Documents Over a Century on the Sikhs and the Panjab in a New Book

Journalist turned author Jagtar Singh released his book Sikh Struggle Documents: 1920-2022 on 17 May. Part 1 of the book is divided into chapters on Panjab and Sikh history. Part 2 of the book presents original documents from the last century which have not yet come out in the public domain. Reviewer Roopinder Singh says, as one reads the original texts, one is informed about the dexterity to respond to changing circumstances and vacillating stands of political leaders. These stands clash with the ideological clarity to which they claim allegiance. The demands of the Sikh leaders were reasonably similar to those of other minorities; assurances were given, and they were not fulfilled. Jagtar opens his documentation with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee's 1921 call to boycott the Prince of Wales who was visiting India and goes on to give 181 entries. Through this compendium, we see how political leaders navigated changing situations, especially the place of Panjab and Sikhs in India, both before and after Independence. We see efforts to articulate the position of the Sikhs on linguistic, religious, and political issues. Many documents are eloquent statements of cause, which was largely buried in attention-seeking reporting of the time and thereafter. A case in point is Sant Harchand Singh Longowal’s 1985 letter to Members of Parliament. The author has done well by including manuscripts of various shades of thought, and political and ideological persuasion. The book should be handy for those who seek to understand this region, its people and politics. The English translation of Panjabi and Hindi original texts empowers future writers and scholars, although a list of documents would have been handy. Some positions are challenged and some surprises spring up as we explore the collection, allowing us to examine layers of interconnected events and avoid monochromatic interpretations based on knee-jerk reactions. By doing so, the author helps us understand the Sikh struggles, political and religious.