government economically and distancing themselves from the violence and disenchantment plaguing Indian punjab. Those few that remain, will be offered services in the Army & Police and put into active duty where they can worry about Nuclear war with neighbooring Pakistan rather than troubles closer to home in their home Indian province. The remaining unlucky ones, will be rounded up, tortured as usual or simply made to dissapear. ALso, The former province of Punjab has already been carved up and reduced in size from its previous shape at independence reducing it by more than 30%. Whats left of the original punjab, has experienced a massive efflux of SIkhs, particulary males to other parts of the country or abroad. To compound this problem, Punjabis also practice female infanticide whereby this region has the highest discrepency in the Male to Female ratio (@ 1000 males to 750 females) meaning that 25% have to marry out. Since the 1970's, a large influx of low caste hindu labourers have been moving in and altering the ethnic make-up of the Punjab province. Couple to this that due to the sex ratio discrepency, SIkhs are intermarrying with non-punjabi blood lines like the aforementioned hindu labourers but often from as far away as the province of Orissa is proving very disturbing. It is forecasted that by the next generation, The Sikh will no longer be able to maintain a strong link to the Punjab in view of his/her changed racial and genetic markers. With the large efflux away from their province, and equally large influx and higher growth rate of hindu labourers in punjab, the SIkhs will lose their majority stature in this province within the next 10-15 years. Currently they represent @ 60% of the provinces population, down from 81% just after independence. in a few decades they will become a minority in their former province. Cultural assimilation of the SIkhs has already started with many of their wedding customs following Hindu traditions(walking around fire) and even socially with Sikh women adopting the bhindi and wearing Sari outfits both strongly linked to Hindu culture. Whereas just a few years ago, Sikhs proudly announced their Punjabi heritage, the newer generation, rather unkowingly, confusingly and perhaps unwittingly states that he is Indian only. We are now witnessing the sad demise of the once great Sikh people, who may become an extinct people and a thoroughly indianized people in a few decades. A sad farewell |
