|
|
THE SOCIETY'S GUARDIANS
Hong Kong Sikhs 1841 to 2000. A century of commitment, sacrifice, achievement, contributions and service to Hong Kong.by the Sikhs. Sikh soldiers were present on the very first day when Hong Kong became British territory. On 20th January 1841, Captain Charles Elliot-proclaimed British possession of Hong Kong. Sir Edward Belcher landed on 25-1-1841 and on 26th January 1841, Commodore Sir John James Gordon Bremer formally took possession of Hong Kong and raised the British flag at Possession Point in the presence British officers and Sikh soldiers. A century of Sikh service and contributions to Hong Kong commenced. THE HISTORY OF SIKHS IN HONG KONG
THE FIRST SIKH PUNJABI IN HONG KONG
SIKHS IN THE HONG KONG POLICE FORCE
SIKHS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HONG KONG POLICE FORCE
SIKHS IN THE BRITISH ARMY STATIONED IN HONG KONG
STONECUTTERS BRITISH FORCES SIKH MILITARY POLICE - HONG KONG
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE SIKHS IN THE HONG KONG COLONIAL GOVERNMENT SERVICE
WHY THE BRITISH PREFERRED THE SIKHS IN THE DISCIPLINED AND CIVIL
SERVICE?
COLONIAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS IN HONG KONG WITH SIKHS IN SERVICE:
OCCUPATIONS OF OTHER SIKHS NOT IN GOVERNMENT SERVICE
THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE SIKH PUNJABI COMMUNITY OF HONG KONG
THE SIKH POPULATION IN HONG KONG:
POPULATION HONG KONG (Estimate): 1841: 3,000 Est, 1845: 23.817(80% Men), 1860: 94,000, 1870: 124,000, 1880: 160,000, 1890: 198,000, 1900: 263,000, 1910: 436,000, 1920: 600,000, 1931: 849,800, 1945: 750,000, 1950: 2.1 Mil, 1960: 3Mil, 1970: 4 Mil, 1980: 5 Mil, 2003: 6,900,000. WHY DID THE SIKHS EMIGRATE TO HONG KONG?
HOW DID SIKHS TRAVEL TO HONG KONG
ONWARD EMIGRATION OF HONG KONG SIKHS
THE PUNJABI SIKH COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG:
RELATIONS OF THE SIKHS WITH LOCAL CHINESE RESIDENTS
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SIKH, PUNJABI AND INDIAN
WHAT DOES THE NAMES SINGH AND KAUR MEANS?
WHY SIKHS KEEP THEIR HAIR LONG AND DO NOT SHAVE?
A TYPICAL DAY OF A SIKH AND LIFESTYLE
SIR ELLIS KADOORIE SCHOOL - SOKUNPOO, HONG KONG
AN UNHAPPY CHAPTER IN BRITISH AND SIKHS RELATIONSHIP
THE SIKHS AFTER THE 1997 REVERSION OF HONG KONG TO CHINA
|
TIMELINE - SIKHS IN THE BRITISH EMPIRE ARMY: |
1600: 31 Dec 1600, the
East
India Company was established to trade but ended up intervening
in the governing of India.
1608: The first ships of the East India Company arrived in India, at the port of Surat, in 1608. 1615: Sir Thomas Roe reached the court of the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir, as the emissary of King James I in 1615, and gained for the British the right to establish a factory at Surat. 1615-1717: Trading actives increased and English communities developed around Calcutta, Bombay, and Madras. 1717-1857: British state involvement in India. Lord North's India Bill and the Regulating Act of 1773, provided for greater parliamentary control over the affairs of the Company, besides placing India under the rule of a Governor-General. The first Governor-General of India was Warren Hastings who remained in India until 1784 and was succeeded by Cornwallis. 1857: The annexation of native states, harsh revenue policies, and the plight of the Indian peasantry all contributed to the Rebellion of 1857-57 referred to previously as the Sepoy Mutiny and the East India Company ceased to operate. 1858: The British East India Company was dissolved. 1858: India officially became a British dominion and part of the British Empire until independence in 1947. 1902-09: The Indian Army was reorganized by Commander-in-chief Lord Kitchener. 1910-1918: During the first world war, Indian troops were sent to the Western Front in September 1914. Of the 70,000 sent to France, 5,500 were killed and well over 16,000 wounded. By November 1918 the Indian Army consisted of 573,000 men. he Indian Army was also sent to Mesopotamia, Gallipoli, Palestine, East Africa and Egypt and China. 1947: August 14, 1947. India gains independence. 2000 TimeLine 1840 to 2000 (No Sikh info) Hong Kong, China & British Empire. |
Timeline - Hong Kong Sikhs 1841-2000: |
1841: Sikh soldiers were present
on the very first day when Hong Kong became British territory. On 20th
January 1841, Captain
Charles Elliot
proclaimed
British possession
of Hong Kong and on 26th January 1841, Commodore Sir John James Gordon
Bremer formally
took
possession of Hong Kong and raised the British flag at Possession Point
in the presence British officers and Sikh
soldiers. A century of Sikh service and contributions to Hong Kong commenced.
1842: August 29. Hong Kong was ceded to Britain in perpetuity under the terms of the Treaty of Nanking. 1844: The Hong Kong Police Force was established with a formation of 35 British and Sikh constables. 1856: The Police Force had 238 members, all non-Chinese with many Sikhs. 1860: Chinese officers were recruited to the Hong Kong Police Force. 1845: The Rating Ordinance was enacted to collect rates and pay for maintenance of police & other services. 1853: The Prisons Department was staffed by Europeans and Sikhs Staffing costs were £1,206. The Sheriff got £600 annually. A European turnkey was paid £58, Indian constables got £19 a year. There was only 1 Chinese member. 1860: 26 March. Kowloon was ceded to Britain. Sikh Cavalry at Cowloong (Kowloon) were stationed in Tsimshatsui. 1862: The force was stringently reorganized, veterans from theBombayNative Infantry were injected and there was a universal pay rise to boost morale and performance. 1862: The Hong Kong Police force turned into a workablepolice force of mostly British and Indian policemen that had faced hardened criminals pirates, triads and gangsters and the force brought reasonable safety the crowded streets of the bustling city. 1867: The Governor requested the Indian authorities to send 100 Sikhs for the Hong Kong Police force. They were booked on first class steamers with hurricane decks which demonstrated the importance the government attached to this recruitment.(TI?). 1867: The overall strength had risen 690 with 90 Europeans, 370 Indians and 130 Chinese. 1880: Most of the staff at the Prisons were Sikhs and Europeans and there were only a few Chinese officers.(Prison Staff Photo) 1898: Chinesepolicemen exceeded Indians in numbers for the first time. 1898: 1 July The New Territories was leased for 99 years until 1997. 1900: (Estimate) Ellis Kadoorie School For Indians started by Parsee Ellis Kadoorie. Many Sikhs attended this school. 1900: Sikhs were serving in various HK government departments and continued until the 1980s. 1901: The Sikh Temple in Happy Valley was built. 1902: The first Sikhs who visited Canada were the soldiers of the British Army (the Sikh Lancers and Infantry) and they passed words to Hong Kong Sikhs of the favourable employment remuneration in Canada. Sikhs acted on this advise and established the first Sikh settlement in B.C Canada. 1912: A Sikh policeman prevented the assassination of Governor Sir Henry May by Li Hon-hung aged 25. 1914: An affluent Hong Kong Sikh Gurdit Singh chartered the Komagata Maru for 376 Sikhs and Indians to proceed to Vancouver to exercise their legitimate immigration rights in Canada, but they were met with unlawful resistance. 1914: Ellis Kadoorie School taken over by the government and announced in the government gazette: "Gazette Article No.530 of 1914. Ellis Kadoorie School. "It is hereby notified that the school, through the generosity of Mr. Ellis Kadoorie, will be taken over by the government from 1-1-1915. The fees will be $30 per annum. 24-12-1914". 1915: March 8. Constable Rutton Singh was killed by a tiger in Fanling when a police party searched for the animal. The stuffed head of the same tiger is on display at the Police Museum at 27 Coombe Road, The Peak, Hong Kong. Photo. 1930s: There were over 7,000 Indians in Hong Kong (Caroline Pluss) 1938: October. Canton was occupied by the Japanese. Some Sikh soldiers were on Shameen Island, Shamian. 1930s: The Indian population in Hong Kong was over 7,000.[TI]* 1941: Dec 25. Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. Sikhs were made prisoners of war along with the expatriate population All Expatriates were rounded up to spend dreary years in internment, to face a sudden or slow death. 1941-1945: Many Sikhs died in POW camps. Others Sikhs died defending Hong Kong.Graves stones of Sikh soldiers at the British Military Cemetery in Stanley serves as testimony. Many of these loyal Sikh men remained at their posts performing police duties and were killed by the Japanese. Others were forced to continue these duties under the Japanese. Some had no option but to seek employment with the Japanese at subsistence level in guard duties. Some Sikh policemen and their families have heard of the atrocities of the Japanese, so they merged into the civilian population and times were particularly hard for the Sikhs. The rest joined the British Army Aid Group in China or returned to India and a number took part in the re-conquest of Burma which stopped the Japanese advance into India. 1945: 6-August-1945 Atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. Peace was on the horizon. 1945: August 30. Liberation of HK from the Japanese. Sikhs and other nationals were freed from the Japanese. Many Sikhs returned to HK and resumed duties with the Police and government services. See List of Sikh Police in 1941.* 1945: Military Police Sikhs were entrusted by the British Army in Hong Kong to guard ammunition on Stonecutters Island. 1945-46: The Sikhs in Police were reduced after the war. 1946: 1946 was a turning point for the Sikhs. After the Japanese occupation, the incidents of Sikhs collaborating with the Japanese were amplified by the Chinese and the heroic Sikhs who defended Hong Kong was overlooked. Police Commissioner John Pennefather-Evans drew plans to scale down on the number of Sikhs in police service and those plans took effect under Commissioner Duncan MacIntosh in 1946. Events that followed were undesirable. Rampant corruption started to creep in and deteriorated over the years extending into the 1950's,1960's and 1970s. The offering of "Heung Yau" (graft money) to bribe the police was well known. Hong Kong residents were furious. The British parliament was incensed and demanded remedy. Finally, the Independent Commission Against Corruption was set up and successfully wiped out corruption within the force. Hong Kong once again has a respectable and professional police force. 1946 - 1948: Instability in China and the advance of the communists cause Sikhs to relocate to Hong Kong. 1949: People's Republic of China founded. 1949 Sikhs and other foreigners forced to leave Shanghai arrives in Hong Kong for permanent settlement. 1949: Shanghai industrialists and others also arrives in Hong Kong to establish factories and businesses. Many of those factories employed Sikhs as guards. Hong Kong is on the road to prosperity. 1950: The Sikh component of the Police forces was disbanded in 1950.* 1950: The recruitment of Punjabis continued at a minimal level until 1961.* 1961: The recruitment of Punjabis and Pakistani as policemen ends.* 1970: Pritam Singh appointed as Head of the Government Broadcasting Authority in the 1970s. Retired to Canada 1980. 1971: Sikhs lose the right to live in UK under the Immigration Act 1971 despite being Citizens of UK & Colonies. 1972: March 1972. China statedin a letter to the UN Committee on Decolonization that Hong Kong's is part of China occupied by Britain, the status quo to remain, and its future would be settled when the time is ripe. 1974: Widespread corruption in the HK Police causes Governor Maclehose to call for the setup of the ICAC. 1979: March 29. Governor Maclehose visited Beijing. China intends to reclaim Hong Kong sovereignty in 1997. 1981: The British Government removed the supposedly inalienable British citizenship of Sikhs replacing it by a untenable category citizenship of BDTC causing Sikhs to uproot themselves and scramble for alternative citizenship ahead of 1997. 1982: 15 June. Deng Ziaoping officially announced the position of the Chinese government in the context of the Hong Kong 97 issue, marking the first public statement on part of the PRC with regards to Hong Kong's future. 1984 April 20. British foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe made a historical statement in Hong Kong saying that it would be unrealistic to think of continued British administration of Hong Kong after 1997. Talks in Peking from July 27 to 31 1984 between British and Chinese officials were entirely devoted to Hong Kong 's future. 1984: December 19th. The joint declaration on the future of Hong Kong was signed between the Chinese and British governments for the resumption of sovereignty by China over Hong Kong in 1997 and ending 150 years of British rule. 1984: Harnam Singh Grewal CBE ED (1984-1986) was appointed Commissioner of Customs & Excise. 1986: Harnam Singh Grewal appointed as Secretary to Civil Service (No.5 in HK Government seniority ranking) after serving as Commissioner of Customs in the 1980's. He retired to Vancouver in 1990s. 1989: The Tiananmen Square incidents of 1989 caused an emigration tide in Hong Kong. 1990: Localisation of Hong Kong civil service begins. Expatriates including Indians and Sikhs retired early and leave. 1990 -1997: HK Indian civil servants at the Correctional services and police opted for early retirement. 1990: The Basic Law was passed allowing Hong Kong to continue its capitalist system and its way of life for a period of 50 years after 1997. The Basic Law does provide reasonable assurance, but Sikhs born in Hong Kong would lost their permanent residency and downgraded to non-permanent residents if they remain absent form Hong Kong for over 3 years. Senior government posts are reserved for people holding Chinese nationality. 1992: Large number of Sikh have emigrated to Canada due to citizenship concerns and uncertainties about 1997 1996: Uncertainties causes a wave of local Chinese and Asians emigration to Canada, USA and other countries. 1997: British grants citizenship to the ethnic minorities after most of them unwillingly secured alternative citizenship in 1982. 1997: June 30. British sovereignty over Hong Kong ends after 150 years and Hong Kong is reverted to China. 1998: First year of Hong Kong under Chinese sovereignty mixed with optimism and uneasiness. 1999: Economic depression and lack of opportunities cause some Europeans and Asians to leave Hong Kong. 2001 December Bank security guard Zafar Iqbal Khan, 31 was shot dead by Policeman Tsui Po-Ko who continued to serve in the force until he murdered three more Chinese policemen in 2001 and March 2006. 2000 Marked increase in racial inequality against the ethnic minorities.HK losing it's international flavour. 2005 Donald Tsang Yam Kuen becomes Chief Executive of Hong Kong. 2006 Police strength 27,000 99% Chinese. There were 275 Europeans and a handful of Indians and non-Chinese. Sikhs, Indians and Asians killed while on Hong Kong Police duty ("RH" Roll of Honour - incomplete list): 1894 Nov Amer SINGH Police Constable 575 Shot dead by a gang of robbers in Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan. 1909 Karm DEEN Lance Sergeant 627 and Nawab KHAN killed. 28.8.1909 Ambushed at Tai Po Gap whilst escorting money (Crown Rent) from Au Tau Station to Tai Po. Attacked with choppers and killed. 1912 Baggat SINGH Lance Sergeant 703 14.8.1912 Killed by pirates during raid on Cheung Chau Island. Jhanda Singh Police Constable 769 Inder Singh Police Constable 713. 1915 March 8. Constable Rutton Singh was killed by a tiger in Fanling when a police party searched for the animal. The stuffed head of the same tiger is on display at the Police Museum at 27 Coombe Road, The Peak, Hong Kong. Photo. 1918 Feb 22.M. SINGH Police Constable 402. Shot during an incident at No. 6 Gresson Street, Wanchai. 1924 Unknown Indian Guard Special Guard 2.1.1924 Shot during a pirate attack on S.S. "Tai Lee", at Kong Mun. 1924 Batchan SINGH Police Constable 20.4.1924. Shot near Kowloon Reservoir whilst on patrol. Revolver stolen. 1925 Abdul KHALIK Police Constable B41 19.5.1925. Shot whilst on duty at No.3 Railway Bridge, Hung Hom. 1925 Kushal KHAN Special Guard 23.6.1925 Stabbed in Bonham Strand West. 1925 Niaz MOHAMMED Pc 8.7.1925. Revolver snatched by prisoner being escorted to Kowloon City Police Station. 1926 Unknown Indian Guard 12.9.1926. Killed during pirate attack vessel "Sai Kung", 1932 Jawala SINGH Police Constable B120 1.5.1932 Revolver snatched Shamshuipo on 5.4.1932. Shot by culprit. 1934 Mohammed DIN Special Guard 23 22.5.1934 Shot whilst on duty on Bowen Road near Stubbs Road. 1936 Sahib SINGH Police Constable B695 26.7.1936 Shot by another officer in Central Police Station. 1936 Mahmud KHAN Special Guard 456 9.9.1936 Strangled with rope on duty in Pokfulam Rd, near QM Hospital 1937 Kaka SINGH Police Constable B449 13.8.1937 Shot by another officer near Tai Mei Tuk Village. 1939 Surta SINGH Police Constable B750 21.2.1939 Killed during Japanese bombing raid near Lo Wu railhead 1940 to 2000 Records not found. 2001 December 2001 Zafar Iqbal Khan, 31 was shot dead by Policeman Tsui Po-Ko who eluded suspicion and continued in the force for five years. Tsui also shot other Chinese policemen in 2001 and March 2006. List of police deaths in the course of duty 1841-1941 - All nationalities. |
|
HISTORICAL IMAGES - CLICK HERE
This website was first created on 1st June 2006 - Last
updated 1st June 2006.
This is the original website of the author. The text
written by the author may be freely reproduced, copied or quoted.
The website address should be indicated for any excerpt
or reproduction i.e. "http://www..."
Disclaimer: The author is not liable for any inaccuracies,
errors or damages whatsoever. No claims of any sort would be entertained.
Save the text in this page for your own reference - It
may be not be available in future.
This author does not have the resources to update this
site regularly. Emails may not be responded in time due to lack of resources.
The purpose of this website is to provide information
and preserve the history about Sikhs in Hong Kong.
http://www.geocities.com/hongkongsikhs
https://www.angelfire.com/planet/hongkongsikhs
This website was first created on 1st June 2006 - Last
updated 1st June 2006
|
|
- Blog and email & Feedback
Translate into Chinese home affairs dept (Make
a recording to make it easy)