We sit down with Gurharpal Singh and Giorgio Shani to discuss their new book, Sikh Nationalism: From a Dominant Minority to an Ethno-religious diaspora, along with John Hutchinson, Atsuko Ichijo, and Ian Talbot as discussants. Join us on Facebook Live or YouTube Live; members will receive an email to join in on the Zoom call.

Drawing on A. D. Smith’s ethno-symbolic approach, Gurharpal Singh and Giorgio Shani use a new integrated methodology to understanding the historical and sociological development of modern Sikh nationalism. By emphasising the importance of studying Sikh nationalism from the perspective of the nation-building projects of India and Pakistan, the recent literature on religious nationalism and the need to integrate the study of the diaspora with the Sikhs in South Asia, they provide a fresh approach to a complex subject. Singh and Shani evaluate the current condition of Sikh nationalism in a globalised world and consider the lessons the Sikh case offers for the comparative study of ethnicity, nations and nationalism.

Gurharpal Singh, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
Gurharpal Singh is Emeritus Professor of Sikh and Punjab Studies at SOAS, University of London. His previous publications include The Partition of India (2009), Sikhs in Britain: The Making of a Community (2006), and Ethnic Conflict in India: A Case Study of Punjab (2000).

Giorgio Shani, International Christian University, Tokyo
Giorgio Shani is Professor and Chair of the Department of Politics and International Studies at International Christian University (ICU) in Japan. He is the author of Religion, Identity and Human Security (2015) and Sikh Nationalism and Identity in a Global Age (2010).