Mazhabi Sikhs of Shillong and Guwahati (India)

This paper is a sequel to Himadri Banerjee's earlier study of 2010. It tends to describe the socio-economic profile of the Mazhabi Sikhs settled at Shillong and Guwahati for the last more than a century. These safai karamcharis (sweepers) had been keeping the two cities clean but themselves lived in worst slums. An attempt is made to understand issues of their social networks and survival strategies in a milieu hostile to ‘outsiders’. It is seen what makes them stick together, maintain their ethnic and religious identity and stay connected with Punjab as well.