Sainis of North India - Jammu

Sainis of North India - Jammu

Sainis of North India - Jammu

AS PER THEIR GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION , SAINI'S PRESENCE IN THE PLAIN AREA OF JAMMU IS NOT WELL KNOWN. AS THEY ARE A PART OF MINORITY ALONG WITH THEIR OTHER COUNTERPARTS LIKE LUBHANAS AND JATS OF THIS AREA IN A PROVINCE DOMINATED BY DOGRA RAJPUTS. HERE IN THE TEHSILS OF BISHNAH AND RANBIR SINGH PURA SECTOR MANY VILLAGES OF SAINI COMMUNITY ARE FOUND. THIS AREA IS RICH OF FERTILE LAND IRRIGATED BY CANALS AND IS FAMOUS FOR CULTIVATION OF BASMATI RICE AND RED BEANS AS WELL AS SUGARCANE AND COTTON. HERE SAINI'S ARE LIVING IN HARMONY WITH OTHER PUNJABI FARMING CASTES LIKE LUBHANAS, RAJPUTS AND JATS.


YOU WOULD BE WONDERING HOW COME THESE PEOPLE ARE IN JAMMU. ACTUALLY THIS AREA IS JUST A PART OF NORTHERN SIALKOT AND SHAKARGARH DISST.'S OF PAKISTAN. AFTER INDEPENDENCE DUE TO HINDU AND SIKH MAJORITY THESE TEHSILS WERE INCLUDED IN JAMMU PART OF INDIA AND SO THESE VILLAGES LOST THEIR DIRECT TRANSPORTATION ACCESS TO GURDASPUR AND PATHANKOT OF PUNJAB. SO NOW THEY HAVE TO TRAVEL A LONG STRETCH THROUGH JAMMU AND KATHUA TO REACH PATHANKOT AND GURDASPUR. FOR EXAMPLE NAROT MEHRA, SUJANPUR AND PATHANKOT ARE SITUATED IN THE FOOTHILLS OF SHIVALIK AND ACROSS RIVER RAVI WHICH SEPARATES SIALKOT AND SHAKARGARH OF PAKISTAN PUNJAB FROM PUNJAB OF INDIA. IN THESE PARTS OF PUNJAB, SAINI COMMUNITY HAS A LARGE POPULATION. MASTER SATPAL SAINI IS BJP MLA FROM SUJANPUR.


IN JAMMU REGION OF BISHNAH AND RS PURA SAINI'S FOLLOW HIDUISM AND SIKHISM ALTHOUGH THEY ARE MOSTLY HINDUS. BOTH HINDUS AND SIKHS INTERMARRY. SIMILARILY, OTHER FARMING COMMUNITIES OF THIS AREA, IE., JATS AND LUBHANAS ARE ALSO DIVIDED AS HINDUS AND SIKHS. IN THIS AREA VILLAGE CALLED KOOHL IS THE STRONGHOLD OF SAINIS. THIS VILLAGE IS FAMOUS FOR ITS SAINIS WHO ARE AGGRESSIVE AND DARING AND USED TO GET INVOLVED INTO ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES ACCROSS THE BORDER. THIS VILLAGE IS A TOTALLY SAINI SIKH VILLAGE AND THE SURNAME OF THE VILLAGE IS BANWAIT. OTHER FAMOUS VILLAGES ARE RASULPUR (SALARIA), SAROYA, CHAKRA (KHARGAL), AND CHANNA AND ARNIA, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS SECTOR ARNIA ON THE BORDER. FROM HERE SIALKOT IS NOT TOO FAR. SAINIS OF THIS AREA ARE VERY STURDY, TALL AND HARD WORKING. THEIR MAIN OCCUPATION IS FARMING AND ARMY. THERE IS A STRETCH OF TWELVE VILLAGES JUST FROM KOOHL TO ARNIA ROAD. NOW A DAYS, MOST OF THE SIKH SAINIS HAVE TO TRAVEL TO DISTRICT GURDASPUR TO VISIT THEIR RELATIVES AND IN SEARCH OF NEW RELATIVES.