Sikh Research Articles

A HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF EMERGENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF SIKH ART IN PUNJAB

Punjab is one of the paramount states in the history of India from its artistic, literary, and historical significance of view, in which Indian culture and sophistication first came to the forefront. Punjab has always been the motherland of sages, incarnations, Gurus, martyrs, and freedom fighters. The contribution of these Sikh Divine master’s to the society cannot be summed up in a few words. However, many writers endowed the principles about the life of these Gurus in their terms as they penned their spiritual, social, and religious perspectives. Hence, art was not deprived of this touch either; many artistic movements made the Sikh religion the subject of their work. Sikh art has been, at its zenith, among the vast arts prospering in the land of Punjab, which brought the unique religious, social, and historical facets of Sikhism with tremendous sincerity and vividness in the exquisite touch of colours. In this paper, an attempt has been made for sharing some of the essential aspects of Sikh art from its birth to its development, which led to some significant sources of Sikh art in the form of Sikh murals, illustrated manuscripts, and portraits of Sikh Gurus, and so on.

Sikhs of Burma

ABSTRACT The essay 1 critically engages with more than a century-long Sikh settlement in Burma. The Sikh community immigrated to Burma following the completion of the British annexation of the country (1886). The history of Sikhs witnessed a few major twists and turns as well as a few uprooting and displacement. This history prompts a rise of doubt among a section of experts in Burma Studies about whether the community would likely be submerged within the wider ethnocultural framework of the dominant Burmese nation. Such assertions of experts need scrutiny and the essay questions their claim based on a rereading available source.

A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY TO EVALUATE HIGH LEVELS OF SERUM URIC ACID IN DIFFERENT INDIAN COMMUNITIES

Higher uric acid levels or hyperuricemia is a product of more uric acid production, dysfunctional renal excretion, or a combination of both leading to deposition of urate crystals in the joints and kidneys and has been strongly linked with the development of gout, that is, acute inflammatory arthritis. Uric acid levels have been suggested to depend on multiple factors including lifestyle, diet, alcohol consumption, etc. As these are risk parameters for hyperuricemia and since lifestyle choices vary amongst different Indian communities, we sought to study the prevalence of hyperuricemia in these communities. Also, large-scale data (in terms of gender, age, lifestyle, community) on the prevalence of hyperuricemia in subjects amongst different community populations, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and Christian was generated.In a retrospective study conducted at Dr. D. Y. Patil School of Medicine & Research Centre, Navi Mumbai from April 2018 to May 2021, information was gathered from four major communities on a range of indicators including serum uric acid levels followed by a thorough multilevel logistic analysis. We evaluated uric acid levels in 10,378 patients of four different communities. Outcomes were assessed biochemically as well as clinically based on the levels of serum uric acid.The mean serum uric acid levels were highest in Sikhs (7.6 mg%, n=732) followed by Christians (7.3 mg%, n=892) and then by Hindus (5.9 mg%, n=6846) and Muslims (5.6 mg%, n=1908). About 83.7% of Christians consumed meat in a non-vegetarian diet followed by 45.7% Muslims. Percentage of Christians who binge drink were highest whereas percentage of Sikh people in the heavy drinkers’ category were 5.2%. Further, 9.5% Hindus were current smokers followed by 7.8% Sikhs who smoked at present.Overall, our study of 10,378 patients demonstrated that the serum uric acid levels varied from one Indian community to another due to varying external factors like diet, age, lifestyle, and addictions. Thus, lifestyle modification in communities with higher serum uric acid levels is highly advocated and this may reduce the healthcare burden of gouty arthritis in these communities.

Turbaned Northern Thai-ness: selective transnationalism, situational ethnicity and local cultural intimacy among Chiang Mai Punjabis

ABSTRACT Chiang Mai is home to approximately 400 diasporic Punjabis, some of whom are sixth-generation residents of Thailand. While their transnational orientation, distinct sartorial choices and cultural practices might present them as outsiders to essential Thainess, Northern Thai Punjabis transgress the national image of Thainess and subjectively consider themselves to be Northern (Lanna) Thais. At the same time, these Thai citizens avail themselves of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status for privileged access to economic, cultural and educational resources in India. Based on 51 in-depth interviews and 17 focus group studies among resident Hindu, Sikh and Namdhari Sikh communities in Northern Thailand, this research explores family histories, selective transnationalism, and regional Lanna identities among these overseas Punjabis. As this article will argue, while Punjabi Thais maintain their networks and cultural connections with an historic ancestral homeland, they also cultivate forms of local cultural intimacy in ways which leapfrog the linguistic and cultural hegemony of Thai national identity.

Sikh schools and academies in England

ABSTRACT A diverse range of Sikh organizations have shaped the direction of Anglo-Sikh education, including the Guru Nanak Sikh Multi Academy Trust (GNSMAT), Nishkam Schools Trust (NST), Khalsa Academies Trust (KAT) and Sevak Schools Trust (SST). The new Sikh Free Schools have also been heavily influenced by the discourse of British Multiculturalism, which is discernible in their aims, approach to education, Sikh values and attainment. This article will bring to light the political and social conditions which made Sikh Faith Schools a reality in England and their impact on the educational landscape of Britain today.

АДИ-ДХАРМ: "ИЗНАЧАЛЬНАЯ ВЕРА" ЗАРЕГИСТРИРОВАННЫХ КАСТ ПАНДЖАБА

In the 1920s, the British province of Punjab saw the birth of a protest movement named Adi Dhar(a)m (Original Religion). It embraced low-caste members of the Sikh community who were eager to establish their own religious identity. Among the Adi Dharm founders was Mangoo Ram Mugowalia (1886–1980), who united the Chamars – one of the largest untouchable castes of Punjab. In 1931, Adi Dharm was listed in the colonial Census as a separate religion boasting almost half a million followers. In the subsequent censuses, Adi Dharm was listed as a caste. By the mid-1940s, the protest movement declined, but in the 1970s it revived owing to a great extent to the support of the Punjabi diaspora. A new phase of its history stemmed from the growth of social and political activities of Dalits (‘the downtrodden’) in India and particularly in Punjab where the Scheduled Castes account for over 30 percent of the population. Contemporary phase of the Adi Dharm history is mostly related to the activities of the All-India Adi Dharam Mission whose main temple is located in the village of Kharali, district Hoshiarpur, Punjab

Brave Children’s Day: The Sikh Version in the General Indian Context

The article examines the reaction and discussion in the Sikh environment to the decision of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce a new all-Indian Holiday Veer Baal Diwas (“Brave Children’s Day”), which will be celebrated every December 26 starting from 2022 in memory of the martyrdom of the Sons of the Tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. The article analyzes the historical context of the plot related to the refusal of the younger Sons of Guru – Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh to save their lives by adopting Islam and renouncing Sikhism, loyalty to Guru and Dharma. The initiative of the Prime Minister, with its general positive perception, divided the Sikhs into supporters of the unconditional acceptance of the concept of a new Holiday and those who supported the critical approach of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee and the Sikh political party Akali Dal, who considered the name of the Holiday unacceptable and at odds with the Sikh religious tradition. If there is no correction of the name of the Veer Baal Diwas Holiday, then it is appropriate to predict an explosion of discontent and criticism from the relevant political and religious forces and the part of the Sikh community that has joined them.

(Re)Narrating Nation in Baldwin’s What The Body Remembers, A Sikh Woman’s Perspective on the Partition of Sub Continent

This paper celebrates Shauna Singh Baldwin, a Sikh woman’s contribution to strengthening her national discourse through her novel, What the Body Remembers. This research also aims to examine the factors involved in creating a nation and nation-state, using the Partition of the Subcontinent and the creation of Pakistan and India as an example. The theories of nation and nationalism by Renan (1883), Gellner (1983), Anderson (1991), Stalin (1994), and Bhabha (1994) have been used to construct the theoretical framework for the current study. Through this novel, written by a woman and based on the Partition of India, the researcher highlights the “female voice.” This paper concludes that Baldwin has reinvented Sikh history and customs in her novel and connected her people with their glorious past and the sacrifices of their ancestors. She has highlighted the Sikh community’s contribution and disappointment during the Partition of the sub-continent. This research also highlights how Baldwin criticizes British policies, which became the main reason for huge bloodshed during migration. This paper may help the future researcher to focus on the reinterpretation of social, historical, and religious myths from the female point of view.

THE MINORITIES RIGHTS PROTECTION: A CASE STUDY OF SIKH MINORITY OF PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Pakistan is signatory of the various human rights treaties proposed by United Nations and other international and regional organizations. These human rights treaties focus on human rights protection in democratic society where every individual have their rights. These treaties also give the framework for rights of all types of the minorities living in state. Minorities’ rights protection means that people from different ethnicities, nationalities and religion enjoy fundamental rights like freedom, nondiscrimination, political and civil rights. But sometimes in states like Pakistan, social norms, slow process of decision making and policy execution interrupt minorities to enjoy their basic rights. The study aimed to elucidate minorities’ rights protection in Punjab, specially focused on Sikh minority in Punjab. Sikhs are facing lot of issues like other minorities are facing. Primary data has been collected from Sikh community residing in Punjab. 120 Sikhs have been selected for survey and among 120, (112 males & 08 female) through questionnaire. There is a dire need to focus upon the minorities so that they can live freely in Pakistan according to their own faith.

Sarab Rog Ka Aukhad Naam

“Sarab rog ka aukhad naam” (“The recitation of God’s name cures all diseases”) is a quotation from the Guru Granth Sahib —the Sikh Holy Book— highlighting Sikhism’s perspective on illness, referring to the Guru Granth Sahib as the primary source of guidance regarding issues of health. However, in the decades since this quotation was first written, the burden of chronic illness in the Sikh community has become more severe. Notably, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become increasingly prevalent within the Sikh and broader South Asian (SA) populations. Several studies have outlined how the SA community has the highest prevalence of CVD in Canada, along with a higher CVD mortality rate compared to other ethnic groups.
 Although some biological factors may explain the SA community’s increased risk for CVD, there is no denying the social and psychological factors at play. It has been established that sedentary behaviour, depression, and psychological stress increase CVD risk. As such, the fact that SA individuals in Canada are more likely to be sedentary and diagnosed with depression than their non-SA counterparts only intensifies their likelihood of developing CVD. Moreover, much of the SA population in the West exists as visible racial and religious minorities, subjecting them to additional social and psychological harms, including stress stemming from migration and discrimination, all of which contribute to CVD. SA individuals in Canada are also more likely to experience lower quality-of-life one year post-surgical interventions for CVD-related events, as well as increased recurrent CVD events. That is, not only are SAs more likely to develop CVD, but their disease prognosis appears to be worse than non-SAs. As such, improving CVD management procedures for the SA population would prove valuable, given the significant prevalence of the disease in this community.
 More specifically, areas with a prominent SA population, like the Peel Region of Ontario, should consider providing CVD interventions specific to SAs, such as culturally sensitive rehabilitation programs. As SA is a broad term encompassing many distinct ethnic and cultural backgrounds, this paper recommends focusing on interventions tailored to a specific population within the SA community, to avoid cultural generalizations.
 For the purposes of this paper, the focus population is the Sikh community, defined specifically as individuals with an ethnic background from the Punjab region in India who practice Sikhism. The Sikh community as a target population is optimal as it falls under the broader SA community and it is one of the largest religious minorities in the Peel Region; thus, this plan would ensure that a sizeable community in the Peel Region receives access to treatment that acknowledges their religious and cultural diversity.10 Peel Regional Health should design a rehabilitation plan specific to the Sikh community for patients diagnosed with CVD, or recovering from a CVD-related incident. However, it is critical to note that there are certain challenges associated with implementing such a program, specifically relating to funding issues and the program’s perceived practicality.

Sarab Rog Ka Aukhad Naam: Outlining A Sikh-Specific Cardiac Rehabilitation Program in Peel Region

“Sarab rog ka aukhad naam” (“The recitation of God’s name cures all diseases”) is a quotation from the Guru Granth Sahib —the Sikh Holy Book— highlighting Sikhism’s perspective on illness, referring to the Guru Granth Sahib as the primary source of guidance regarding issues of health. However, in the decades since this quotation was first written, the burden of chronic illness in the Sikh community has become more severe. Notably, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has become increasingly prevalent within the Sikh and broader South Asian (SA) populations. Several studies have outlined how the SA community has the highest prevalence of CVD in Canada, along with a higher CVD mortality rate compared to other ethnic groups. Although some biological factors may explain the SA community’s increased risk for CVD, there is no denying the social and psychological factors at play. It has been established that sedentary behaviour, depression, and psychological stress increase CVD risk. As such, the fact that SA individuals in Canada are more likely to be sedentary and diagnosed with depression than their non-SA counterparts only intensifies their likelihood of developing CVD. Moreover, much of the SA population in the West exists as visible racial and religious minorities, subjecting them to additional social and psychological harms, including stress stemming from migration and discrimination, all of which contribute to CVD. SA individuals in Canada are also more likely to experience lower quality-of-life one year post-surgical interventions for CVD-related events, as well as increased recurrent CVD events. That is, not only are SAs more likely to develop CVD, but their disease prognosis appears to be worse than non-SAs. As such, improving CVD management procedures for the SA population would prove valuable, given the significant prevalence of the disease in this community. More specifically, areas with a prominent SA population, like the Peel Region of Ontario, should consider providing CVD interventions specific to SAs, such as culturally sensitive rehabilitation programs. As SA is a broad term encompassing many distinct ethnic and cultural backgrounds, this paper recommends focusing on interventions tailored to a specific population within the SA community, to avoid cultural generalizations. For the purposes of this paper, the focus population is the Sikh community, defined specifically as individuals with an ethnic background from the Punjab region in India who practice Sikhism. The Sikh community as a target population is optimal as it falls under the broader SA community and it is one of the largest religious minorities in the Peel Region; thus, this plan would ensure that a sizeable community in the Peel Region receives access to treatment that acknowledges their religious and cultural diversity.10 Peel Regional Health should design a rehabilitation plan specific to the Sikh community for patients diagnosed with CVD, or recovering from a CVD-related incident. However, it is critical to note that there are certain challenges associated with implementing such a program, specifically relating to funding issues and the program’s perceived practicality.

Sikhs: A Stateless Nation, a Powerful Cohesive Diaspora and a Mistaken Identity

Sikhs can be considered as a ‘stateless nation’ (Guibernau, 1999), but they constitute a cohesive diaspora with considerable weight, despite being greatly dispersed across the world, and increasingly so due to the possibilities afforded to them by globalisation. On the other hand, the Nation-State has been brought into question by that very same globalisation, regardless of the long process of consolidation in which symbols, rituals, and culture as well as language have placed emphasis upon the uniqueness of a Nation’s character (Scholte, 2005). Globalisation has provided empowerments, but also the strong case for the need to stand out, and individuation of groups, whether they be national or sub-national. The organisation of that stateless nation as a cohesive diaspora can be explained by the historical context of how Sikhs have been perceived in India, but also how Sikh communities have constructed themselves through migration. In the new ‘home’, wherever that might have been, they have built their communities around calendrical rights, festivals and gurdwaras, firstly converting residential homes into make-shift places of worship, and then extending them into fully-established temples. Similar or even identical patterns are followed, regardless of the host country. With this in mind, it is proposed here to compare the case of Sikhs in France and the United Kingdom. Sikhs in France are less numerous than Sikhs in the UK. The ties that link Sikhs to the latter are stronger through imperial history, and the reasons why Sikhs came to both countries are very different. However, despite these differences, there has been a desire for Sikhs in both Nations to obtain recognition, deemed to be a vital human need, rather than just a curtesy (Taylor, 1994). One common element that stands out in Sikhs’ demands for recognition in both the UK and in France is their role in furthering imperial military success in both the British Raj and also in World Wars I and II. However, this remains largely unknown, or unrecognised in both France and the UK. While Sikhs are relatively well placed1 and less stigmatised that some other minority groups in both British and French societies, there is a common perception among them that they are a ‘mistaken identity’, at a time that demands individuation of groups, and the ability to stand out, and be recognised. It is proposed here to use material drawn from a number of interviews carried out with both Sikhs in the UK and those in France, to attempt to establish to what extent they are a visible, and yet invisible, community. The complexity of ‘visible invisibility’ means that they are recognised immediately as being different, but at the same time, they are unknown. In the UK, even if they benefit from a better perception by the rest of society because of their particular place in colonial history, they are still frequently confused with other groups, do experience crises of identity, and receive their share of violence and hate crime. In France, they are less known, due to lesser colonial ties, and to their more-recent presence on the territory.

Sikh insurgency in pre-British India: origin, context and legacies

ABSTRACT Sikh dominance in the Indian military started under the British in the late nineteenth century. The Sikh insurgency which rocked Punjab in the 1980s remains independent India’s most serious internal rebellion. In fact, the warrior ethos and military martyrdom in the Sikh community could be traced back to the precolonial era. This essay traces the history of the evolution of Khalsa’s military culture. I argue that the Sikhs were already a ‘martial race’ like the Marathas, Rajputs and the Gurkhas before the British imperial conquest. By making a case study of Sikh insurgency against the Mughal Empire, this essay shows that insurgency serves as a major educational and military mobilising tool in the creation of martial cultures/races.

Review: Premka: White Bird in a Golden Cage. My Life with Yogi Bhajan, by Pamela Saharah Dyson; The Inner Circle—Book One: My Seventeen Years in the Cult of the American Sikhs, by Peter Macdonald Blachly

Review: <i>Premka: White Bird in a Golden Cage. My Life with Yogi Bhajan</i>, by Pamela Saharah Dyson; <i>The Inner Circle—Book One: My Seventeen Years in the Cult of the American Sikhs</i>, by Peter Macdonald Blachly

Faith Leaders' Views on Collaboration with Mental Health Professionals.

When faced with experiences of mental struggle, Americans often turn to faith leaders as their first recourse. Although studies have explored religious leaders' mental health literacy, few studies have investigated how religious leaders believe faith communities and mental health professionals should collaborate. The data gathered for this research is from in-depth and focus group interviews with faith leaders from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Sikh communities in South Texas and the Mid-Atlantic region between 2017-2019 (n=67). This research analyzed faith leaders' response to the question "How can mental health professionals and faith communities better work together" by utilizing the flexible coding approach (Deterding and Waters 2018). Four distinct themes emerged from the faith leaders' responses: education, relationship building, external factors, and dismissal. By learning about how faith leaders believe they can better work together with mental health professionals we can help bridge the gap between religion and mental health further by fostering a much-needed dialogue between these two groups.

Self-concept of Sikh people in maintaining Sikhism identity in multi-religious community

Attitude intolerance to followers of different religions is always based on prejudice or negative stereotypes motivated by the belief to practice and symbolize his faith. Target can relate to individual or group adherents of a different religion, except those faced by Sikhs. Study this aim to describe draft self Sikhs in maintaining identity Sikhism in a multi-religious society in the very city of Jakarta heterogeneous, especially face attitude intolerance. This study uses qualitative method with data collection using interviews, observations, and studies related to the literature on the Sikh people. These studies found out that the Sikhs as minority in the city of Jakarta get treatment and actions intolerant in various forms like verbal ridicule, prejudice, and treatment not pleasant enough to practice and symbolize his religion. This study concludes that Sikh people continue to try to be open by viewing religious identity as a non-burdening obligation, attempting to adapt to their environment, and understanding that in order to be accepted in their environment, they must be able to open themselves as a minority, particularly regarding their religious identity, and strive for public understanding of Sikhism.

Triumph of Humanity over Communal Violence and the Aesthetics of Trauma in Manto's "Mozel"

This article explores the aesthetics of trauma based upon virtue over vice in Saadat Hasan Manto’s story “Mozel”. As one of the renowned writers of partition literature, he has penetrated the limitations of trauma politics that fosters on demonizing the perpetrators to justify the innocence of the victims. Through Mozel’s character - herself a victim of communal violence of the Partition - the writer has portrayed a humanitarian worldview on trauma, its victims and perpetrators; and a constructive, positive and reconciliatory approach to its settlement. A free-spirited Jewish woman, Mozel enacts nobility beyond all communal prejudices and religiosity that her friends Tirlochen and Kirpal Kaur represent. She starkly criticizes Tirlochen’s communal rigidity as a Sikh despite her love for him. Sketched as a disillusioned woman from the sectarianism and identity politics of religious wars, she saves two lives of trauma victims although they belong to Sikh community, a different faith from her own. To argue against trauma politics for the advocacy of universal moral ground as the aesthetic of trauma, the cultural and revisionist theories of trauma mainly of Alexander C. Jeffrey and Gilles Deleuz have been brought into reference respectively. Mozel’s character is discussed as a retrieved human(e) hero for her sacrificial deed of salvaging two victims of religious riots from feminist perspective.

Role of ‘Guru Ka Langar’ in Pandemic Management During COVID-19: Guided by Religious Belief

COVID-19 has impacted people worldwide irrespective of their economic and social status, but the most affected have been the poor and vulnerable. The migrant labourers deserted by their employers during the pandemic is one such example. The widespread challenge was to ensure the supply of food and other essential stuff. This study highlights the food-management skills in the form of gratis community kitchens (langars) that provided free food and other related stuff to millions during the pandemic. Purely guided by its religious beliefs, the Sikh community came forward to rescue the people in its neighbourhood. This paper is based on descriptive methodology. It uses content analysis as its primary tool, along with a literature review. News reports and articles published in the print media have been used to analyse the social and economic value attached to the Sewa (selfless service) and langar (free food) benefits. Analysis indicates that Langar run by the Sikh community as gratis guided by their religious beliefs ensured free food supply to the millions across the world. These free kitchens turned into professionally managed ‘Free Food Management Centres’ and ensured food supply to the people impacted by pandemic. Academic research has concentrated mainly on the role of NGOs and the government in relief measures during COVID-19. This study is an attempt to highlight the role of religious communities in managing Covid inflicted challenges. The discussion in this paper is limited to the part of the Sikh community in ensuring a free food supply during COVID-19.

237.4: Diversity in Organ Donation in Scotland - Improving Awareness in Black and Ethnic Minority Groups

There is a continued imbalance between the need for organ transplants in Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME)communities in Scotland and the availability of suitable organs with the right blood and tissue type resulting in healthcare inequalities. Currently over 31% of transplant waiting lists in the UK are represented by BAME patients, only 7% of deceased donation are from BAME patients, 75% of opt outs are BAME patients with 70% of BAME families refusing to consent to donation of their deceased relatives. Kidney Research UK along with the Scottish Government and NHS Blood and Transplant have championed the cause of equality of access to information for all faith and cultural groups and their communities to have an understanding of what organ donation means to them. With the change of legislation in Scotland (March 2021) it was even more imperative that people from all backgrounds were made aware that their faith and beliefs can be recorded on the organ donor register. Despite the pandemic, innovative solutions were found on how best to ensure information could be shared not only with local communities but include education for health care staff. The project used the digital platform to host a total of 13 webinars separately with the Muslim, Hindu and Sikh communities and one with Interfaith Scotland. Webinars have been held with medical students and the British Medical Association and Café Scientifique. Participation in webinars for nursing staff, staff working in NHSBT and doctors in training have also helped to inform healthcare workers about faith and cultural needs of diverse communities. Engagement with local media such as community radio (Awaz FM and Radio Ramadan) and digital magazines such as Asian Voice have aided the dissemination of information. These initiatives have resulted in positive outcomes with quantity and tone of media coverage, number of events and followers. people at local cultural events, schools and religious places. We have revised Faith leaflets for the Muslim, Hindu and Sikh faiths with contributions from not just faith leaders but members of the community to ensure accuracy, comprehensibility and accessibility. We are continuing to engage with MSPs from ethnic backgrounds via online meetings to encourage conversations about donation not just amongst their constituents but also in Parliament.While it is difficult to actually quantify the tangible impact on organ donor registrations, continued engagement since 2015 in Scotland with commitment from NHSBT (hosting Scotland s very first Faith seminar in June 2015) has resulted in an increase in BAME opt ins from 5.8% to 7.8% in 2019-2020 In summary we have harnessed the reach, impact and value of digital and social media platforms to continue this vital piece of work during a pandemic.

Trans*versality, a hijra politics of knowledge, and Partition postmemory in Khushwant Singh’s Delhi: A Novel

In contrast with Train to Pakistan (1956), Khushwant Singh’s Delhi: A Novel (1990) has not received critical attention in light of India and Pakistan’s Partition. The diegetic narrator, a middle-aged Sikh writer, and his long-term intersex lover, the hijra Bhagmati, constitute the text’s main focalizers in contemporary Delhi. Bhagmati is constructed as a metonym for Delhi, a bold trans*versal choice on Singh’s part given her marginal social position as a religiously syncretic hijra. In Singh’s novel, the Sikh narrator and his hijra lover become the witnesses of India’s modern history, with the narrative building up to the watershed moment that is the Partition. This article proposes that Bhagmati offers an inclusive vision of post-Partition Delhi that is mordantly steeped in a “hijra politics of knowledge” (Lal, 1999). While the novel seemingly suppresses the trauma of the Partition throughout most of the narrative, this article argues that its compressed depiction in one single short chapter, and its later revisitation on the Sikh community after the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984, demonstrates the traumatic and cyclical nature of Partition violence and the novel’s belated position as a form of Partition postmemory. It is also proposed that the choice of the Sikh narrator and Bhagmati as the focalizers for contemporary Delhi acts as a dissident antidote to the predominant binary focus on Hindus and Muslims, offering a trans*versal version of recent Indian history challenging majoritarian and minor-majoritarian identity politics.