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Book Reviews - Sikhs In Asia Pacific P - 1234567891011
 
 

Chapter 5 deals with Sikhs in Indonesia. They started migrating to Indonesia in end of 19th or beginning of 20th century. They mostly worked as farmers and in the dairy business. They opened a Khalsa High School in 1920s in Medan (Sumatra). Sikhism is not a recognized religion in Indonesia and hence the Sikhs have to register under Hinduism or any other recognized religion. Sikh population in Indonesia is estimated at around 7,000 spread out in various provinces. Many Sikhs have moved from Medan area to Jakarta for better opportunities. The Sikhs are engaged in Sports goods and furniture business and established a foothold in shipping by starting the Gill Shipping Company.

Chapter 6 forms the subject matter of Sikhs in Fiji. While other Indians migrated as indentured labour, the Sikhs migrated to Fiji as free passage immigrants. In 1874, Fiji came under the British Crown and over the next 40 years, more than 60,000 indentured labourers from India were brought to work on sugarcane plantations. Majority of Sikhs arrived in Fiji between 1920-30 from Nawanshahar, Garshankar, Phagwara and Phillaur tehsils of Jallandhar district. The Sikhs have built 5 Gurdwaras in Suva, Lautoka, Labasa, Tagitagi and Nasinu. The Sikh Educational Society of Fiji formed in 1960 established 5 Sikh Schools: 3 Primary, one Khalsa Secondary School at Labasa, and a Khalsa College at Ba. In recent years, due to political crisis in Fiji following two coups, there is a large-scale exodus of Sikhs to Australia and North America.

Chapter 7 "Sikhs in Philippines: The '5-6 Bumbay' Moneylenders" is an interesting account of Sikh moneylenders who are known by their pet name as '5-6 Bumbay'. The first Sikh migrant in 1902 who settled in Manila just accidentally while on way to USA was from the village Sangatpur, near Jallandhar. During 1930s, the Sikh population was just 250 but it started rising slowly and steadily reaching 23,300 in 2000. The Sikh moneylenders are able to accumulate substantial amount of money to establish their own retail stores in Manila. Some others are employed in MNCs, established restaurants and Indian specialty stores but their most lucrative business is moneylending.

 
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