Sikhism in Panama: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{More citations needed|date=December 2023}}{{Infobox religious group|group=Sikhism in Panama {{flagicon|Panama}}|pop=?Unknown|langs=[[Panamanian Spanish]]{{·}} • [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]]{{ •}} [[Hindi]]{{ •}} [[Urdu]]|image=|image_caption=|flag=Khanda (Sikh Symbol).svg|regions=[[Panama City]]|religions=[[Sikhism]]|image_size=|flag_size=60px}}

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'''Sikhism in Panama''' took its roots when the [[Panama Canal]] was started in 1890.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.sikhnet.com/news/sikhs-panama-and-medical-school-scholarship-opportunities|title=Sikhs in Panama and Medical School Scholarship Opportunities|website=SikhNet|language=en|access-date=2020-01-01}}</ref> Construction of the [[Panama Railroad|rail-road link]] between the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] and [[Pacific Ocean]]s began in 1850. With the boom of labour opportunities, immigrants saw Panama as a place of fortune. Sikhs came first as construction workers for the [[Panama Railroad|transcontinental rail road link]]. During 1864, among the population of [[New Grenada]], which contained [[Panama City]], out of 2.7 million people, 160,000 were Sikh. A large number of Sikhs settled there after the project.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Ottis, Fassenden Nott (1867). Isthmus of Panama :History of Panama railroad. Harper & Brothers. p. 264.}}</ref>

Construction of the [[Panama Railroad|rail-road link]] between the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] and [[Pacific Ocean]]s began in 1850. With the boom of labour opportunities, immigrants saw Panama as a place of fortune. Sikhs came first as construction workers for the [[Panama Railroad|transcontinental rail road link]]. During 1864, among the population of [[New Grenada]], which contained [[Panama City]], out of 2.747 million people, 160,000<ref>{{Cite book|title=Ottis, Fassenden Nott (1867). Isthmus of Panama :History of Panama railroad. Harper & Brothers. p. 264.}}</ref> were Sikh. A large number of Sikhs settled there after the project.

== Spread ==

Sikhs worked on digging the canal as manual labourers, as little machinery was available. [[Punjabis|Punjabi]] and specially Sikh labourers worked in difficult conditions, meeting challenges of [[yellow fever]]. British and American officials preferred Sikh labourers over others because of their perceived work ethic and characteristics that could withstand harsh conditions{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}.

The canal was completed in 1913–14. Sikhs maintained a weekly congregation, reciting [[Gurbani]] path, in houses by rotation. Early Punjabi settlers started working in jobs like watchmen or sold daily use articles as petty businessmen, until they were absorbed in Panama Canal construction work. With the completion of the canal, many of them had earned enough money to set up businesses or became landowners and farmers. One of them was Rattan Singh, who built his financial company, and became a founding father of Gurdwara Guru Nanak Sahib, Panama along with ParkashParkaish Singh and many others from their voluntary contributions. Gurdwara is well established and was inaugurated in 1986.<ref name=":0" /> Gurdwara is managed by Guru Nanak Sahib Civic Society, Panama.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, 2nd Edition|url=https://archive.org/details/religionsworldvo00melt|url-access=limited|last=Melton|first=J. Gordon|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2010|pages=[https://archive.org/details/religionsworldvo00melt/page/n2303 2187]|quote=Some of South Asian continent organisations in Panama are (...) Guru Nanak Sahib Civic Society.}}</ref>

== Higher education ==