Khalsa Dawakhana

In the history of South Asia 1947 was a blood-soaked year—hundreds of thousands got killed while millions were uprooted from their ancestral lands. Prior to ’47 Sikhs lived everywhere in North-Eastern area of what is today Pakistan. I hang my head in shame knowing that presently there is only a small number of Sikhs left there.

I have been a great fan of Sardars—more so after a community of them saved my life in Lusaka, the year was 1992. I got sick while traveling and sojourned at a Gurdwara (Singa Singa Mesquita). The family that took care of the temple took me to the hospital and fed me. I don’t recall their names, but I remember there was a young man who pursued a modeling career and wanted to go to the US.

Compared to followers of other faiths, a practicing Sikh must find it very hard to conceal his identity. And that is the reason I always wondered what professions Sikhs in Pakistan took, and how they kept a low profile in the rising tide of hollow religiosity of the majority. In my last trip to Pakistan I ran into a very colorful Sardar. He was a hakim who ran a Yunani matab called ‘Khalsa Dawakhana.’ Here is video footage of Hakim Sarber Singh.

“Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh”