I recently spent an evening with twenty hearty souls in steady British rain to sleep out in a park to raise awareness about the plight of the homeless Sikhs of Southall.
Actually, there was not much sleeping — it was more of a Hang Out than a Sleep Out and we had pizza and burgers — but the issue wasn’t lost. Finding warm and dry shelter is a challenge for an increasing number of South Asians, mostly Sikh men, in the southwest London neighborhood of Southall.
Lodging isn’t supposed to be a problem. Southall is the center of London’s vast Punjabi community, one of the most significant Little Indias in the world, home to one of the largest gurdwaras outside India, and a cultural nexus that brought the bhangra phenomenon to nightclubs around the globe. It’s also a hardscrabble quarter that, like New York’s Lower East Side, gave immigrants the means to establish themselves in a new land. The community took care of its own and looks back fondly on its achievements.
So it has come as a shock that in 2010 there are about a hundred homeless men, mostly Sikhs but including Sri Lankans and Somalis, sleeping rough in one of London’s proudest immigrant neighborhoods.SWAT, the Sikh Welfare and Awareness Team, is working to alleviate the problem and to call attention to it (it was the sponsor of the sleep out on February 27). The volunteer group was the first to call attention to the plight of the homeless, posted video interviews, in Punjabi, with some of these men on youtube. It has also started a Facebook group, which has attracted over 5,000 followers.
SWAT is collecting money and clothing, working with gurdwaras and other community organizations, providing drug and alcohol counseling, and trying to make other public services available to them. Its volunteers from other parts of London come to Southall regularly to deliver clothing.
But the challenges are complex. In addition to providing basic necessities, SWAT is trying to raise support for people in circumstances that are often considered shameful. The presence of the Sikh homeless runs counter to the narrative of the hardworking self-sufficient immigrant, and discussion of drug and alcohol problems within the community is still taboo.
“People feel that helping the Southall rough sleepers will only further fund drug habits,” says Tina Gahir, one of the organizers of the sleep out and a volunteer with Crisis and Shelter from the Storm, two prominent homelessness organizations in the UK. “For most Indians, charity begins at home. Many send remittances to their village or relatives in India or make donations to a religious cause. We don’t really have a sense of uniting to tackle problems in the UK currently.”
She hopes that community activism among younger people can alleviate some of these problems and promote honest discussion about them.
But some initiatives take time. Our 20-odd crew of Londoners stamped our feet to keep warm, made bathroom runs to a nearby house, drank tea, and enjoyed conversation beneath the sodium-vapor lights of Norwood Green Park. The neighborhood was silent and still, except for the occasional car slowing to see what was going on. The intermittent rain became steady, and we huddled under umbrellas.
We had been expecting about 70 people who had responded to the Facebook invitation, but there is always a challenge in translating online support to offline action. But people came through in the end — to the tune of £7,000 to support SWAT.
Let’s hope this is the start of something big on behalf of Southall’s homeless.
Photo by Preston Merchant
What is the immigration status of the people who are homeless?
SWAT says it works only with legal immigrants.
If they are legal immigrants, are they primarily drug and alcohol addicts that need some kind of health counseling before they can be put to productive work or are there also some able bodied ones without the addictions? And I presume form the write-up that they are mostly men and no women, right?
Dont the Sikh gurudwara’s in London have programs to take care of Sikhs struggling with drug and alcohol addiction?
Mostly drug/alcohol addicts. A close relative of mine became alcoholic and homeless in USA…later was killed by another homeless drug addict in a robberry.
70% of the males in Amritsar(home of the Golden Temple) aged 15-35 are addicted to heroine.
Sharing a border with Pakistan, which has an endless cheap supply of heroine from Afghanistan, has made drug addiction quite normal in the Punjabi community. We have turned our eyes from the abuse of alcohol and Punjabis will continue to do the same with harder drugs.
Gurdwaras have never been a place for salvation from problems like alcohol. Politics? Yes. Life problems? No way.
Not every homeless person is an addict, but jobs are few. There is a crossroads in Southall referred to as Desi Corner, where men gather in the mornings seeking work as day laborers — and most are too old to be climbing ladders and hauling bricks around a construction site. These men are not homeless, but they are only marginally employed. I did speak to some of them, many of whom have similar stories. They came over as tourists when the economy was strong and then stayed on to work. They measured their wages in pounds against the rupee and considered themselves lucky. But the faltering economy and influx of workers from other countries, like Poland, have depressed casual wages to the point where the jobs aren’t worth it. Then the government cracked down on the hiring of illegals, which made people reluctant to hire them. They may or may not try to go back to India. So there are plenty of able-bodied, non-drug addicted workers — but no jobs.
Finding productive work for the homeless or formerly homeless is quite difficult. But SWAT reports in its Facebook group that it has recently placed two men in jobs.
As for the apparent lack of homeless women, there may be, but they are not out on the streets, living under bridges or in graveyards. Women on the street in such a conservative area would be an anomaly, even a shock. So the world in which they move is carefully hidden.
Some gurdwaras have social programs but, again, conservative cultures don’t broadcast their problems. Who wants to be seen coming out of an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting? There are plenty of studies about the high incidence of alcoholism among British Sikhs, but not much discussion or action within the community.
You can prove anything with statistics. 47% of all people know that.
The sad thing is that people in India still think of the west as a gold paved land…that is why they come to Southall, UK et cetra…Have seen gangs of them walk out of garages, which clearly is their accomodation..UK is in deep recession, it can hardly provide for UK born, let alone the immigrant from Punjab
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/08/amritsar-indias-capital-o_n_415198.html
If you need a source that badly.
Touching indeed Preston. Any contact number you could give in London…shall request my colleague in London for a possible story. Thanks.
I agree with Desiderius above and asked the same question on The Langar Hall a few months ago (http://thelangarhall.com/india/sikh-welfare-awareness-team/) – Gurdwaras have historically been a place for the community, so why aren’t they taking more of an active role in addressing this issue? Only more recently have Gurdwaras turned into a solely “spiritual” space – in the past Gurdwaras were a place where people in need could turn to. It sounds like that is not what is happening in Southall. These men can go to Gurdwara for langar etc. but in terms of sleeping, they are on the streets? If the community isn’t going to step in and help people in need now, when will we help??
SWAT says it works only with legal immigrants.
Are they 100% sure about that. It’s just that most punjabi sikh immigrants that go to the west have big group of aunts/uncles/cousins and even people from there village already there to help them out and give them shelter.
Not sure the community is all conservative or liberal or how well those terms fit
Not sure what you are saying here. These people have options and are out on the street for entertainment?… or you want to check their papers before putting them back on the street?
I think this issue has been exacerbated by large numbers of young South Asians coming over to study; unfortunately, many have been duped into (or willingly acquiesce in) handing money over to dubious ‘educational’ institutions. Consequently, they’re coming over on student visas; those genuinely wanting to study are finding no courses or accommodation; all are struggling to find work in the current economic climate. The government is cracking down on these fake colleges, but it doesn’t really help those marooned here by the recession.
Preston,
Do you want us to contact local Gurudwara for help? This site provide a reasonable list of Gurudawaras in the USA and I think some of them should be able to contribute. It might be worth helping these youths than making another Gurudawara.
A
Preston,
Sorry. I did not attached tHe URL in earlier post. Here is the link
http://www.gurdwara.us/
As far as I know, SWAT is working with the gurdwaras in Southall. But if some American groups want to help out, so much the better.
How will you have homes when you migrate unplanned and en-masse from India.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/20-000-Punjabi-youths-migrate-illegally-every-year–UN-report/589810
Preston, thanks for the piece. I’m a little confused from your comments in #7. It appears that the majority of these men are illegally in the UK, and you say that wages are so depressed that the jobs “aren’t worth it.” Taking on a job, albeit a temporary or low-paying one, would seem to be the prudent thing to do in any case. If the choice to remain in the UK is being made by able-bodied, non drug-addicted people, then it doesn’t offend ethics, economics, or laws to help them find a way back to India as an option, particularly in a recession. I’m also interested in what the UK government reaction is? Would they move to deport these men based on their lack of proper immigration status?
The guys I was describing at Desi Corner are not the same as the homeless. My point there was that jobs are few, especially in the informal, unskilled sector. The homeless people in Southall are homeless for the same reasons people are homeless anywhere — joblessness, addiction, personal tragedy, mental illness. If they are in Britain illegally and immigration finds them, then that system will deal with them.
SWAT’s point seems to be that many of the homeless in Southall are legal immigrants, which is a further tragedy since, traditionally, community resources prevent people from falling through the cracks.
Alcholism seems to be a big problem with Sikhs in many places. In American and Canada, Sikhs got problems with alcohol too. In Punjab, from what I hear, same deal. I haven’t heard much about any drugs problems, but I do know the South Vancouver/Surrey BC Sikhs have a lot of ongoing violence over drugs.
I’ve seen a lot of claims that there is mass scale drug addiction in Punjab, but the Punjabi immigrants I know in the U.S. don’t seem to have this problem. So the drugs thing, I’m a little less sure about.
The generalizations of the Sikh community do not do justice to those of us who are from the community.
SWAT does not ask wether these unfortunate people are illegal or legal, we are not interested in that, we are just helping them……
JT,
Could you please care to write those ‘many’ places where alcoholism is a problem with Sikhs? Enlighten us please.
I have been living in the USA for a long time and I never heard about it. This is the first article I have seen on issues with drug and alcoholism with Sikh community in any where in the world.
Though a lot of Sikhs enjoy life with good food and drinks, stating it as a problem is not right.
Where did you hear about your claims about mass scale drug addiction in Punjab? Can you please state your source. Do you live in Punjab or watch Panjabi news or read news from Panjab..if ‘yes’, where did you read or heard about it?
I also HEARD all Indians cheat….
I can understand your defensiveness if you are a Sikh, but there’s no denying that Punjabis/Sikhs have serious substance abuse issues. Their relationship with alcohol often goes beyond just having a good time. Read some of these links before you comment further. The first two links detail the drug addiction issue in Punjab.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/10456/punjabs-bitter-harvest.html
“Sukhwinder’s is a despairingly familiar story in today’s Punjab, that has been engulfed by the all-pervading malady of drug addiction. Vibrant Punjab, which once ushered in the Green Revolution, is today living in a dazed stupor, as 67 per cent of the rural households in the state have at least one drug addict, a survey conducted by the Department of Social Security Development of Women and Children reveals”
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/every-third-male-student-in-punjab-drug-addi/464048/
“According to a Punjab Government survey, 66 per cent of the school-going students in the state consume gutkha or tobacco; every third male and every tenth female student has taken drugs on one pretext or the other and seven out of 10 college-going students abuse one or the other drug. “
Indo-Canadian drugs violence is a serious issue for Punjabis in Vancouver.
http://www.sikhsangat.com/index.php?/topic/7016-indo-canadian-gang-violence-in-bc/
“Former gangster Bal Buttar reveals how he arranged the murders of Indo-Canadian rivals in a brutal, drug-fuelled underworld that has claimed dozens of young lives (Comment: over 100 lives at this point). In exclusive interviews with The Sun’s Kim Bolan, he warns teens not to be tempted by the promise of wealth and power into a world where gangsters betray their best friends.”
http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/lifestyle/boozy-punjabi-weddings-are-now-a-british-problem_100287684.html
“She quoted research published in the British Medical Journal as saying men of South Asian origin in Britain are four times more likely to die of alcohol-related liver problems than other ethnic groups. And eighty percent of those South Asians who are vulnerable to alcohol-related mortality are Sikhs, she said.”
I’m not sure if these issues are specific to Jats, Sikhs, or just Punjabia in general. Maybe someone here can enlighten me.
Give me a break. This is plight?? This woman is on a cellphone.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=5307417&op=1&o=global&view=global&subj=213324916455&id=812263781
And 100? This is all for 100 homeless (but apparently eating junk food and ipoding) junkies?
Sorry – attempting to wrap my head around the human tragedy unfolding so far that now has :
a) a facebook page that looks more fun than tragic and proclaims “We have encountered 2 men over the age of 55 living on the streets” Thats right. 2! b) free food and clothing
Is this what passes for human tragedy these days? Is rain really that tragic? These junkies either need to be arrested or left the hell alone. The real tragedy is that they are getting this kind of attention.
Give me a break. This is plight?? This woman is on a cellphone. This guy is having the time of his life.
And 100? This is all for 100 homeless (but apparently eating junk food and ipoding) junkies?
Sorry – attempting to wrap my head around the human tragedy unfolding so far that now has the follwoing problems :
a) a facebook page that looks more fun than tragic and proclaims “We have encountered 2 men over the age of 55 living on the streets” Thats right. 2! b) free food and clothing
Is this what passes for human tragedy these days? Is rain really that tragic? These junkies either need to be arrested or left the hell alone. The real tragedy is that they are getting this kind of attention.
Anon, the people in the photos are not homeless but are the Londoners participating in the sleep out to raise money (and £7,000 is a decent sum).
Establishing a community wide trend requires more than a few general media links and reference to a few studies. Otherwise the effect is only creating the basis for prejudice,which creates the need for response. Prejudices at the level of community wide generalizations can lead to serious outcomes
Looks like Punjabis/Sikhs aren’t the only Indians with an alcohol problem:
(Indian) President concerned about alcoholism in Kerala http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/president-concerned-about-alcoholism-in-kerala_100295606.html
“The Alcohol and other drugs related problems are also high in Kerala. The per capita consumption of Alcohol is also highest in Kerala.” http://www.ksmha.org/kerala.htm
I dont know a single Punjabi family that doesnt have at least 1 full blown alcoholic in their family.
To say that the Punjabi community is just “having a good time” is just irresponsible.
Right now 70% of the men in Amritsar between 15-35 are one heroine. This is basically 2 generations of men that are going to be lost forever. While the rest of India is moving foward, Punjab is going to be in trouble.
Scare tactics man. what you are writing is due catching but what else? Every family you know has an alcoholic ? What kind of unsubstantiated thing is that? how about providing a context for this insider information? What kind of situation are these people in? Some actual info otherwise the takeaway is literally every Punjabi family has at least one alcoholic because someone in the know says so. that seems like a ridiculous statement
if that is the level of discussion so be it. no doubt drug abuse effects punjabis as it does others and Punjab is undergoing changes. some of the context has parallels with the us Midwest as agriculture continues to decline. the Sikh community has been subject to stereotype previously and it often has been detrimental, so context and details are useful
JT,
I am checking the information you supplied. There is nothing about the USA cities that you mentioned.
The data collected in schools may be probably based on questions like :- have you tried toboco/’beedi’ once? Keep in mind in recent years conservative sikhs have been trying to enforce stict “No smoking” policy. This may just be a media tactic to keep young people away from smoking. One way or other, it is OK for media to do this as the result is going to be positive.
Shallow Thinker,
Think deep please. Contact me and I will give you address of hundereds of sikh families without any drinking history.
If you don’t know, ‘Amritdhari’ Sikhs are NOT allowed to DRINK or eat MEAT. There is a large percentage of sikhs who are Amritdhari and they are very particular about following pricinples of sikhism.
JT and Shallow Thinker
50% population of Punjab is non sikh. 50% are mostly Hindus but they speak Punjabis. Not all Panjabis are Sikhs.
Excellent post, Preston. Thanks for bringing this to light.
I have no idea why some of the folks here feel the need to waste their time writing comments that really contribute nothing, except highlight their prejudice towards, in this case, Sikhs. It’s people like you that have caused India’s minorities(such as the Sikhs) to suffer in the first place. Just get over yourself man. And your insistence on these homeless folks’ legality adds a whole other level of contempt to your discourse, if it can be called that.
Anyhow, let’s focus on what can be done. I will alert a couple of groups in the NY area, and see how they can help.
Thanks again.
There are a lot of serious issues within almost every single religious group in India. Just look at their practices and actions in the last 25 years. Can you name one that doesn’t?
But, to respond to the needs of a group of people, whether it’s afghan women, hindu widows, or homeless sikhs, by pointing out the flaws in their collective group, reeks of nothing but bias and small-mindedness.
So, Shallow thinker and JT, grow up. I fully expect you to defend yourself and prove that you’re not so. But, some of us are capable of reading between the lines.
So, Shallow thinker and JT, grow up. I fully expect you to defend yourself and prove that you’re not so. But, some of us are capable of reading between the lines.
I don’t know about JT, but I think that Shallow thinker comes from a punjabi sikh background. Why would they have to defend themself for speaking the truth.
I know that Sikhs do not smoke. I have personally never seen a Sikh smoke and I find that worthy of emulation. Chandigarh is the only ‘Red Smoking zone’ city of India.
Alcoholism however is a problem of enormous scale. You need to attend Punjabi weddings to get a feel of it. Attend any pubs in Delhi and count the Karas. I think Khatris and Punjabi Hindus are more susceptible to Alcoholism because they haven’t been schooled with the moderating instructions of Sikhism. Also Punjabi culture, as opposed to the Sikh teachings, tends not to put so much behavioural emphasis on humility, thrift and simple living as the other parts of India. This last part is not a generalization, it will survive scrutiny in a large enough sample. And I don’t mean to be disrespectful.
I am glad to have a UK centric post up on Sepia Mutiny. I live out in East London which is another hub for Indian immigrants in London, mainly Tamil or Gujarati. Most of these people end up in London to “study” in a College. They are told that finding a job would be easy, and living on minimum wage in London is not a problem. BS. They end up living in “guest houses” – ten people per room. Its like something out of Victorian poverty porn. London is a rough place if you don’t have a job and don’t have a support structure in place. Its hard enough to get a job if you are qualified and legit. Unless you have a benevolent Uncle or Aunty who will give you work in their corner shop or small business, you are screwed. Either work for below minimum wage, or go back to India and figure out a way to pay back your massive loans. I think the Indian government really has to start taking better care of it’s citizens. Maybe by regulating the agents who attract all these kids from India to the UK (I was shocked at the huge “Student visa for the UK” banners when I last visited). For example, some of the schools advertising in Indian aren’t even UCAS accredited. A degree from them is as useful as a chocolate teapot!
Sorry that my personal experience is called a “scare tactic” by you, but what else can I say? Either I am lying or you belong to a group of Punjabis that have escaped this problem and my experience and your experience are both extremes at both ends of the spectrum. Im not going to give you facebook pages of everybody I know that deals with alcoholics because you want a list of sources. Not going to happen. Behind every stereotype there is some truth.
I know some Amritdhari Sikhs and I know that they are not above substance abuse. 2 of the ones that I do know where substance abusers before they became religious. I am not here to say all Sikhs/punjabis are drunk out of their minds all day long. I am saying that there is a problem and instead of addressing the problem the community plays the “see no evil, hear no evil” game. As for the large percentage of Sikhs being Amritdhari, I dont think that is true, just by using the eye test. If I go to a Gurdwara, I would say maybe 20% are Amritdhari there. When I went to Punjab, I also did not see that many. Just as a person couldnt say “all Punjabis are homeless drunks” because they only have seen a video of homeless Punajbis, you cant say that there isnt a problem because you know Amritdhari Sikhs.
I dont understand what part of me speaking about my personal experience calls for me having to “grow up”, but what should I have said? This is a post about Punjabi homeless people and thier issues and I am responding to it. Why should I talk about Afghan women? This is something in my life that I have seen break families apart and I have always wondered why there isnt help for these people? I dont see the help from the community and I dont see the help from places of worship and I dont think it should be this way. Instead 50% of Punjabi songs are about getting drunk and it seems to get more and more celebrated with each passing year.
I agree with shallow thinker’s last comment…although he should rename himself Deep Thinker
Re #8 Darth Paul, http://thelangarhall.com/general/drug-abuse-in-amritsar/
Shallow Thinker,
Because there are several media reports, there is good possibility that Substance Abuse problem exists in Punjab. Reported extent of problem seems exaggerated. My reference about ‘Amritdhari’ sikhs was reponse to your following comment in post 32. “I dont know a single Punjabi family that doesnt have at least 1 full blown alcoholic in their family.”
I don’t drink and most of the sikhs I know in this area (RTP, NC) don’t drink. On the flip side we know few South Indians who drink a lot and need control after few drinks.
I agree denial does not help and as I mentioned earlier posts, one way or other result will be good if media reports. However, I can see Sikhs becoming defensive about it because it is not unusual in India to make irrational opinions/jokes/statements about sikhs.
in my experience the level of substance abuse roughly similar to the general level as is the level of denial. which is not intended to deny but also not to suggest it be taken for granted that substance abuse is the norm, which would be hyperbolic.
You seem to suggesting the way to aid people is to debase the.community and if we are.wretched enough we earn some kind of salvation. to me thats not truth telling.
Last one and I’m out. substitute another stereotype for drunk Punjabi. i’m not trying to be cold to. I do know people who have experienced stuff like this but no way only or especially from.one ethnic group. it may be the numbers.are higher in some contexts.