Demographic status:
According to the Census of 2011 Sikhs constitute 1.72% of the country’s population. 78% lived in Punjab. The largest concentration of Sikhs outside Punjab also is in the States continuous to Punjab, namely Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi and of these only in Delhi are the Sikh predominately urban.
Historical Background:
Sikhism is only 400 years old. Gurunanak, the founder of Sikhism fought against the dominance of Brahmin priest and their legalistic controls. Similarly he also fought against Islamic orthodoxy. Nanak rejected both Hinduism and Islam and fused them together. The tenth and the last Sikh Guru was Govind Singh. He established Khalsa (order of the pure), ended the reign of Gurus by transferring the authority to the corporate community and to the Adigranth, entrusted the task of regulating the Sikh conduct to panch pyaras (the beloved) enjoined the Sikhs to distinguish themselves by adorning the five emblems, l.Kesh (unshorn hair and beard), 2. Kanga (comb), 3. Kachlr ( kneelength path of breaches), 4. Karah (steel bracelet) and 5. Kirpan (sword) From now on the Khalsa brotherhood popularly known as Keshdharis (beardedness) came to be identified as the orthodox Sikhs, while others, the Sahajdharis (shaver ones) came to be perceived as deviants.
Social status:
Even though Sikhism is a synthesized religion it emphasises equalitarianism. It has not been able to undo some of the less wholesome aspect of caste system. Thus social stratification resembles that of caste system. The higher caste people who embraced Sikhism are regarded as sardars. On the other hand, lower caste converts are called Mazabis. They live in separate hamlets, but the Sardars live in main villages. The Kshatriyas, the Brahmins and the artisan castes continue to have separate identities and are still endogamous i.e., they do not generally marry outside their caste. Girls from a lower Jathi may be accepted by the men of higher Jatis, but the reverse is not true. However all Sikhs irrespective of the high or low considerations pray in the Sikh temple (Gurudwara) and get food in the temple premises. The touch of lower group is not considered polluting. Kushwanth Singh the eminent writer from Sikh community has himself observed that equality within the community has never meant marriage’across traditional castes.
Economic States:
The Sikhs still follow their traditional occupations besides adopting the modem occupations Before the introduction of land ceiling several of them were Zamindars & Jagirdars. The partition of India had forced them to lose much of their fertile land to Pakistan. After the implementation of land reforms Sikh landlords began cultivating their land themselves instead of renting them to share croppers. The absentee landlords have roused Sikh farmers to settle in the Terai area of Uttar Pradesh, in the Ganganagar District of Rajasthan and in Madhya Pradesh. In all these areas they succeeded bringing banjar land under cultivation. Many of the Sikhs occupy important beaurocratic positions, besides positions in other areas, industry, entrepreneurship and service sectors.
Political Status:
Sikhs constitute only 33 % of the population in Punjab. This was the main hurdle in pressing the separate homeland for the Sikhs but the reorganisation of Indian States in 1956 on linguistic basis gave a new anchorage to the Sikh demand. They demanded a separate Punjabi State under the leadership of sant Fateh Singh who emerged as a strong contender to Master Tara Singh. But this demand had religious overtones for two reasons. First, Punjabi written in Gurumukhi came to be identified as the language of Sikh scripture. Second, Punjabi speaking Hindus started claiming Hindi as their mother tongue. The changed character of the Sikh demand, however, was apparently legitimate as language as the basis of establishing states has been widely acclaimed in India. Finally, separate Punjabi Suba was established in 1966. but and even in the new State the Sikhs constitute only 53 % and 45% of the population is Hindu.
Conclusion:
Inspite of creation of the Punjabi Suba, the Sikh problem persisted due to several reasons. First, in the Sikh perception religion and politics are inextricably intertwined and they believe the Khalsa has every night to rule over the Sikhs. This feeling is at variance with the secular ethos of Indian constitution. Second, the Sikhs suffer from a fear psychosis of social extinction and cultural assimilation by Hindus. The thrust toward assimilation by the Sikhs is widely observed. Kushwanlh Singh outlines four stages: Orthodox Sikh, Unorthodox Sikh, Sahajadhari Sikh, and Hindu. Finally, although started as a protest against Hindu caste system, tire Sikhs themselves have been entrapped into the omnipresent and ever penetrating caste system, rendering the Sikh social structure less distinct from that of the Hindu social structure.