Bhupinder Singh Holland

Amsterdam

A tourist visiting the exotic city of Amsterdam might come across Sikhs who, besides practicing other professions, own most of the over fifty restaurants that serve Indian cuisine. Where the former Head Granthi of Sri Kesgarh Sahib, S Daljit Singh paid a visit to our home, immediately after exchange of pleasantries he inquired about the presence of Sikhs in Holland. It was at that time that I decided to write this article. Moreover, when you spend 22 years of your life in a city, some love and emotion is bound to develop.

Undoubtedly, these sentiments are of a different nature than those associated with Amritsar where besides spending my childhood, getting an education and participating in sports, I had enjoyed the warmth that is so characteristic of that ‘city of the Guru'. There is still no substitute for the visits to the Golden Temple and the other gurdwaras and the six years spent at Khalsa College.

In 1975 both Amsterdam and Amritsar celebrated their seventh centenary and quatercentenary respectively, but indescribably in different ways. To celebrate the centenary of Amsterdam, old ships belonging to several countries were sent to the seaport for the people to see. The Mayor received messages and letters of congratulations from several governments and organizations around the world, including the UNO, now preserved as a book in the library.

On the other hand in which library would you see preserved all messages and letters of congratulations sent by the Indian President, Prime Minister, Ministers, Governors and other political leaders etc on the eve of the quatercentenary celebrations of Amritsar and published by the SGPC wherein they had at first paid glowing tributes to the Golden Temple, the Akal Takht, the Sikh Gurus, Sikhs and the citizens of that city and then after a few years destroyed that very place by sending the army that resulted in the death of a large number of innocent devotees.

In the 720 years' history of Amsterdam, 80 years of slavery under Spain (85 years in the whole of Holland) and the years of the first and the second World Wars may be called the Dark Age. Hitler had captured Jews, the permanent citizens of this city, and got them killed after subjecting them to inhuman torture in the camps of Germany, Poland etc.

Keukenhof-Lisse Alice Wong

Amsterdam is famous for its horticulture, museums, zoological parks, artists, painters, poets, writers, religion, culture, entertainment, precious diamonds and canals, and is itself situated six feet below the sea level. By digging a thirty-five miles long canal to the west, it is connected to the sea.

Its existence is known since 1275 when in order to unite the fishermen and traders settled on both banks of the river Amstel, the first bridge was constructed and the banks of the river were reinforced.

History is silent about those fishermen and traders as to who they were and when did they settle here. Gradually, the small and big sea boats started sailing to Hamburg (Germany) and to the Scandanavian countries bringing wood, wheat etc on its return journey and Amsterdam developed trade links with northern Europe.

When Spain conquered the famous city of Belgium Antwerpen, which was known for its diamond-dealers, several traders left Antwerpen and settled in Amsterdam. Since then Amsterdam became a market for diamonds. This city enjoys the honor of cutting the world’s biggest diamond, the Cullinam Diamond. The task of cutting the Koh-i-noor, the diamond with Ranjit Singh, Maharaja of the Sikh empire, was also accomplished here in addition to the cutting of the world's smallest diamond (00012 carat) and making its fifty-seven facets.

During this period Jews from Portugal also started living here. New markets developed. Three canals - Heren, Keizer and Prinsen - were dug and magnificent houses and building were constructed on its sides. Even today the city's elite live here. Because of a great influx of immigrants the area of Jordaan Rosen street was developed. Although the world-famous painter Rembrandut was born in the city of Leiden in Holland, he settled in Amsterdam in 1639. It was here that he painted The Night Watch. Most buildings known for their architectural beauty were built in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries.

The Guru Nanak Dev Gurdwara is situated near the most prominent market of the City Albert Cuijp. In the ‘90s it was renovated at the cost of Rs. 1.8 million and a beautifully palanquin was installed.

One attraction worth visiting are the windmills. A windmill is a huge fan with blades (sails) mounted on a tower and works with wind. The flour-mill, the oil-mill and energy-operated machines are run by it. It is an invention of the seventeenth century. Since Amsterdam is situated below sea level, naturally very strong winds blow here. The energy generated was then used for irrigation purpose. Once, in Amsterdam and its vicinity, there were about one hundred windmills. Now only three have been preserved, which are mainly a tourist attraction. The windmills are also the national symbol of Holland.

The city has twenty parks. The largest is the Vondal Park named after the famous Dutch poet Vondal (1587-1687). He was born and also died in Amsterdam.

Besides being famous for its canals and architecture, for Sikhs it has another importance – the local masands. By Masands I mean those people who, despite being Sikhs, do not regard Sikhs as their own. A separate article can be written on this issue. One example will be given at the end of the article.

Amsterdam has a network of about one hundred canals which are linked with one another. These canals have 850 bridges and many of them are the jack-knife bridges, which are raised to let the boats pass and then are lowered. An hour long cruise on the boat is available for visitors to enjoy and appreciate the beauty of this magnificent city.

During the mid-eighteenth century, when the Sikh misls were staking their lives to oust the Abdali and Mughal armies from Punjab, exactly at that time Holland was also, like England, France and Portugal, trying to establish a foothold in the south of India. The Sikhs, however, with their firm faith and determination, succeeded in establishing their empire upto Afghanistan by the end of the century under the leadership of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, but Holland having failed in India, left the sub-continent and gained control over Indonesia. No information is available about the Sikhs' familiarity with the Dutch people at that time.

The record of sacrifices made by Sikh soldiers for the freedom of mankind during the first World War (1914-19) in Europe including France, Belgium and Italy etc is available, but no such record has been found so far about Holland. Otherwise too, Holland had remained neutral in the war. The city of Neuve Chappelle in France has a memorial erected in memory of thousands of Sikh soldiers who laid their lives in.the war. In another city of France, Ayette, there are tombs of seven Sikh soldiers on which are inscribed the words Ek Onkaar Sri Waheguru ji ki Fateh in Gurmukhi. Similarly in Ipres, a city in Belgium, there are tombs of thousands of Sikh soldiers who died in Europe during the war.

The first contact of the Sikhs with Holland took place during World War II (1939--45) when, at the request of the Dutch government, the British had sent Sikh and the Gorkha soldiers to Indonesia to fight against Japan. While the Sikhs and the Gorkhas together defended Indonesia, they also displayed exemplary bravery to make the Dutch people reach Holland safely immediately after the war when Indonesia got independence. To avenge the atrocities perpetrated against them (during their slavery), the Indonesian people had wanted to inflict severest assaults on the Dutch.

In Holland the Sikh armies had fought against Germany at Masstricht and Eindhoven. Recently the living Sikh soldiers had come to Holland along with other soldiers from America, England, Canada and Australia, to pay homage to their dead comrades at the commemorative function held at Arnhem to observe the 50th year of the Second World War.

Maharaja Yadvindra Singh (extreme right) in Holland.

Sikhs got an important opportunity to know and understand the Dutch in the '70s through the diplomatic channel when the former Maharaja Yadvindra Singh of Patiala was the Indian Ambassador in Den Haag. Besides the royal and official functions of Netherlands, the grand Sikh Maharaja's charismatic presence at other social and cultural programs greatly affected the people of Holland.

I came to Holland in August 1973 and met the Maharaja in September at his residence where I also met S Joginder Singh Mann, S Ganga Singh Dhillon and R.S. Gentle. I came to know only form him that a certain S Balbir Singh of Delhi was running an Indian restaurant Tandoor in Amsterdam for about two years. He also told me that a Sikh family of S Beant Singh-Tarlochan Singh had been living in Rotterdam for the last ten years.

Our next meeting took place at the Tandoor restaurant where S Bishan Singh Samundari (former Principal of Khalsa College and Vice Chancellor of Guru Nanak University) was also with us. S Balbir Singh told us that there was one Guru Ramdas Ashram run by American Sikhs who also had a restaurant called the Golden Temple. This was the information which I got about the community on my arrival.

I cultivated regular contacts with the Maharaja. He was not very happy to be there as an ambassador to Holland. He would often say that he himself had handed over the Patiala state to the government in order to consolidate India, and that the tall and brave Sikh soldiers of Patiala had died in the Indo-China war fighting in the forefront. He found it difficult to understand why a Sikh was not made an ambassador to USA, Canada or England. Tears often swelled in his eyes while talking about the young soldiers. He was also unhappy over the curtailment of the privy purses. He breathed his last in May 1974 at Wassenaar. His daughter and son-in-law came from England. With his death, a brilliant star of the Sikhs had disappeared from the firmament of Holland.

I had established contacts with the American Sikhs in September. About 20-25 Americans, Dutch, Germans and Italians had embraced Sikhism with the inspiration of S Harbhajan Singh Yogi. The ashram was being run under the guidance of Sat Kartar Singh and Kaur of the USA. The direct control of the ashram was in the hands of Yogiji. His photographs adorned the walls of almost all rooms.

Guru Granth Sahib had not yet been ceremoniously installed. Only yoga classes were organized and vegetarian food was served in the Golden Temple restaurant. I was mightily pleased when they expressed the desire to learn Punjabi. Punjabi classes were arranged on every Wednesday and Sunday. Since they were converts to Sikhism from other religions, they had a sincere urge to learn and therefore started writing and speaking satisfactorily in a few months time. The people of Punjab must know of Ms Satkartar Kaur who used to address audience in the Punjab gurdwaras in chaste Punjabi. This lady was very close to Mrs Amarjit Kaur, wife of Shaheed Bhai Fauja Singh.

In the beginning of 1974, the weekly congregation in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib started to be held in the spacious hall of the Ashram situated on the first floor. Tarn Taran Kaur, Satkartar Kaur and later Gurjagat Kaur, and other Sikh men and women started performing kirtan. Some Indians also started attending these congregations.

Sikhs from the ashram.

The ardas and the Song of the Khalsa were rendered in English. Later, Guru Ram Das Ashrams were opened by Tarn Taran Singh and Kaur in Hamburg, Germany, by Satraj Singh and Kaur in Copenhagen, Denmark, and by Guru Hans Singh and Kaur in Paris, France.

Ashrams were also opened in Italy and Australia, but the center continued to be the Ashram at Amsterdam. We can never forget the contribution of Sat Kartar Kaur and Singh to Sikhism.

Let us now look towards the Punjabi Sikhs. The first abode of Punjabis in Holland about which I came to know was Albert Cuijpstraat 246 where lived Sukhchain Singh Grewal and Balbir Singh Grewal from Narangwal and Raipur respectively. They lived in this house from 1975-80. I had come across Pargat Singh - Ajaib Singh from Pohwind and Balbir Singh Bassi from Kamalpur and they had taken me to the above-mentioned. After meeting them I also came across Dharam Singh, Kartar Singh, Jarnail Singh, Tejwant Singh and Lal Singh. I also met Inder Singh Amritsari and Inderjit Singh Raipur.

The Grewal brothers were very nice and the doors of their house remained open to all and sundry round the clock. Since there was a market under the building, every newly-arrived Punjabi would come to their place. The news of their hospitality had reached even the travel agents of Punjab and after sucking the blood of their preys they would give the address of these brothers and assure their clients that they would be taken care of in Holland by ‘their’ people. I have myself heard the tales of exploitation involving travel agents, as narrated by the victims themselves at the Grewal residence.

I have made a special reference to the Grewal residence because the beginnings of the Sikh community in Holland and the recognition we enjoy here was made in this house. I will elucidate the point further.

I was also present when ways to send a part of our income to Punjab was being discussed. This incident took place towards the end of 1976. When I asked if they had any other aim in this foreign land they kept silent but became quite serious. Everybody was dumbfounded.

I informed them that everywhere Sikhs went we established Gurdwaras. They agreed with me. I then suggested to set up a Gurdwara. Everybody felt excited. They asked me to take the initiative. And it was decided that Baisakhi of 1977 would be celebrated in Amsterdam. We approached some other people and they agreed with the program. Thus the above mentioned persons are founders of gurdwaras in Holland.

We had neither the money nor the land. We rented a spacious hall in the Markant Hall for five hundred guilders to celebrate Baisakhi on April 17, 1977. We approached the ashram and they agrred to cooperate. We published five hundred posters with pictures of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh, khanda, and also the program with an invitation from the Amsterdam Sikh Community, printed on the stencil machine provided by the ashram.

We invited the Indian ambassador Mr Ras Gotra but he expressed his inability to attend the function. Then another strongly worded letter was sent to him stating that an ambassador was expected to perform two functions. First, to establish contacts between the Indian government and the government of this country and the other, to participate in the weal and woe of Indians settled there. We let him know that the second function was more important than the first. Consequently we received a letter that the ambassador along with his staff would attend the event.

Our difficulties began to be overcome automatically. Satyash, the famous classical singer from Bengal, who had been invited in connection with the birth anniversary of Ravi Shankar, undertook the responsibility of performing kirtan. He expressed his limitations and promised to sing the shabads of Bhagat Kabir only as he was quite proficient in singing them. He told us that there were many devotees of Bhagat Kabir in Bengal. Moreover, there was also the Kirtani jatha of the Ashram. The sewa of langar was undertaken by S Balbir Singh of the Tandoor.

I had a chance meeting in Amsterdam with S Gurbachan Singh from Dan Haag. He gave the news to S Karnail Singh Jassal, who always strived for panthic (community) causes and Hardip Singh Bindra, Bhajan Singh and Joginder Singh (all from Dan Haag) and it traveled further to S Jasbir Singh, Hardev Singh Thandi, Mehar Singh, Nirbhai Singh (all from Leiden), S Joginderpal Singh, Malkit Singh, Chain Singh, Sadhu Singh, Karamjit Singh, Darshan Singh Mann, Tarsem Singh, Lakhvinder Singh, Devinder Singh (all from Rotterdam), and Surinder Singh Ahluwalia and Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia (from Delft), Jatinder Singh (Den Haag) etc. and they informed almost all Sikhs living in Europe. Jagir Singh and Gian Singh of Rotterdam also came to know about it.

The meeting with S Gurbachan Singh proved to be very useful. Afterwards the first Akhand Path in Holland took place at his residence. Giani Amolak Singh was approached in England. So these were the Sikhs living in Holland at that time. S Jarnail Singh of Rotterdam also came to know about it.

There were 10 to 12 Sikhs in Amsterdam who were very enthusiastic about the whole affair. When S. Mohinder Singh Bahara, Asa Singh, Mohinder Singh Lammea, Gurmit Singh Jat, Sohan Singh Duggal, Dr Mangal Singh, Sarwan Singh, Charanjit Singh, Ram Singh, Parambir.Singh and Lashkar Singh (all from Amsterdam) came to know about it, they all started to work on the program. All night long decorations were prepared at the residence of the Grewal brothers, and the Hall was decorated in the early morning. Langar was available throughout the night in the kitchen attached to the Hall. Bhagwant Singh also reached there.

On April 17, the ashram people brought the Bir of Guru Granth Sahib, along with the beautiful palanquin, druggets, utensils etc. The kirtan commenced and the entire Hall was filled to capacity by noon. The sangat (congregation) started sitting in the courtyard in front of the Hall. The ambassador, Mr Rasotra, also reached along with his staff. This was the first function held in Europe outside England. More than four hundred persons attended it. In his address, the ambassador said: "If Guru Gobind Singh had not founded the Khalsa, all of India would have embraced Islam." The Bengali artiste also performed well in the classical raags.

At an appropriate time I made an appeal for the construction of a gurdwara in Holland, which was unanimously approved by raising the jaikaras. A suggestion was also made that the entire Sikh population of Holland should collectively celebrate Baisakhi, the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak and the birthday of Guru Gobind Singh every year in Amsterdam, Dan Haag, and Rotterdam respectively. This suggestion was also well-received. Money started pouring in. Along with religious solidarity, social, family and cultural affinity also gained strength, the proof of which was given by the congregation on the demise of S Makhan Singh when 11,568 guilders were collected and sent to his family in Punjab.

After a short while prominent Sikh leaders like Jathedar Tohra, Talwandi, Jaswinder Singh Brar, Dr Gurnam Singh Tir, Principal Satbir Singh and Abnashi Singh visited Holland for the first time. In August 1977, the Indian Welfare Association (IWA) was formed in Albert Cuijpstraat 246. S Jasvir Singh (now an advocate) and Mehar Singh from Leiden, S Karnail Singh and Gopal Krishan from Dan Haag, S Jagir Singh and Gian Singh from Rotterdam and S Kartar Singh and I from Amsterdam became members.

As a reaction to the Amritsar killings of April, 1978 a demonstration was held in front of the Indian Embassy. This was the first protest by Sikhs in Europe outside the U.K. The Sikhs of the ashram also joined us. Though this demonstration was in protest against the massacre of Sikhs, many did not participate thinking it to be anti-India. The cracks appeared in the IWA. I tendered my resignation which was not accepted.

With the help and cooperation of the ashram, the Sikhs of Amsterdam participated in a festival where they sold home-made food and collected 3,500 guilders which were given to S Harbhajan Singh Yogi through Satkartar Singh for onward transmission to the wife of Fauja Singh, who had died as a martyr. At the instructions of yogiji, a van was procured for the Jatha and was given to Ms Amarjit Kaur for the work of religious preaching.

Towards the end of 1978 when I was away to India, in my absence some of the minions, at the instigation of the Embassy, forcibly snatched the funds collected so far from its incharge, S Mohinder Singh Bahara and Dharam Singh of Amsterdam. Till then the weekly congregation used to be held in our homes by turn and the funds would go on swelling every week.

At the Baisakhi function of April 1979 in Amsterdam, these mischief mongers, at the instigation of the Embassy, announced from the stage that they would build a gurdwara in Amsterdam and if the Sikhs living in Dan Haag and Rotterdam had the guts they should build the gurdwaras in their own cities. The entire sangat protested vehemently but that person disappeared all of a sudden after sowing the seeds of discord within the community.

On their return to Rotterdam, the Sikhs from this city, being unable to bear the insult, set up a committee comprising of Devinder Singh, Mehar Singh, Karnail Singh, Tarlochan Singh and Surinder Singh Ahluwalia and started planning a separate gurdwara in Rotterdam.

In Amsterdam, the community boycotted the mischievous elements and continued with their weekly congregations at the private residences. Like before, in November 1979 too, the birth-anniversary of Guru Nanak was celebrated with great pomp and show in Dan Haag. The Sikhs from Rotterdam also joined and thus contributed a lot to the success of the program.

This dealt a stunning blow to the designs of the toadies of the embassy. They wanted to put obstacles at any cost to disunite Sikhs and our plan of setting up of a gurdwara. The demonstration of 1978 hurt them like a thorn. When after celebrating Gurpurb, the Bir of Guru Granth Sahib was being brought to Amsterdam by car, these ungrateful people pelted shoes, sticks and wine bottles at it. They had brought some Pakistanis along. Satkartar Singh was driving the car and I was carrying the Guru Granth Sahib. There were two more people with us.

I have used the word ‘ungrateful' for them because I fail to understand how else to describe them and their deplorable actions. Are they any different from the Nirankaris? A wave of resentment ran through the entire community in Holland.

Now all the funds were under their control, but the weekly congregations in private homes continued unhindered. They were joined by Shivraj Singh, Bhagwant Singh, Paramjit Singh Sehli, Puran Singh, Devinder Singh, Raghbir Singh, Binder Singh, Daljit Singh, Sucha Singh, Gurmej Singh, Sardul Singh, Nirmal Singh, Rajinder Singh, Ajaib Singh and many others including Bhupinder Singh Hadiabad, Sohan Singh, Harjinder Singh Sandhu, Marail Singh, Badari Singh, Jaswant Singh Sandhu, Avtar Singh, Major Singh.

Finally, after a unanimous decision, a hall at 2 Weteringdwarstr-36 in Amsterdam was rented in September 1981 and the first gurdwara of Holland was inaugurated and everybody undertook the responsibility of paying the rent. Sant Gian Singh of the Nirmal Kutia, (Johlan, Jalandhar) came from England along with about two dozen people to participate in the event.

Money is never a problem whenever any task is undertaken for the Guru. Funds started to pour. S Bhagwant Singh, Tejwant Singh and Jarnail Singh made a special contribution to the task.

By the end of 1981 the community of Rotterdam set up a gurdwara at De-La Rey Straat 376, which was developed into the present beautiful building in April 1988. In 2002 the sangat in Rotterdam bought a school building and is now constructing what will be biggest Gurdwara in Holland. The Dan Haag gurdwara was established in July 1987 at Stortenbeker 91, which was converted into the present appealing building in 1989.

What happened afterwards is being summed up here

On 10 October 1982, we took out a procession in front of the British Embassy in favor of the Sikhs' right to wear a turban.

The arrest of Jathedar Talvinder Singh Babbar on the border of Holland-Germany on 29 June 1983 is an important event for Sikhs of Holland.

Protesting killings of innocent Sikhs in India.

Sikhs all over the country were rudely shaken by the great massacre in June 1984. An emergency meeting was held in the Rotterdam gurdwara. The Holland Sikh Association was formed. Its members were S Karnail Singh from Dan Haag, Jasvir Singh from Leiden, Devinder Singh- Lakhvinder Singh from Rotterdam and I.

The Holland Sikh Association got overwhelming support from all the three gurdwaras of Holland. Processions were taken out in front of the Indian Embassy. One procession was also taken out in the city of Amsterdam. These events got adequate TV coverage.

Prof Gurdarshan Singh Dhillon (of Punjab University, Chandigarh) was in Holland during those days. Several Press conferences were arranged in the gurdwaras. S Devinder Singh also passed away during those eventful days.

In November 1986, the International Sikh Youth Federation was formed in the presence of the entire Sikh community of Holland in the Rotterdam gurdwara. ISYF arranged several international conferences in the three gurdwaras in which Sikh leaders from the USA, Canada, England, Germany, France, Belgium, etc. addressed the community, the press and the TV and continued raising their voice for the Sikh cause.

Leaders of the political parties of Holland, the high officials of the Church, Amnesty International and the representatives of the Kashmiri people also raised their voice in support of the Sikhs. It is a matter of great pride for Holland that Sikh leaders like S Ganga Singh Dhillon, Dr Gurmeet Singh Aulakh, S Didar Singh Bains, S Ajaib Singh Bangri and Prof. Darshan Singh Raagi continued enlightening us and the world through the press on various occasions.

For Punjabis settled in and around Amsterdam, a weekly radio program in Punjabi has been going on since August 1991. This program invariably begins with Gurbani shabad and gives adequate representation to the well known old and new artistes of the East and the West Punjab and is thus rendering a great service to the mother-tongue. This program is presented by Ms Amar Jyoti Kaur from Amritsar. It is broadcast from 3 to 4 PM.

On January 24, 1993 Khalistan was admitted as a member to the UNPO (Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization) at the UNPO General Assembly in the Hague. Dr Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President Council of Khalistan, Dr Paramjit Singh Ajrawat and Sardar Bhupinder Singh Holland signed the covenant on behalf of the Sikh Nation.

In October 1994, the first Dutch book, Who are the Sikhs, written by Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer was published and released by the Babbar Khalsa International (Talvinder Singh), Belgium.

Vaisakhi celebrations at Ieper in 1999

It occurred to me in April 1998 that the tercentenary celebrations of the formation of the Order of Khalsa should be held across Europe. It would be a great honor to witness such a momentous occassion during my life.

The first century of the Khalsa passed under the Mugals as it struggled to establish the Khalsa Raj in northern India after defeating the Mugals and stopping and pushing invaders like Ahmed Shah Abdali to the other side of the Kheber Pass. Later, Maharaja Ranjit Singh managed to establish the Sikh kingdom from the river Satluj to the Indus.

The second century was passed under the British, as the Punjab was annexed by them through false means after the Anglo-Sikh Wars, and Sikhs struggled to regain their lost sovereignity.

It was my opinion that the best celebration would be to remember martyrs of the 20th century. Now the question arose: Who were these martyrs?

Surely, they are the Gaddari Babas (revolutionary) of Canada and America (1914) who left for India and started a military struggel to liberate India and were killed and hanged by the British. Then, there are the Sikh Soldiers of the First World War, who died for the freedom of others.

The Sikhs of Jallianwala Bagh Amritsar (1919), Sikhs who gave their lives for the liberation of their Gurudwara's in the Punjab (1921), Sikhs of Babbar Akali Movement 1921-22, Sikhs like Bhagat Singh (1931), Uddam Singh (1941) who shot dead the former Governor of Punjab at London (who was responsible for the Jallianwala Masscrace), Sikhs of Quit India Movement (1942), Sikhs of Free Indian Army, Sikh Soldiers of the Second World War in Europe, Africa and the Far East.

How can we forget Sikhs who died during the carnage that followed British retreat from India in 1947 followed by those who died and suffered in the Punjabi Province agitation of 1952, India’s war with China (1962) and Pakistan (1965 and 1971), thousands who suffered for protesting declaration of Emergency by Mrs Indira Gandhi (1975), and during the agitations for more autonomy to all States in the Indian republic (1982). And since 1984, quarter of a millon Sikhs have been killed by the Indian police for the freedom of the Sikh Nation.

Like the soldiers from America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, etc. Sikhs also contributed in large numbers during the World Wars. Wouldn’t it be appropriate to honor these brave men and women in Europe where they fought and died.

For my research, I travelled several times to France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Italy trying to locate the battle fields, cemetaries and war memorials to search for names of soldiers. A video documentary was made and released by International Sikh Youth Federation, Holland and it can be borrowed from In Flanders Field Museum, Ieper, Belgium. This film is also a tribute to all people and organisations who offered assistance in its making.

Left to Right: Governor of Flanders Province Mr. Paul Brijne, Sardar Bhupinder Singh Holland (author), Mayor of Ieper Mr. Luc Dehaene, Secretary of Ieper Mr. Jan Brijne. 11 November 2001 in the Ieper Town Hall during reception of Sikh delegates.

I would like to thank Mr. Dominiek, Piet Chiliens from the In Flanders Field Museum, Michel Vansuyt and others from the community. I also thank the Commomwealth War Grave Comission U.K-Belgium-France, Mayor of Ieper, Mayor of Amsterdam, Ministry of Defence and Minister President of Holland, the Government of Belgium, Dr. Calewart, Peter van Lindt, and the hospitality I received from the people of Ieper, the European Sikh community and Gurdwaras in Holland, Belgium and France.

Mayor Inder Singh Jammu (U.K), Mayor Tarsem Singh Bhogal (U.K), Mayor Abdul Karim Sheikh (U.K), Guru Ram Das Ashram in Amsterdam, Hamburg and Paris and many well-meaning people like S Jatinder Singh, S Pahlad Singh, S Jaswinder Singh Sandhawalia, S Major Singh, S Awtar Singh Atwal, S Harjinder Singh Sandhu, S Kamaljit Singh, S Parminder Singh, Dr Chanan Singh Chan, Sardarni Hari Kaur Khalsa and so many more.

The data that was collected was sent to the Governments of France, Belgium, Holland and other nations and we were pleased and encouraged with their response. The City of Ieper was so kind to invite the Sikh delegation through Dominiek and we were given a warm welcome.

I spoke at the Last Post Ceremony and the names of Indian soldiers, specially the Sikhs, were mentioned there for the first time. The commendable role of the Sikh army in preserving peace during the First World War was recognized. It was here that the Celebration for Peace to commemorate 300 years of Khalsa and in remmembrance of Sikh soldiers of the Second World War was proposed to Ieper authorities and was accepted by the latter.

European Sikhs attended the Armistice Day on November 11, 1998 and the following year besides the Vaisakhi celebration at Ieper with Bhangra, Gatka, Sikh Exhibition, lectures on Sikh religion and history by several delegates including Dr Calewart. The monument was unveiled by the Panj Piara's and the forgotten soldiers were honoured by Governor Brijne of Flanders Province.

Since 1998 every year on May 5, the Libration Day of Holland, Sikhs from across Europe lay Krans at the National Monument of Holland .

This is a brief history of Sikhs settled in Holland.

Since 1992, through a Gurdwara Management Committee, many respectable men and women have served the community and prevented any misuse of our rights. Noticeable among them are Sardar Sukhdarshan Singh, Sardar Karnail Singh, Sardar Gurbachan Singh, Sardar Harjinder Singh Sandhu, Sardar Jaswinder Singh Sandhawalia, Sardar Raghbir Singh, Sardar Jarnail Singh, Sardar Ranjit Singh, Sardar Sohan Singh, Sardar Dalbir Singh, Bibi Manjit Kaur all of whom were committee members till 1998.

The list would not be complete without mentioning Sardarni Surjit Kaur, Sardarni Paramjit Kaur, Sardarni Manjit Kaur, Sardarni Surinder Kaur, Sardarni Mohinder Kaur Sanghera, and Sardarni Balbir Kaur Uppal.

In the beginning of the article I had promised to write something about the masands. Here is a specimen. Actually a detailed article is required which I may write at some other time. The Masands of this place always opposed Panthic programs like conferences, processions etc. When the community is busy taking out a processions, they sit inside the gurdwara

Somehow all of this was tolerated. But, the Amsterdam congregation revolted, when they came to know that along with the five Kakkars (5Ks) bestowed by Guru Gobind Singh, they had also added Keski (a short turban) in the constitution of the gurdwara and had secretly transferred the property of the gurdwara in their own name, which after their death would go to their families.

An agitation was started. After two years' of struggle, the gurdwara built in Amsterdam by the community was transferred in the name of the community. Now the constitution of the gurdwara has only five kakkars as required. And in case of an eventuality arising in Holland like the one that overtook Uganda under Idi Amin, this gurdwara in Amsterdam will become the property of Sri Akal Takht, Amritsar.

The massands were barred from participating in religious services and using the Gurdwara to pursue their despicable goals. These masands were involved in human trafficking in violation of the law.

In 2003 a new committee was chosen and it includes Sardar Pritam Singh, Sardar Nirmal Singh, Sardar Ravel Singh, Sardar Jaspal Singh and Sardarni Mohinder Kaur Sanghera. In the presence of the congregation the committee members took an oath to prevent any unscrupulous person from manipulating the community and bringing disrepute to it.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie, In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields.

Photo Credit

¹ Amsterdam: holland.com

² Keukenhof-Lisse: Alice Wong

Copyright ©2002 Bhupinder Singh. About the author