The Sikh next door : an identity in transition

The Sikh Next Door is an analysis of Sikh identity as formulated through the many turns that lie between the past and the present. It dwells on transitions incurred and their reflection in the changing profile of the community. In a departure from the traditional frame of reference, the work situates the community in an urban landscape, veering the focus away from the once highlighted martial, agricultural and even militant tropes. In doing so, it redraws the narrative by bringing in identities once edged out and by re-profiling those which no longer fit the old frame. It also establishes the need to bring these evolving facets into social cognition. This includes a re-look at the jaded, sometimes misleading stereotypes surrounding the community and the possibility of more nuanced representations. The community's own changing modes of engagement and measures of self- representation are posited as steps in the direction.