Above: ASHT logo

For centuries philosophers and historians have commented on the need for mankind to remember from whence it came. The Greek thinker Cicero even commented that a nation oblivious of its heritage is "like a tree without roots".

When as in the example of British Sikhs  a branch of that  tree is actually transplanted to a distant environment the need to find, nurture, and strengthen those roots is even more pressing.

In 2003 the Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail was launched with the organisational motto and mission statement: "Bringing History and Cultures Together". Since the it has been hailed as "a groundbreaking project which is changing the cultural landscape of Britain"

The Trail highlights the marginalised topic of shared heritage between Britain and the Sikh community - a relationship with origins in the late 18th Century. A guiding principle of the Trail is that shared heritage can be used to transcend perceived and entrenched differences and promote a harmonious future for generation of citizens based on commonality, and not differences. Another central premise is that issues of diversity & identity, although important in their own right are more understandable in the context of the shared history which brought communities to these shores.

The main activities of ASHT are based on research and education about sites and objects of Anglo Sikh heritage, and making them publicly accessible, and by arranging educational exhibitions and events.

The proposed "Share a Story: Leave a Memory" project will create an archive of nationwide oral, written and photographic accounts of how Sikhs and the host community have interacted over the decades.

For schools we have recently commissioned an exciting Drama project aimed at Key Stage 2. The Maharajah and the Kohinoor - is a play about the life and times of Maharajah Duleep Singh, the last ruler of the Sikhs who at the age of 11 came to the UK after the annexation of Punjab. By illustrating this intriguing and remarkable story of one of the first Asian settlers in the UK, the play will follow with workshops discussing various issues of history, heritage and citizenship.

Written by:
Harbinder Singh
Director, Anglo Sikh Heritage Trail
Website: http://www.asht.info

DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed in the article featured above are the writer's own and do not represent the views of either the Who Do We Think We Are (WDWTWA) consortium of partners (Royal Geographical Society with IBG, the Historical Association and Citizenship Consultant Paula Kitching) or the project's funding body, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

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