Living as Sikhs in the other Punjab: Migration, memory, and identity among Punjabi Sikhs in Lakhimpur, Assam

The paper examines how Punjabi Sikhs in Lakhimpur, Assam, negotiate their identity within Himadri Banerjee′s narratives of ‘Other Sikhs’. Drawing on the oral history, lived experiences and memories of Jaswant Singh, an 86-year-old Punjabi mechanic from Gurdaspur, the paper traces the community′s settlement, adaptation and cultural preservation. It also examines the extent to which the Sikhs in Lakhimpur can be categorised as Assamese or Axomiya Sikhs. It assesses how distinct they are from the Assamese Sikhs. The findings reveal that while Assamese Sikhs have assimilated into Assamese society, Punjabi Sikhs actively maintained their distinct roots and memories in Punjab.