What is Sindhyat ?

By Prof. Dr. Satish Rohra

Our friends often ask us “What is Sindhyat? What do you mean by it ?”
As honesty means an honest behaviour of a person, or efficiency means the efficient working of a man, similarly “Sindhyat” means the distinct features, qualities and behaviour of a community by which it is recognised as ‘Sindhi’ Community. Hence, by “Sindhyat” we mean the peculiar life style which makes Sindhis distinct from others. Our customs and beliefs, faith and tradition, way of thinking and behaviour are quite different from other communities.
Next question one may ask Who is Sindhi? Whom we can call Sindhi? The children who are born and brought up in India after partition and have never seen Sindh, can they be called Sindhis? And those who can not speak, read or write Sindhi language should they be considered as Sindhis ?
The simple answer to the above question is YES! The essential condition to call someone Sindhi is not to be born in Sindh or know the Sindhi language, but to feel oneself Sindhi, recognised by other as a Sindhi. Other people will call us Sindhis when they find the difference in our living pattern, in our customs and traditions, in our thought and action, which are quite distinct from their way of living. Thus we may conclude that “SINDHYAT” is the emotion which makes a person feel that he is Sindhi and also enables others to recognise him as Sindhi.
“SINDHYAT” is thus the identity of Sindhi Society.

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