Khalistan could exist only in Pak, says Sikh author
ISLAMABAD: If there’s anywhere Khalistan could exist, it would be in Pakistan, as 80% of the Sikh empire existed in what is now Pakistan. While Lahore was its capital, Pakistani Punjab, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pak-occupied Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were major parts of the empire.
This little-known fact is stated in Singapore-based author Amardeep Singh’s book ‘Lost Heritage: The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan’. The book was presented on the second day of the fifth Islamabad Literature Festival.
Explaining his drive to find his roots, Amardeep said there was always a hunger within him to determine the history of the region, especially when his father used to remember what all he had to leave behind in Muzaffarabad or what his mother had to sacrifice while moving from Abbottabad.
Amardeep studied the history of Punjab, Khyber, Sindh and Kashmir, but one question remained unanswered: Political issues aside, if you had a free access to Pakistan, where would you go? “Answers that young Sikhs gave me always revolve around the two main gurdwaras in Pakistan: Nankana Sahib and Panja Sahib,” he said, adding that the entire legacy of the Sikh community in these lands was reduced to just religion.
Amardeep said over 80% of the then Sikh empire existed in modern-day Pakistan, but 70% of this heritage had now been lost.
He said Islamabad could turn these sites into tourist destination to earn revenue. “Sikhs will pay money from their pockets... open it (Sikh heritage sites) up, restore it, it’s your heritage now,” he said.