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A man whose relatives appear on a memorial plaque commemorating Bristol Sikhs' contribution to both World Wars is further honouring their memory with a book dedicated to the fallen members of the faith.

Mohindra Singh Chowdhry, from Stoke Bishop, has written his first book honouring the Bristol Sikhs who died fighting.

The 79-year-old, whose own relatives feature on the plaque in Castle Park in central Bristol, tells the story of the origins of the Sikh faith and the role soldiers played in both World Wars.

The story is something he feels isn’t common knowledge, and he wants to "raise awareness of theses brave men for future generations."

Mohindra Singh Chowdhry came to Bristol as a student at the age of 21 to study in 1962. A proud Sikh, his family originated from the Punjab in Rawalpindi, once in India now post partition in Pakistan.

When he first arrived in the city he lived in St Pauls, seeing many of the early migrants sharing rooms and houses. These were professional men in their own country, says, but with "their only option to do menial jobs" here.

Now 41 years on after a successful career in civil engineering, he is a member of a community that has been a resounding success story in Bristol, and the whole of the UK.

(Image: Michael Lloyd Photography)

In retirement he lives in Stoke Bishop, and wants to raise awareness of the Sikh contribution to British society, and in particular its involvement in the military. So, he decided to write a book, one that was accessible to everyone.

Mohindra said: “I want everyone to understand more about the origin of the Sikh faith, our customs, where they come from, and our proud military tradition.

“But I wanted to tell this in a direct and simple way. Not an academic book, but a book that everyone can grasp.”

In India, despite only making up 3% of the population, Sikhs compromise 50% of the military, and have fought alongside the British in several conflicts.

This is commemorated in Bristol, in a new memorial garden and plaque in Castle Park, honouring relatives of Bristol residents, Mohindra’s family among them, where his father and mother are honoiured.

He said: “Sikhs, of course, have a different history than the British, but have been together through thick and thin in many places.

“I am proud that my dad, was in the British Army. He was a general and a military engineer.”

Why are they so associated with the military? Mohindra explained: “Sikhs are a warrior race. Natural soldiers. It all stems back to the origin of the religion and where it started.”

The Sikh religion was founded in 1469, in the Punjab and shaped by Guru Nanak and his nine successors. The ruling elite at the time were part of the Moghul Empire, which oversaw India and much of South Asia for 300 years. They saw Sikhs as second-class citizens and a threat to their power.

Many of the customs, such as wearing a turban and carrying ceremonial swords, as well as tenets of the faith, are part of this political and social context.

Mohindra said: “These customs were borne from those times. If you were not from the ruling Moghul elite you were not allowed to grow your hair long or have a beard. You were not allowed to keep a weapon, to fight. This was the law.”

He continued: “So Sikhism was born as civil resistance, a revolutionary act. We were people that said no, we will do what we want. That spirit was there from the start. So today in ceremonies we have a sword and dagger, and never cut our hair.

“Within the book I look back at this, and explain why we are warriors and why we see serving in the military as a duty,” he added.

(Image: Michael Lloyd Photography)

The male surname in the religion is ‘Singh’ which means Lion, and symbolises the strength and bravery that men take into battle. Mohindra is keen to emphasise that this is all in the name of peace.

There are even sectors of the Sikh faith such as the Khalsa, a core community of committed followers within the faith, who are called to defend the rights of oppressed followers of their own and all faiths. The last guru or spiritual leader Guru Gobind Singh said: "My Khalsa should be both saints and soldiers."

The book is a lot more than just about the military though, and Mohindra is keen to broaden knowledge and understanding of the Sikh faith and its people, and their contribution to British society. The faith is not one that seeks converts and by his own admission haven’t always publicised their beliefs in the past as much as they could.

There are two audiences in mind for the book, both non-Sikhs and Sikhs themselves, who Mohindra feels need equally educating.

He continued: “Many people aren’t aware of our role. But also our own people don’t always know who we are and where we come from.

“Before talking of our involvement in wars, it’s important to set the context of Sikhism altogether.”

“By doing so we are creating awareness on both sides, and building a community ,” he added.

(Image: Michael Lloyd Photography)

There is a lot of misunderstanding about the Sikh religion, and Punjabi people, and with another book also on the horizon, Mohindra wants to set the record straight. He said: “I have fulfilled my personal ambition, and now I want to do something that is remembered for my people. On Sikh culture, who we are, and what we stand for.

“We have stood against fundamentalist religion, caste, and stood for liberty and democracy for all of the last 500 years. In lots of forms. Which is why fighting with the British in the first World War and against the Nazis in the Second World War was inevitable for us.

“We have always been and will always be democratic people.”

Mohindra Singh Chowdhry will be having a launch and signing of his book entitled Defence of Europe by Sikh soldiers in the World Wars at the Bristol Commonwealth Society, Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol on October 10 at 7pm.