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vivek vihar and greater kailash are discussing strategy with their supporters for upcoming Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Election. As surprising as it sounds, Vivek Vihar and Greater Kailash are some of the well-known Sikh leaders in Delhi.
When two prominent Sikh leaders of the capital meet, they do not address each other by name. Instead, they use their attached names. It can be from Rohini to Paharganj, from Vivek Vihar to Greater Kailash (GK).
Welcome to the new world of the capital’s Sikh leaders, who are in a hurry to associate the name of their region with their real name.
A Sikh’s Search for Separation
Balbir Singh Vivek Vihar, who is on the board of several governing bodies of Sikh colleges and schools, says he added Vivek Vihar to his name a few years ago to differentiate it.
“There were about ten Balbir Singhs in my area. They have known me for ages. As I am doing Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (DSGMC) politics, I thought I should do something to be different. After discussing the issue with my family and friends, I decided that I should add ‘Vivek Vihar’ to my name. I have been living here for a long time and now people easily recognize me by my new name.” Vivek Vihar was also mentioned in the wedding cards of his children. He is happy that now he is easily recognized in Delhi.
Kuldeep Singh Bhogal was probably the first Sikh leader of the capital to associate his name with his area. No one challenges his claim, he recalls the story behind his new name, even though it has been a long time since he added ‘Bhogal’.
“On the behest of Sant Harcharan Singh Longowal, I added Bhogal to my name. In 1985, when he came to Delhi to meet the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, we gave him a warm welcome at Bhogal. saintsYes Never imagined that he would receive such a wonderful welcome. Before going to Delhi, he asked me to add Bhogal to my name. “I am more popular in the political circles of the capital as Bhogal than my original name.” Bhogal is a senior leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal led by Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Meanwhile, Manjit Singh, a resident of Greater Kailash, has made an agreement for Manjit Singh GK. He is the old arm of Sikh politics in Delhi. Delhi’s political stalwart Manjinder Singh Sirsa is also happy to add ‘Sirsa’ to his name, the city in Haryana from which he belongs.
Avtar Singh a Sikh social worker and businessman is now Avtar Singh Jhilmil Colony. “My life has changed forever since I became Avtar Singh Jhilmil Colony,” he tells me. His close friend suggested him to add ‘Jhilmil Colony’ to his name to make him stand out from the crowd. “Now, my friends and other business partners call me Jhilmil Veer Yes instead of avatar Yes or incarnation PaddyAvtar Singh has shown the way for others as well. “Two, three friends followed me – they became Hardeep Singh Shahdara and Kripal Singh Janakpuri.”
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Old practice in New Delhi
It is an old practice among Jat Sikhs in Punjab to associate the name of their village with their name. Who has not heard the names of Sikh leaders like Kairon, Barnala, Badal and Ajnala? But what about leaders like GK, Vivek Vihar, Rohini, Kalka and Govindpuri Sahib? It doesn’t matter that their “pind” is left behind in Punjab – many of Delhi’s famous Sikhs have solved their identity crisis by replacing the surname of their old village with their current residential area.
Punjabi poet Dr. Harmeet Singh has associated Paharganj with his name for the last few years. He says, “Sikhism and the followers of Guru Gobind Singhji do not believe in the caste system at all. I feel that by leaving their traditional surnames and adding the names of their localities, Sikh leaders are trying to free our society from the curse of caste. To do a kind of service to you.”
Manjit Singh is another prominent Sikh of the Calcutta capital. A Delhiite since 1976, he is perhaps the only Sikh to be called “Calcutta” in India. He was also a member of DSGMC.
Another person to change his name is Manjit Singh Govindpuri. With a smile on his face, Manjit Singh, who runs an air-conditioning business, says that people in his area now call him by his adopted surname – Govindpuri.
Rajinder Singh Techno TV is an innovative gentleman. Unlike M/s Bhogal, Tagore Garden or Rohini, he has been using the name of his Techno TV production company. “Since I am famous as the owner of Techno TV in West Delhi, I thought I should include it with my real name”, he says.
Needless to say, those who are doing politics among Sikhs in the capital, adding names to their regions, want to be different from others. Almost all of them believe that with their new names they are carving out a niche for themselves.
Vivek Shukla is a seasoned bilingual journalist with more than three decades of experience. He enjoys reading and writing on Delhi, South Asia, Indian Diaspora and Architecture. He is also the author of the book ‘Gandhi’s Delhi: 12 April, 1915-30 January, 1948 and beyond’. Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Srinjoy Dey)
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