Punjabis by nature are a very resilient group, right from being oppressed under the Colonial rule, to facing India’s partition that necessitated their movement from one part of the country to other, to having faced major wars, in free India Punjab being a border state; they have always managed to spring back on their feet and continued to grow and thrive. As a result of this very trait, Punjabis have gone to settle around the globe. The Green Revolution in Punjab, the dwindling land holdings, and the failed industrialization also forced Punjabis to migrate. The Punjabis who emigrated to many parts of the world comprise the Punjabi diaspora. They are one of the largest ethnic groups of the Indian diaspora who have a history of over 125 years of migration to foreign lands. Settling in Canada and the United States, the Punjabis have even included Independence activists who wanted to free India from British Rule and hence formed the Ghadar Party. The United Kingdom has a large number of Indian and Pakistani Punjabis, and London, Birmingham, and Glasgow form the most populous areas. Punjabis have emigrated to Southeast Asia including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand; to East Africa including the countries of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda; and to Australia and New Zealand. The Middle East saw a surge in migration in the 1970s. The Punjabis have also moved to Italy in recent years. The Punjabi diaspora is not only socially, economically, and politically well settled but also holds prominent positions in the countries where they have migrated and settled. Their manifold contributions to India, their country of origin, and particularly Punjab have been immense. This contribution has been in the form of investments, remittances, philanthropy, welfare and activities, all negating the phenomenon of “brain drain” and leading to “brain gain”. The contributions of the Punjabi diaspora have been playing a significant role in Punjab’s economic, political, and social development. The Lok Sabha polls and Assembly Polls in 2014 and 2017, respectively, found a vocal section of the non-resident Indian (NRI) supporters from the United Kingdom and North America, who were convinced that corruption, poor governance, and a meddlesome and inflexible bureaucracy plagued Punjab. So they came out openly and campaigned actively in the elections to rout out these problems. This chapter examines the contributions of Punjabi diaspora in various spheres of development over time. It will also go on to examine the issues, challenges, and constraints of how Punjab is taking backward steps and is failing to engage with its diaspora meaningfully unlike other States.

Punjabi Diaspora and Their Contributions: Issues and Challenges

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发表日期：

2025年

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Shikha Kapur

摘要

Punjabis by nature are a very resilient group, right from being oppressed under the Colonial rule, to facing India’s partition that necessitated their movement from one part of the country to other, to having faced major wars, in free India Punjab being a border state; they have always managed to spring back on their feet and continued to grow and thrive. As a result of this very trait, Punjabis have gone to settle around the globe. The Green Revolution in Punjab, the dwindling land holdings, and the failed industrialization also forced Punjabis to migrate. The Punjabis who emigrated to many parts of the world comprise the Punjabi diaspora. They are one of the largest ethnic groups of the Indian diaspora who have a history of over 125 years of migration to foreign lands. Settling in Canada and the United States, the Punjabis have even included Independence activists who wanted to free India from British Rule and hence formed the Ghadar Party. The United Kingdom has a large number of Indian and Pakistani Punjabis, and London, Birmingham, and Glasgow form the most populous areas. Punjabis have emigrated to Southeast Asia including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand; to East Africa including the countries of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda; and to Australia and New Zealand. The Middle East saw a surge in migration in the 1970s. The Punjabis have also moved to Italy in recent years. The Punjabi diaspora is not only socially, economically, and politically well settled but also holds prominent positions in the countries where they have migrated and settled. Their manifold contributions to India, their country of origin, and particularly Punjab have been immense. This contribution has been in the form of investments, remittances, philanthropy, welfare and activities, all negating the phenomenon of “brain drain” and leading to “brain gain”. The contributions of the Punjabi diaspora have been playing a significant role in Punjab’s economic, political, and social development. The Lok Sabha polls and Assembly Polls in 2014 and 2017, respectively, found a vocal section of the non-resident Indian (NRI) supporters from the United Kingdom and North America, who were convinced that corruption, poor governance, and a meddlesome and inflexible bureaucracy plagued Punjab. So they came out openly and campaigned actively in the elections to rout out these problems. This chapter examines the contributions of Punjabi diaspora in various spheres of development over time. It will also go on to examine the issues, challenges, and constraints of how Punjab is taking backward steps and is failing to engage with its diaspora meaningfully unlike other States.