Sindhi community in India
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Sindhi
(From People of India/ National Series Volume VIII. Readers who wish to share additional information/ photographs may please send them as messages to the Facebook community, Indpaedia.com. All information used will be gratefully acknowledged in your name.)
Groups/subgroups: Hyderabadi, Shikarpuri, Sukhur [Bihar and/or Jharkhand]
Bhat, Brahman, Khatri, Sindhi Sardar, Sohi [Madhya Pradesh and/or Chhattisgarh]
Titles: Advani, Hirwani, Jethmalani, Kripalani, Madnani, Mirpuri, Sainani, Sharma [Bihar and/or Jharkhand]
Ambani, Bhojwani, Hirwani [Madhya Pradesh and/or Chhattisgarh]
Advani, Chogani, Indani, Jetley, Jhingan, Kriplani, Mehtan, Mirpuri, Santani, Sharma [Maharashtra]
Advani, Bhasani, Bhatio, Mirchandi [Orissa]
Kurchereike, Mangara, Nag (snake) [Orissa]
Exogamous units/clans (gotra): Ahuja, Ajwani, Bhojwani, Cockrel (cock), Karda, Kukreja, Mulchandani, Nagdeo (snake god), Sukhreja [Madhya Pradesh and/or Chhattisgarh]
Exogamous units/lineages: Divani [Orissa]
Exogamous units/lineages (bans): [Madhya Pradesh and/or Chhattisgarh]
Keeping Sindhi culture alive
2024
Abha Goradia, April 21, 2024: The Times of India
For members of the Sindhi community in India, who left behind their land and their roots in Pakistan in post-Partition era and were forced to begin life afresh in India, the disconnect with their language and culture has been an inevitable casualty. Seven decades down the line, several young Sindhis are barely able to talk in their mother tongue, also seemingly disconnected with their heritage. One may argue that youths across communities have a disinterest towards their mother tongue. But for Sindhis, their relationship with language has been at the heart of the rupture with their identity, says Rita Kothari, academic and author of ‘The burden of refuge: The Sindhi Hindus of Gujarat’ (2009).
Along came the stereotypes that classified Sindhis as ‘austere’, ‘miserly’ and its likes. “Among youngsters, there used to be a sense of shame about one’s identity. There was an idea what Sindhi culture won't take you anywhere. However, there is a difference now. There is more interest among Sindhi youths about their own identity and a realisation that there can be something different about being a Sindhi,” says Kothari, who receives several questions and requests from youths who wish to know more about themselves.
For the older generations who’ve witnessed the horrors of Partition, displacement fomented anger and resentment. This, combined with the burden of eking out a living and assimilating oneself with the host region in India, led to an estrangement with one’s cultural identity. Many call Sindhis one of the most adaptable communities owing to their prowess to pick on the local language of the region they have settled in. But for the generations who have grown up in a post-Partition era that has provided them with education, jobs and equal opportunities in all spheres, there is a renewed interest in discovering stories of their homeland and a want to delve deeper into their identities.
Stand-up comic Atul Khatri agrees things are changing on the ground now more than before. Khatri, who calls himself a proud Sindhi, says he has always used Sindhi in between sets and sometimes also makes “jokes about us”. “We are the ones who invented the tradition of ordering soup one by two, is my oftused joke,” he says, adding that many from his audience stay back after the show to greet him in Sindhi. Khatri is also working on a comedy special on Sindhi history. “It’s an attempt to pull in kids and make them know how proud we must be,” he says.
Dr Umesh Wadhavani, a nutrition specialist and Instagram influencer, believes that for the young and the youth to latch on to something, its ‘cool factor’ matters. Wadhawani — who rues the lack of pop- ular youth icons who can stir interest within and outside the community — has recently started ‘Chai Koki Nutrition’, an Instagram page that debunks myths about Sindhi food and also educates viewers on gaining nutrition within one’s staple food using Sindhi language.
The argument that the young are less interested in their culture owing to sparse efforts on the front by popular figures isn’t fully agreed on by 29-year-old singer and musician Laxman Gurdasani. Gurdasani made his foray into music at an early age, saved all the money he could and turned a bedroom in his Thane house into a studio where he now shoots The Sindh Show. Airing on YouTube, the show documents the journeys and achievements of notable members from the community. Launched in July last year, this show has garnered 19,000 followers on Instagram and 3,200 subscribers on YouTube. Tukka Tai, Sindhiyum, Terrible Sindhi Tales, are among other Instagram pages that have brought Sindhi quirks and customs to viewers across the internet. For those not on social media, a streaming online radio has proved to be a consistent gateway to access exclusive content in the language. Back in 1998, Ulhasnagarbased IT-professional Deepak Keswani uploaded Sindhi songs sung by his grandfather on the internet. The number of downloads was so encouraging that Keswani launched ‘Radiosindhi.com’ in 2011, which now boasts of ten stations and is being accessed by listeners outside India as well. “Radio Sindhi is the first international Sindhi radio which is available in over 100 countries,” says Keswani, adding that the radio attracts almost 1.5 lakh listeners including youngsters every month.
Two years ago, gauging the lack of a Sindhi television channel, Vicky Rajani, a professional in the television industry, quit his job. Along with businessman Gurvinder Singh, he birthed an OTT app exclusively for Sindhi shows. Still in its infancy, the app, which was free for all until Feb this year, has eight shows featuring youth-oriented content, shows for kids and devotional shows for the elders. “We do not dub. We create original shows,” he says, adding that the app has been downloaded 8,000 times.
