Sikh Nationalism and Identity in a Global Age

Rethinking Sikh Nationalism in a Global Ageaccounts for the construction of a Sikh national identity in post-colonial India and the diaspora. It also examines the reasons for the failure of the movement for an independent Sikh state:Khalistan. The author argues that Sikh nationalism, as articulated by the various factions of the Sikh political party, relies upon the "interpellation" of Sikh communities as members of a Sikh nation with the Punjab as their homeland or place of origin, rather than as followers of a world religion or as Punjabis or Indians. The use of ethno-religious symbols to articulate the demand for the Punjabi Suba and its subsequent "communalisation" of Punjab politics by the Indian government under Indira Gandhi created space for a nationalist challenge to both the Sikh "political system" and the Indian state by armed militants.As the nationalist narrative is particularly strong in the diaspora, this book analyses the extent to which Sikh diasporic nationalism can be seen as a "politics of recognition", with its roots in the rift between location and identity within states in advanced capitalist societies which have hitherto failed, or been unwilling, to integrate ethnic and religious minorities into the national mainstream. It is argued that the failure of the nationalist movement to bring aboutKhalistanshould not be interpreted as resulting from the weakness of the communal ties which connects members of the Sikhqaum, but points to the transformation of both Indian and Sikh national identity under conditions of globalisation. Consequently globalisation is perceived to have severed the link between nation and state and, through the proliferation and development of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), has facilitated the articulation of a post-national diasporic Sikh identity which, potentially, challenges the conventional narratives of international relations.This book contributes to contemporary debates on South Asian studies in three main areas: theories of ethnicity and nationalism; the relationship between religion and politics in South Asia; and the impact of globalisation on identity formation in South Asia and the diaspora.Shani, Giorgio is the author of 'Sikh Nationalism and Identity in a Global Age', published 2008 under ISBN 9780415421904 and ISBN 041542190X.