This revolutionary win in golf has endorsed that there are 155 million Sikhs in the world. Four young men from the forgotten Sikh tribe Sikligar’s who live in the south of India have hit the headlines.
Nadeem Inamdar describes them as a ‘Members of the backward Sikligar community, these four youngsters have chosen golf to rise above their lot, first as caddies and now as amateur golfers’
“For years I have campaigned that there are 155 million Sikhs in the world, we are being totally unfair to these Sikhs, and they are very passionate about their Sikh identity and faith” said Jaspal Singh Bains, chairman of Eastern Media Group.
“This will be our campaign for 2011 to raise awareness of our population, to ensure all communities including leading Sikh organisations give accreditation to the fact that there are not 20 plus million but indeed 155 million Sikhs in the world” Mr Bains went on to say.
Nadeem describes them as ‘criminal tribe’ but instead they are worriers Sikhs who roamed the country, but always adhered to their faith.
Sikligar Sikhs crafted the weapons used by The Gurus; they fought in battles along side The Guru’s. But sadly they are now poverty stricken and forgotten.
At one time British Sikh Council attempted to raise the much needed funds for these Sikh brothers, but without the success they had hoped for,
Nadeem Inamdar, of whom an organisation called Young Sikh Leaders is very proud of the fact that a Muslim could write an article and raise the Sikh profile.
Nadeem Inamdar wrote:
It’s one thing to be branded as members of a ‘criminal’ tribe, and totally another to rise above the stigma and play amateur golf successfully. In the new year, four youth from the Yerwada-based Sikligar community will strive to take their golf game to a higher level, and hope that will make relevant authorities sit up, take notice and grant their community Nomadic Tribe status, a long-standing demand of the Sikligars.
Sikandar Singh Tak (26), Sonu Singh Bhada (19), Mayur Singh Bhond (19) and Mewa Singh Bhada (18) are now part of the city’s amateur golfing community. But the journey to ruling the fairway wasn’t made in a day. Hailing from a backward community, the boys started as caddies first — part of the 40 members of the Sikligar community who have been working as caddies at the Poona Club Golf Course since five years now.
It was the then Pune police commissioner, K K Kashyap, who, along with social worker and golfer Ikram Khan, eased their induction into the game.
All four have pinned their hopes on 2011 as a year which would bring about a drastic transformation in their lives and help them become a part of mainstream society. What’s more, they are confident that they will gain entry into the elite club of professional golfers and help uplift their community through positive change and integrate with mainstream society.
Though working as caddies is a tough job, they have managed to make time to hone their golfing skills for the amateur golf circuit by practicing on Mondays and Wednesdays every week. Tak says his friends and he are in need of sponsorship to purchase individual golf kits.
“Presently, we get around Rs 4,000-5,000 per month, which is inadequate for purchasing kits as they are costly. Personal kits will help us improve our golfing skills and help in achieving the professional competency of a seasoned golfer,” Tak said. He added that the new year brings more respectability for his community through his golfing skills and he is determined to enter the professional circuit.
Bhond, a regular participant in the local amateur championship in 2010, said, “I am ranked first and also want to earn enough money to sustain my family. I am confident that the new year will fulfill my hope and aspirations of climbing the social ladder. I aim to enter the professional circuit in 2011, which is my ultimate aim. We want to grow, bring fame to our community,” he said.
Bhond said that though the community carries the stigma of being a ‘criminal’ tribe, he and his friends are taking extra efforts to ensure that the economic benefits reach the poorest of their community.
“I have been playing amateur golf for the past year and this is already making a difference to my community. We hope that the new year will bring a change in the mindset of people and the government will grant us Nomadic Tribe status, which we have been demanding since long,” he said.
Mewa is the sole breadwinner in his family. His father lost an eye in an accident, while his mother passed away years ago. His sister is a widow. He has been given a golf kit by the club for six months, and will have to be returned to the club in March.
Bhada (19) too is the only breadwinner for his nine member family. He said he aims to make it big in the professional circuit in 2011. “I have been working hard for the past one year and will practice harder in 2011 to ensure I become a professional golfer. Besides, I want the tag of Sikligars being labeled as criminal tribes to be erased. The new year should bring a transformation in our lives in terms of better facilities for health, nutrition and employment,” he said.
Mayur who claimed to have stood second in the juniors’ championship, has a glitter of hope in his eyes. “We don’t have our own golf kits but are still determined to become professional golfers through dedicated practice sessions. We are also grateful to the club for providing us with the opportunity and Khan sir for getting us jobs as caddies,” he said.
Source: Sikh Times UK