But the Sikhs living in Block 11 of Kalyanpuri in east Delhi in 1984 were an exception. For despite their poverty, a lot of them owned firearms, complete with licence and ammunition. Those Sikhs belonged to a little-known section called Sikligar. While the Sikh mainstream originated from Punjab, Sikligar Sikhs were traditional ironsmiths, tracing their roots to the Marwar region of Rajasthan. Guru Gobind Singh, the prophet who imparted a martial character to Sikhism about 300 years ago, is said to have entrusted Sikligar Sikhs with the responsibility of manufacturing and maintaining weapons
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