Karnataka Sikh Welfare Society (KSWS)

The Karnataka Sikh Welfare Society (KSWS) is a Bangalore society that works for the Sikligar Sikh families of Karnataka. They make crude iron household goods such as knives and tongs, and the society lists them in Bangalore, Mysore, Hubli, Dharwad, Belgaum, Gulbarga, Mudhol and other towns.

How it began: The society says that in August 2000 it joined the Nishkam Sikh Welfare Council of New Delhi to set up a Nishkam Wing for the Sikligars, with four goals: bring them back into mainstream Sikhism by encouraging them to attend gurdwara and learn Gurmukhi, put their children through school, give them proper housing, and provide medical help. Its website lists Mahendar Pal Singh as president, H. S. Bhatia as vice-president and Jarnail Singh as general secretary. In 2011 IANS quoted Harminder Singh as its secretary.

What it reports doing (from its own site, which carries a 2013 copyright date)

• About 500 children admitted to schools in Karnataka, with fees, books, stationery and uniforms paid from donations. Promising pupils get scholarships backed by the Relief Committee of Greater New York.
• Gurmukhi, Gurmat and Gurmat Sangeet classes in Bangalore, which had run for 13 years at the time of writing. Children perform kirtan on Sundays at Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha, and Nishkam placed a Gurmat missionary at Belgaum.
• 22 houses and a community hall built between October 2001 and August 2003 at a cost of Rs 12.23 lakh, with Nishkam's money.
• With a Chandigarh trust's help, 20 girls trained in tailoring and 6 boys as welders and turners, all later employed.
• A Nishkam Medical Fund for emergencies, which has also helped some poor non-Sikligar families.

IANS reported in 2011 that the society gives scholarships to Sikligar children, and that older Sikligars are encouraged to join Punjabi classes. It named one scholarship holder, 23-year-old Amardas Singh, who by then worked in the financial sector. A 2009 SikhNet piece also credits the society's education sponsorship programme for helping younger children go to school.

Where it stands: The society's site is the only detailed account found, and its figures date from around 2013. Whether the numbers still hold has not been checked.