11 Notes: Sikh Sovereignties and Nagar Kirtan

Transnational Issues and Players

  • Transnational Policing and Gangs
    • e.g. assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
    • e.g. Bishnoi gang
  • Hindutva’s Media Network
    • e.g. ‘Real’ Sikhs troll network
  • Hindutva and Zionist Alliance
  • Right-wing media in Canada
  • Rise of white supremacist/far-right groups in Canada
    • e.g. Diagolon

TERRORIST AND MODEL MINORITY FIGURE IN FLUX

  • Sikh as Terrorist Figure
  • Sikh as Model Minority Figure

Westphalian sovereignty

  • 1648: Westphalian sovereignty established
  • Territorial sovereignty and the nation-state
  • Scalar: Exclusive, hierarchical
  • Borders
  • The role of the map
  • Key concept: sovereignty as control over a defined territory and population

Challenges to the Westphalian Model

  • Anarchist Theories
  • Decolonial Theories
  • Indigenous Theories

Alternatives?

  • Sikh: 16991699 (Anandpur) as alternative political imaginaries
  • Indigenous: Dish with One Spoon (shared resources principle)
  • Mexican: Zapatistas

Dish with One Spoon (Indigenous alternative)

  • Metaphor for shared responsibility and resources between peoples
  • Emphasizes collective stewardship rather than exclusive possession

Sikh Sovereignties: Relevant Concepts

  • Begampura
  • Dharam Khand
  • Halemi Raj
  • Miri-Piri
  • Guru Granth Sahib and Guru Khalsa Panth
  • Note: These terms articulate Sikh concepts of spiritual authority, social order, and governance beyond a pure territorial state

Examples of Sikh Political Practices Beyond Nation-State

1) Oxygen Seva at Delhi during COVID
2) Darbar Sahib and Gurdwaras
3) Ghadar Movement
4) Guru Nanak Jahaz
5) Naujawan Support Network
6) Jakara Movement
7) Nagar Kirtan

Sikh Usages of Khalistan

1) Khalistan as Political Slogan and Critique
2) Khalistan as a form of Opposition, Autonomy and non-State Sovereignty
3) Khalistan as Independent Nation-State

Then and Now

  • Indian Farmers Movement and Punjab
  • Hindutva and Godi Media
    • Anti-Khalistani rhetoric
    • Social media troll network
  • Transnational policing and repression
    • Assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
  • Khalistan referendum and the Sikh diaspora
  • Farmers Movement
  • Anandpur Sahib Resolution
  • Akali Dal Party
  • Tension with Indian Congress Party
  • Operation Blue Star
  • Khalistan Declaration, 1986 at Sarbat Khalsa Assembly

Khalistan Referendum and Maps

  • Page shows a map layout with labeled cities and regions, including various districts and border areas
  • Labels indicate “ENEMIES OF SIKHS” across parts of northern/central India and neighboring regions
  • Notable locations include Kartarpur, Nankana Sahib, Mritsar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Simla, Dharamshala linkage, and others
  • Map sources cited: SikhiWiki

Proposed Khalistan and Key Localities

  • Page shows a proposed Khalistan map with highlighted zones including Panja Sahib, Kartarpur, Nankana Sahib, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, and others across Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and adjacent Indian states
  • Emphasizes geographic spread and contested borders

Nagar Kirtan Lexicon

  • Nagar Kirtan terminology and related terms:
    • Prabhat pheri
    • Shabad
    • Chaunki
    • Khalsa Day parade
    • Vaisakhi Day parade
    • Darbar

Nagar Kirtan: Origins/Roots

  • Translocal and mobile court
  • Guru Nanak’s and Bhai Mardana’s travels
  • Sonic devotion and immanence
  • Political tool of resistance
  • Guru Hargobind’s imprisonment leading to martial/national consciousness

Nagar Kirtan: Art of Punjab

  • Guru Nanak's Odyssey (Artwork by Kanwar Singh)
  • Visual and performative culture surrounding Nagar Kirtan as a public religious and political practice

Political Tool of Resistance (historical notes)

  • 17th C: Guru Hargobind’s imprisonment at Fort Gwalior
    • Masands and Sikhs bowing to the wall of the fort as a form of spiritual resilience
  • Source excerpt: Dabistan-i-Mazahib (translator: Ganda Singh, 1940)

Nagar Kirtan in North America: Historical snapshots

  • 1905 Vancouver, BC: Hindoo Religious Procession in Vancouver
  • 1912 Victoria, BC: Proposed Gur Granth Sahib installation with a grand procession
    • ~5,000 Sikhs in uniform, Guru Granth Sahib on a six-wheel horse-drawn carriage
    • Teja Singh delivered lectures along the procession route (Sant Teja Singh, 2015, p.15)

Nagar Kirtan and Guru Nanak Jahaz

  • Komagata Maru Memorial at Budge Budge depicted in relation to Nagar Kirtan culture
  • Public memory of Sikh diaspora and maritime passageways

Mewa Singh Funeral (Vancouver, 1915)

  • Photo/collection: Kohaly; details of funeral procession

Interviewee Perspective on Nagar Kirtan (Kaur 2022)

  • Livdeep Singh (Kaur 2022) on Nagar Kirtan varieties:
    • There are different kinds of Nagar Kirtan, some show strength, some show solidarity
    • Bhai Mewa Singh: body carried by sangat from New Westminster to West Second Gurdwara after execution; described as a powerful marginalized response
    • Quote: “That’s a powerful moment to react. This is someone who killed a Canadian immigration officer, who was considered a traitor.”

Contemporary Nagar Kirtan Context (Vancouver 2018)

  • Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan, 2018 in Vancouver area
  • Public spaces and visibility of Nagar Kirtan in urban Canada

The Spirit of Nagar Kirtan

  • Joginder Kaur (interviewee) on the spirit and depth of Sikhism felt during Nagar Kirtan
  • Mehr Singh (interviewee) defines Nagar Kirtan as a spirit, not just a procession

Political Tensions in Nagar Kirtan Discourses

  • Canada Sikh political discourse since the 1980s:
    • The figure of the terrorist as a discursive anchor in early decades
    • From the 2010s onward: emphasis on model minority and multiculturalism redress
  • Transnational policing and repression alongside diaspora politics
  • Ongoing debates about autonomy, sovereignty, and non-state forms of political action

Week 11 Questions (Study Prompts)

  • What are some examples of Sikh political practices that characterize Sikh notions of sovereignty? Explain how.
  • What are the different usages of the term Khalistan? Explain them.
  • What are some historical roots of Sikh Nagar Kirtan? How does the Sikh practice of Nagar Kirtan express Sikh sovereignty?

Notes on References and Context

  • Key figures and events to remember:
    • Hardeep Singh Nijjar assassination as a case of transnational policing and security concerns
    • Anandpur Sahib Resolution (1960s-70s context) as part of Akali Dal’s political discourse
    • Operation Blue Star (1984) and its continuing legacy in Sikh political memory
    • Sarbat Khalsa and 1986 Khalistan declaration as symbolic milestones
  • Concepts to connect to broader theories:
    • Westphalian sovereignty vs. post-Westphalian, transnational, and diasporic political practices
    • The idea of non-state sovereignties and “sovereignty without borders” in diasporic Sikh communities
  • Ethical and practical implications:
    • Balancing spiritual practices with political mobilization
    • Tensions between inclusive multiculturalism and demands for autonomies or secession
    • The role of media narratives and online networks in shaping public perception of Sikh political identities