I am an accidental author,” declares Amardeep Singh, author of Lost Heritage: The Sikh Legacy in Pakistan, an illustrative documentation available at the Library of Congress in Washington DC. It takes courage and conviction to delve into one’s past, more so while reconstructing stories of personal loss and pain. The 50 year-old former regional head for Asia Pacific at American Express in Singapore reminisces, “When I quit after 23 years of a hectic corporate career, I felt I should visit Pakistan to reconnect with my family roots.” Singh’s book captures tales of valiant people who stood their ground in the face of adversity. Excerpts from the book have featured in international magazines such as Asian Geographic. The soft-spoken author was in Chandigarh recently, where he spoke about the need to resurrect the Sikh legacy. In an interview with Suparna-Saraswati Puri, he also discussed his passion for photography and the need to expand creatively. Excerpts from the interview:

What led to the birth of this book?

I am an accidental author. I realise now that I had been preparing unconsciously for this book for over 20 years. For years, my second being was delving into the history of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Kashmir. I embarked for Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in October 2014 with a desire to carry back the soil from under Ranbir Singh Bridge, where many from my extended family were massacred in the tribal invasion of October 1947. Years of research on this region also motivated me to travel across other cities of Pakistan. Within 30 days, I visited 36 places in West Punjab, the Northwest Frontier and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

On my return to Singapore, it dawned on me that if the travelogues of the British spies who had travelled across Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s empire in early 1800s could motivate me to delve into the history of this region, surely the documentation of the remnants of the Sikh community as they stand seven decades after Partition would be of immense value for posterity. I started working on the book in December 2014; 13 months later, in January 2016, it was published.

What were the highs and lows as an author?

The highs of the journey were, first, the secular support I got. During my travels across Pakistan, I only experienced love and affection, with many of the locals, all Muslims, coming together to help me. Without their passionate, selfless support, this book would not have materialised. Many Sikhs and Hindus helped fund the project. Second, I wrote this book for posterity, without any sales expectations. However, the book became an overnight success, moving into second print in just over five months. The book got extensive media coverage not only in India but across the world, with BBC Radio and The Straits Times, among others, reviewing it favourably. Third, I have been invited to speak at 56 events across India, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, the UK, US and Canada. In Vancouver, I was invited by the Muslim community to address a crowd of over 220 people at the mosque. Finally, Lost Heritage can be found at international libraries at the universities of Harvard, Princeton, and the Library of Congress in Washington DC to mention a few, validating my efforts.

As far as the lows go, the biggest challenge was carrying out research that entailed discovering abandoned sites associated with the Sikh community across Pakistan, and garnering support from Sikh institutions. The support from Sikh institutions across India has been soft. I wonder what will make them realise the importance of such research for posterity.

You’ve made a mark as a photographer as well.

It is in my innate nature to always look at my surroundings with an explorer’s vision. I see myself as a white cloud floating freely in the sky, unknowingly abandoning myself in search for the unknown. Photography is just one small outcome of my larger wandering footprint. Today, through my photography, I am always searching for a deeper meaning.

What would be your advice for an aspirant of the medium?

My advice for any aspirant is to leverage every life experience to transform into a being that is focused on more than earning a living. Think about the high points you would like to cherish when you are on your rocking chair, and work passionately to fulfil them. Life creates challenges for all of us. Use them to reinvent yourself into someone better.

Did you upgrade your camera for the making of this book?

I haven’t upgraded my camera since 2009. Good photographs can be created even with basic equipment. One should focus on the craft, not the equipment.

How did you juggle between your job and passion for photography and writing?

This has been the toughest part. Clearly, my drive to achieve more than just the job was high, permitting me to make space for things closer to my heart. My definition of worldly success is anchored in the objective of becoming singular with oneself, from within and outside. To achieve this singularity of being, I have always given importance to self-development through my passions while simultaneously achieving worldly success in the corporate world. Without internal success, this life experience would be wasted. It is here that I have always challenged my right brain to find creative experiences. Trying to excel on both fronts is never easy. It’s like walking on a razor’s edge.

Please tell us about your immediate family and how they helped you in the making of the book.

My wife Vininder Kaur has been a great supporter of my hectic corporate commitments as well as passionate personal pursuits. Without her encouragement, this book would not have been possible. Our daughters, Tarni Kaur, 23, and Datti Kaur, 18, have supported my pursuit across Pakistan, managing my idiosyncrasies while I was burning the midnight oil. They also proofread the entire script. This being a visual book, they had a significant role to play in the layout and design.

What were your literary influences?

The travelogues of William Moorcroft and Alexander Burnes influenced me. While the former travelled across Punjab in 1819 AD, the latter did so in 1831 AD. If after nearly 200 years, these travelogues without photographs could leave an impression on me, surely my travel across Pakistan with a large collection of photographs could be of value for posterity.

Given its steep price (₹3,650), is Lost Heritage a coffee-table book meant for just a niche readership?

Keeping in perspective the extensive research costs involved in rediscovering the remnants of the community across Pakistan and thereafter publishing the findings in a high-quality photographic book, the pricing of the book could not be any cheaper. Being a 504-page book with 507 photos, coupled with deep insights associated with the discoveries, the pricing needs to be viewed from the perspective of the value it provides for posterity.

What are you reading currently?

I am reading the two-volume set on Indian Philosophy by S Radhakrishnan. At present, my soul is hungry for food, and this work is extremely satisfying.

Are you planning another book in the foreseeable future?

Such research-intensive projects require a lot of time and effort. Therefore, the topic has to be compelling enough and never attempted before for me to invest my effort and time. I do plan to write another book, anchored in similar storytelling with the aid of researched visuals. However, at this stage I haven’t finalised the details.

Photo courtesy: Amardeep Singh
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
March 2017