Sikh immigration, theology, and pan-ethnic solidarity: A comparative analysis of Sikh theology practiced in three different nation-states

Abstract

This paper examines how Sikh theological principles, specifically Miri-Piri (the unity of spiritual and temporal authority) and Sarbat da Bhala (welfare of all humanity), function as operational frameworks for political action and pan-ethnic solidarity across the global Sikh diaspora. Drawing on oral history data from a Sikh-American activist and comparative case studies spanning India, the United States, and Indonesia, the analysis demonstrates that Sikh diasporic solidarity is not merely a sociological response to shared trauma but an active theological practice. The findings suggest that political theology may constitute an under-examined dimension of diaspora formation that existing frameworks do not fully capture.