Sikhligar Upliftment
In States of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pardesh and Rajasthan etc. many individuals called Sikligars, Vanjaras and Lobanas have been residing in huts and their living conditions have been dismal. They became Sikhs at the times of Gurus but have been deprived of education for hundreds of years. These individuals severely lack opportunities; they, however, are hardworking and industrious. They are a proud people who live with dignity. They have been struggling to discover their religious roots, from which they have been distanced with the passage of time.
In 1999 when ‘Khalsa Sajna Divas’ was celebrated at Madurai Kamraj University, where a Chair in the name of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji stands established and Nishkam for the last many years have been providing scholarships to the South Indian students doing Post Graduate Diploma in Sikh Studies and Comparative Religion, the volunteers of both Nishkam and Karnataka Sikh Welfare Society, Bangalore got together and the inspiration resulted in setting up, in August, 2000, of a Nishkam Wing in the Karnataka Sikh Welfare Society (KSWS) in Bangalore. The two human development organizations pledged to empower a section of disadvantaged people, living in deep poverty, by working together for their welfare.
