Credit: Dawn.com

Narayanpura — An anomaly for Karachi’s marginalised Sikhs

By Syed Fawad Hasan

In a lesser-known neighbourhood of Karachi’s Ranchore Lines, a gurdwara, a church and a Hindu temple stand side-by-side.

This is Narayanpura, a place with a very distinct feel and mesmerising culture to it.

A distinct orange flag, or ‘Nishan Sahib’, draws you into the compound from a distance, the fluttering banner a symbol of pride for Sikhism.

Upon entering the Narayanpura compound one is suddenly exposed to a medley of colours and sounds. The temple to the immediate left, where the bell keeps ringing as devotee pay their respects, emanates the overpowering scent of incense. A vendor sells flowers, candles and decorative ornaments and within the centre of all this – a small worship place built in the memory of the Sufi Saint, Baba Saman Sirkaar.

Karachi, it is said, is a city which cradles it’s citizens like a mother carrying her children – loving all equally, sans discrimination. It has always welcomed people from all classes, ethnicities, and religions to settle and flourish with plenty of opportunities available here. Perhaps, it is the reason Karachi has had such a fascinating diversity of culture.

Narayanpura is perhaps the heart of the diversity the city once cradled. Located behind Civil Hospital the compound is proof of the remnants of the city’s religious diversity.

It is rare to see a Sikh in his dastar and beard treading the streets of Karachi though, but in Narayanpura one finds legions of Sikh men and women practicing their religion, following the traditions of Baba Guru Nanak, who’s 546th birth anniversary celebrations recently concluded in Hassanabdal. Narayanpura has been home to thousands of Sikhs in Karachi, Gurdwara Guru Garanth Sahib Sikh Sabah, where they can all be found on special occasions.

Given the recent target killings of Sikhs in Khyber Pakthunkhwa, one would expect a cloud of fear hanging over the community in Karachi. However, on further exploration, it is evident that terrorism is the least of their concerns. It is the discrimination they often face, which is a bigger cause for concern for the elders in the community  More