Shah said the population of Sikhs and Punjabis was huge in Canada, and festivals such as Baisakhi were celebrated there.
Neelaksha Gowkaran, who was born and brought up in South Africa, said her ancestors had moved there four generations ago. She said her ancestors hailed from somewhere in North India, but did not know exactly where. “Those of my age in the family do not know much about India except what we have heard from our parents and read in the books,” she said.