Sikhism in Modern Nepal: Part II

The arrival of Queen Jind Kaur in Kathmandu is the major milestone and the presence of Sikhism in Nepal can be felt in Guru Nanak Satsang in Kupondole, Lalitpur district Kathmandu Valley established by Sardar Pritam Singh. 

After the partition of India there was rise of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir as a result Sardar Pritam Singh looked for new avenues and entered Nepal while it had recently been opening to foreigners. 

In Nepal, Pritam Singh met another Sikh Tralochan Daulat Singh, a personal pilot to King Mahendra and helped him to connect with the monarch.

Mahendra wanted to bring transport to Nepal and Sardar Pritam Singh wanted to expand their family business as a result the intention got aligned, this journey would make him be called “Transport King of Nepal”. 

In 1959, Sardar Pritam Singh brought three trucks from Jammu to Kathmandu alongside three Sikh drivers and three conductors, this  journey almost took 16 days . 

They loaded truck on strong wooden to cross the river, an arduous journey but once it arrived Nepal the Transport Minister was pleasantly surprised and registered the trucks and issued Nepalese driving licenses. 

Pritam Singh used this to start Nepal Public Motor Service (NPMS). As his success grew he brought more Sikhs for driving, maintenance, painting, tyre replacements, etc. 

His work contributed to the construction of various vital projects. In 1960s there was a drought and due to the request of the king he rented 150 trucks to supply food to western Nepal. He was gifted Rs.5000 for his service.

By 1964 he had established four gurudwaras in different parts of Nepal as well as opened the first Punjabi restaurant- Sher-e-Punjab in Sundhara, Kathmandu. 

He established various gurudwaras in Amlekhgunj, Birgunj, Butwal, Nepalgunj and finally in Kathmandu. 

As the Sikh community had grown and required a large Gurudwar he formally established Guru Nanak Satsang Gurdwar in 1982. 

Pritam Singh requested Nepali citizenship for his son Mahendra Pal Singh which the king granted making him the first Sikh to acquire Nepali citizenship. Many Sikh continue to struggle to get citizenship of Nepal even after working and living in the country for their entire life. 

Many Sikh live in Nepal as a result it becomes difficult for their family members to get Indian citizenship while getting citizenship to Sikh is near to impossible. As non-citizens can’t buy land during insurgency many Sikhs left Nepal. 

Pritam Singh had a fleet of 600 vehicles in 1990 after which he let go of the transport business. There was also stories about the Indian businessman who tried to install Prachanda as the Prime Minister in the republican Nepal, this indicates the level of power and influence Pritam Singh has over Nepali politics. 

In 2004 commemorating 400 years of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and in 2019 commemorating 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Nepal minted Rs. 2,500, Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 100 coins making Nepal one of few countries issuing legal tender featuring a Sikh connection. 

Sikhism which is nearly never heard in Nepal’s religious conversation is in fact a significant player in Nepal’s economy, politics and culture.