Sikhs In The Uk Conference 2006

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

1) How was the conference and what was achieved?

2) Did the organisers get assurances from the Home Office Minister on the Code of Practice on Sikh articles of faith? (see below a copy of Early Day Motion that remains tabled in the UK Parliament)

EDM 558 - CODE OF PRACTICE ON SIKH ARTICLES OF FAITH

That this House welcomes the Government's announcement in April 2005 that it will be drawing up a Code of Practice concerning Sikh articles of faith, in recognition of the Sikh's right to religious freedom and the need properly to protect the Sikh identity and articles of faith; urges that this Code of Practice covers all Sikh articles of faith and all Sikhs; and calls upon the Government to consult with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs to learn more of the views of Sikh organisations representing the grassroots opinions and views of Amritdhari (practising) Sikhs.

3) Was the issue of the Sikhs right to wear the Kirpan on the UK's transport system raised, were assurances given by the UK Government and did they promise specific actions?

4) Who were the Sikh students belonging to BOSS that were keynote speakers?

5) What other issues were raised concerning the Sikh identity e.g. right of Sikh workers at airports to have restrictions removed against the Kirpan, the right of Sikh passengers to wear the Kirpan an board planes - which is now the case in some countries, the ability for the UK Government to issue driving licences to Sikhs in France that refuse to remove their dastaars for photographs, the case of Satnam Singh and how the UK Government may be able to exert diplomatic pressure etc?

6) Was any substantive progress made in these areas?

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

1) How was the conference and what was achieved?

2) Did the organisers get assurances from the Home Office Minister on the Code of Practice on Sikh articles of faith? (see below a copy of Early Day Motion that remains tabled in the UK Parliament)

EDM 558 - CODE OF PRACTICE ON SIKH ARTICLES OF FAITH

That this House welcomes the Government's announcement in April 2005 that it will be drawing up a Code of Practice concerning Sikh articles of faith, in recognition of the Sikh's right to religious freedom and the need properly to protect the Sikh identity and articles of faith; urges that this Code of Practice covers all Sikh articles of faith and all Sikhs; and calls upon the Government to consult with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs to learn more of the views of Sikh organisations representing the grassroots opinions and views of Amritdhari (practising) Sikhs.

3) Was the issue of the Sikhs right to wear the Kirpan on the UK's transport system raised, were assurances given by the UK Government and did they promise specific actions?

4) Who were the Sikh students belonging to BOSS that were keynote speakers?

5) What other issues were raised concerning the Sikh identity e.g. right of Sikh workers at airports to have restrictions removed against the Kirpan, the right of Sikh passengers to wear the Kirpan an board planes - which is now the case in some countries, the ability for the UK Government to issue driving licences to Sikhs in France that refuse to remove their dastaars for photographs, the case of Satnam Singh and how the UK Government may be able to exert diplomatic pressure etc?

6) Was any substantive progress made in these areas?

159094[/snapback]

Could someone who attended the conference e.g. someone from SHRG or BOSS provide a report and address the above questions

[Nirvair S Khalsa]

A report would be nice if possible to see how it went?

Vaheguroo Jee Kaa Khalsa, Vaheguroo Jee Kee Phateh!!!

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

A report would be nice if possible to see how it went?

Vaheguroo Jee Kaa Khalsa, Vaheguroo Jee Kee Phateh!!!

159424[/snapback]

The following was posted on another egroup by Balvinder Kaur - Sikh Women's Alliance:

WJKK WJKF

Dear Jagtar Veer Ji,

I got this e-mail invitation from Gurmukh Singh a couple of days before the Conference. As per Gurmukh Singh's request, I attended this Conference and asked questions introducing myself as Acting Admin Secretary of the open and accountable BSCF. When I have some free time, I will write up a minute of the proceedings and circulate it to you for wider circulation.

Suffice to say, Minister Goggins was there as a Faith Minister and took part in the question and answer session after his speech. However, on the important issues e.g. Kirpan and other matters, he paid lip service and passed the buck to other Ministers. I will give you a full written report shortly.

Regards from

Balvinder Kaur

[balraj singh khalsa]

A report would be nice if possible to see how it went?

Vaheguroo Jee Kaa Khalsa, Vaheguroo Jee Kee Phateh!!!

159424[/snapback]

The following was posted on another forum by Harmander Singh (Sikhs In England)

The silence is not surprising, BOSS used to be the British Organisation of Sikh

Students, given their reluctance to answer any emails or any other form of

communication I have often thought it must now stand for British Organisation of

Silent Sikhs (given some have not been students for over a decade).

I have always admired the SHRG for their involvement in diverse fields in the

past and still have an expectation of a comprehensive public report on their

activities for they have been in receipt of public funds - The Freedom of

Information Act should not have to be used to ascertain the aims and proposed

outcomes of their bid for funds but is always there if need be.

Harmander Singh

UK

[GurSa Singh]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

What are you lot digging into the BOSS guys for? Not everyone posses the professional skills of the Sikh Federation UK – Britain’s first political Sikh party.

In my view BOSS have done more for Sikhi in todays youth than the Sikh Feds, SIE or any political party has and probably will manage to do.

I am sure in time you will get the sought after report you are so keen to scrutinise.

GurFateh!!

!

[TavPrasad Singh]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!!

To show a bit of unity maybe it would have been good for SF & SIE to attend the conference aswell??

[Pakandi baba]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!!

To show a bit of unity maybe it would have been good for SF & SIE to attend the conference aswell??

160007[/snapback]

What topics were covered at the meeting then?

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

The questions below were raised as Home Office Ministers have shown a remarkable unwillingness in the last four and a half years to engage with those directly associated with promoting the eight-point Sikh Agenda for the UK Government. This has included the Sikh Secretariat, Sikh Federation (UK) and many others.

It would be useful to know if the Home Office Minister agreed at the conference to address some of the Sikh concerns raised below or was it simply lip service.

1) How was the conference and what was achieved?

2) Did the organisers get assurances from the Home Office Minister on the Code of Practice on Sikh articles of faith? (see below a copy of Early Day Motion that remains tabled in the UK Parliament)

EDM 558 - CODE OF PRACTICE ON SIKH ARTICLES OF FAITH

That this House welcomes the Government's announcement in April 2005 that it will be drawing up a Code of Practice concerning Sikh articles of faith, in recognition of the Sikh's right to religious freedom and the need properly to protect the Sikh identity and articles of faith; urges that this Code of Practice covers all Sikh articles of faith and all Sikhs; and calls upon the Government to consult with the All-Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs to learn more of the views of Sikh organisations representing the grassroots opinions and views of Amritdhari (practising) Sikhs.

3) Was the issue of the Sikhs right to wear the Kirpan on the UK's transport system raised, were assurances given by the UK Government and did they promise specific actions?

4) Who were the Sikh students belonging to BOSS that were keynote speakers?

5) What other issues were raised concerning the Sikh identity e.g. right of Sikh workers at airports to have restrictions removed against the Kirpan, the right of Sikh passengers to wear the Kirpan an board planes - which is now the case in some countries, the ability for the UK Government to issue driving licences to Sikhs in France that refuse to remove their dastaars for photographs, the case of Satnam Singh and how the UK Government may be able to exert diplomatic pressure etc?

6) Was any substantive progress made in these areas?

159094[/snapback]

Please point out the criticism by the Sikh Federation (UK) of BOSS or SHRG in these perfectly reasonable questions!

Please do not confuse the Sikh Federation (UK) with the criticism by Sikhs in England (SIE) in some of the posts above.

Did you know that Home Office Ministers have stayed away from every single conference organised by the Sikh Secretariat or Sikh Federation (UK)? The last conference organised by the Sikh Federation (UK) on 1 February 2006 was hosted by the Mayor of London at City Hall. The Home Office Minister despite several months of notice still decided not to attend despite the personal invitation from the Mayor.

Many need to wake up to the reality of who the Home Office is prepared to be seen and work with and WHY. The Home Office has made it clear that it is more willing to deal with (and fund) those that do little or no longer:

i) mention their support for an independent sovereign Sikh State

ii) consistently campaign for the human rights of Sikhs in India

iii) challenge the banning of Panthic organisations in the UK

iv) support the separate recognition and monitoring of Sikhs

All these issues are being actively opposed by the Indian government and their operatives.

Is it criticism to ask for a simple report - a few paragraphs - from the conference that took place almost a week ago, after all did the Home Office not provide thousands of pounds to SHRG/BOSS (or was it the 'secret' BSCF) for this conference? Perhaps the report is being agreed with the Home Office!

Sikh Sangat members need to think carefully and ask who is interested in progress on Sikh issues (that are being opposed by the Indian Government) and who is keen to stay silent or show opposition on these issues to appease the Home Office (Indian Government!)

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

No report has been forthcoming from the organisers - SHRG, BOSS and Home Office. Perhaps reflecting what appears to have been a very low turnout.

However, Balvinder Kaur the Chair of SIE and the Sikh Women's Alliance has kindly prepared the following report and shared it via email with the 80+ member organisations of the Open British Sikh Consultative Forum.

NOTE PREPARED BY BALVINDER KAUR, ACTING ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY OF THE OPEN BRITISH SIKH CONSULTATIVE FORUM

‘SIKHS IN THE UK: FACT FICTION AND FUTURE’ CONFERENCE

Held on Wednesday, 5th April 2006 from 10.30 am to 5.30 pm at Imperial College by BOSS (British Organisation of Sikh Students) and SHRG (Sikh Human Rights Goup)

In Attendance: 50 to 80 individuals

11.00 am - Welcome and Introduction - Jaswant Kaur

11.05 am - British Organisation of Sikh Students – Harjit Singh

Sikh Heritage in the UK - Jaspreet Singh

President, Sikh Society UCL – Student Life - Dilpreet Kaur

11.35 am - The Panth in the Global World - Jasdev S. Rai

12.30 pm - Lunch

1.30 pm - The Law and the Sikhs - Sukhvinder Kaur

1.45 pm - Sikhi and the Space of Critique - Prof. Arvind S. Mandair

2.45 pm - Sikhs in Britain:the challenges ahead - Prof.Gurharpal Singh

3.15 pm - Minister Home Office: A Future for All - Paul Goggin, M.P.

4.15 pm - Response to Minister - Satnam Singh

4.25 pm - Negotiating Barriers, Para 67 - Manjit Singh QC

4.45 pm - Our Voice - BOSS speaker.

Jaswant Kaur welcomed everyone to the Conference which was the first of its kind organised by BOSS in partnership with SHRG.

Harjit Singh of BOSS introduced their organisations’s work as an umbrella group for 56 Sikh Societies nationwide, which networked with each another. He advised that BOSS was an active member of BSCF* headed by Jasdev Singh Rai of SHRG. He felt that the day that we see a sikh man with beard standing in the House of Commons was not far and that 3rd and 4th generation Sikhs were going from strength to strength. Their Website address is www.boss-uk.org.

*{NOTE: There are two BSCF groups, one is the open accountable voluntary group with Gurmukh Singh being the Administrative Secretary and the other is a splinter group headed by Jasdev Singh Rai which was recently given a grant by the Home Office).

Jaspreet Singh was recently given an award for Young Historian. He was looking to start a course in Cambridge in September 2006. His presentation was on ‘Relationship between Sikhs and the British in History’ i.e. what the British have done for Sikhs and what the Sikhs have done for British. He pointed out that his emphasis would be on the positives rather than the negatives.

Black and white pictures of World War One’s Sikh Regiment to the UK were shown on the screen. It was noted that 99.9% of security guards at Buckingham Palace were sikhs. Although at that time, retirement age was 40, some of the sikhs in the Regiment were in their 80’s fighting to the end. Sikhs would do anything for British without compromising their religion.

In World War Two, sikhs did wear gas masks and they did not have to shave their beards and pictures were shown of this evidence . Winston Churchill was very fond of Sikhs and a picture was shown of him shaking the hands of smartly dressed sikh soldiers with their turbans and beards. At that time, Hitler had said that if the Sikhs and the Gurkhas had been on his side, he would have won the war. A sikh who joined the army at that time had to be an orthodox sikh. 5082 sikhs were baptised by the British in army camps at that time. A signaller was the most important person in the army and at that time, Sikhs were 100% trusted and given the duty of signallers. 52 sikh families were taken into a Cathedral in Spitalfieds during the blitz for protection. What Golden Temple looked like 400 years ago was archived by the British and the pictures are in the British Library and British Museum. In India, old artefacts and items of important heritage are destroyed and no records are kept but at least here in UK, the British Library has thousands of manuscripts, some handwritten kept in perfect condition. Even though some of these artefacts were stolen from India at the time, they were not in a private collection, but were on display for everyone to see.

During the wars, no other religion was allowed to keep its code of conduct, apart from the Sikhs who took their Guru Granth Sahib with them and the British Army allowed them to pray and hold their religious services. In 1849, a British newspaper known as ‘The Illustrated London News’ had thousands of pictures of what a sikh looked like in those days. A picture of 1508 century of a sikh reading the gurmukhi scriptures at the Golden Temple has a cathedral next to the Gurdwara complex.

‘Shud’ means pure,

‘Chokiyan Chunde Bunge Jugo Jug Atal’ means daily prayer, routine, flag, historical buildings, keep them alive for ever and ever.

Jaspreet Singh concluded his presentation by stating that as Sikhs in India, we are not doing this but as Sikhs in UK, we are taking this seriously. A small reflection of what British did for the Sikhs.

Dilpreet Kaur, President of Sikh Society, UCL then spoke about ‘Student Life’ and the vast difference between practice of sikhi and the sikh code of conduct. She quoted gurbani ‘Man tu jot saroop hai, apna mul pehchan’ meaning recognise yourself. She stated that young Sikhs need to channel their positive energies to their local Gurdwaras and bring about changes. Alcohol, tobacco, drugs are issues which are negatives for the community. In UK, there were half million sikh residents who now celebrated Vaisakhi in the House of Commons and Trafalgar Square on a grand scale and these were positive moves, but more needed to be done.

Dr. Jasdev Singh Rai introduced himself as the Director of SHRG since 1988 and advisor to the Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib on international issues. He was also the General Secretary of the British Sikh Consultative Forum. (Note: There are two British Sikh Consultative Forums)

His presentation was entitled ‘The Panth in the Global World’ and the language of his talk was pitched at an intellectual level, and the gist of what was understood is set out below:

Empire – where does sikhi lie in a world where diversity is dying?

American Imperialism

Globalisation - CNN, Google, ICANN, Electronics, Flying, Mobile Phones, communications.

Sikhs in economy are not low or high, they tend to stay in mid-way.

French Revolution - Rights of Man - Effects on sikh Practices and Philosophy.

Humanism – Roots in Enlightenment, essentially secular, human centred.

Religious Humanism – Ethical culture, Unitarianism and Universalism.

Christian Humanism – ‘A philosophy advocating self-fulfilment of man within framework of christian principles.

Inter-Faith Dialogue

Al Qaeda Phonemenon

Sikhs and India – 1947 Constitution based on Germany, UK, USA and Ireland.

5000 years of civilisation - Dropped traditional pluralism and adopted secularism. Tensions between Sikhs and the Rulers.

Faith Unit of Home Office set up after the Riots of 2001.

Nation state theory – Sikhs in UK, USA think of a nation, but not as land.

Sustainable Development – Difficult to find an acre of land with trees on it but we keep hair and violate everything else. We keep hair and think we are respecting nature but destroy forests, we must reflect ecology of nature.

Water is finishing in Panjab, facing hugh amount of problems of sustainable development

Need to rethink.

Is sikhi a religion, a dharma, one is defined by secularism, the other is non-dualist.

Sachee-Taksal

aahran mat vayd hathee-aar

gharhiee sabad sachee taksaal.

Sukhvinder Kaur undertook her presentation on the subject of ‘Law and the Sikhs’. She reminded that the House of Lords Mandla v Lee case said Sikhs will be recognised as a race and protected. What was our role in shaping sikh policy. In today’s youth, are there Chahals and Sandhus among us who would stand up and protect their culture, customs and religion or does the need for conformity challenge this? Problems faced for carrying kirpan whilst visiting Home Office, Passport Office, London Eye, Scanners at Railway Stations, future London Olympics of 2012. EU cut down size of kirpan after 9/11, what next.

Ethnic Monitoring for services, jobs and promotions will it help shape future policy?

Professor Arvind Singh Mandair presented his intellectual lecture on the subject of ‘Sikhi

and the Space of Critique’. He holds doctoral degrees in chemistry and philosophy and is currently based at Hofstra University, New York, USA. A brief resume of the main headings of his talk is set below:

Repeating Cycles – EVENT followed by RESPONSE

1984 and post 84 sikh militancy

Opposition to ‘Sikh Studies’

Behzti Play Episode

Mohammed Cartoon Conflicts

Sikh Responses, characterised as NEGATIVE TRAITS IMPLY:

Emotive

Fundamentalist

Religious Violence

Religious Nationalism

Identity Politics

Defensive Boundaries

Unfree, irrational

Victim complex

Inside/Outside

Non-Relation

ISSUES for the sikh community:

How to recreate RELATIONS?

How to enter and inhabit the critical space on the basis of gurmatt or sikhi?

How to get others to see us beyond the sterotype we have created for ourselves?

He concluded his presentation by pleading to the younger generation of Sikhs to feel confident about using the Guru Granth Sahib as a conceptual basis for re-determining their relationship to the space of mainstream critical thinking (that continues to be dominated by Christian and Jewish concepts even in its secular versions). If taken to its limits, such a task must inevitably result in the transformation of the very sphere that they believe denies them access.

Professor Gurharpal Singh’s presentation was about ‘Sikhs in Britain and the Challenges Ahead’. He works with the Department of Theology at Birmingham University and is the co-author of a book entitled ‘Sikhs in Britain’ which illustrates the making of the Sikh community and its contribution to the development of multiculturalism and the issues facing the community itself, i.e. employment and educational under-achievement amongst a large proportion of British Sikhs.

It was interesting to note that currently there were approximately 60 Sikh Councillors, majority of them with the Labour Party and only 2 or 3 with the Lib-Dem party, and none with the Conservative Party.

He presented statistics about population figures and advised that 35% of the sikh population lived in Greater London and South East of England.

The main points he highlighted were that:

Sikhs were not high flyers, but middle rankers.

British sikh society was socially fragmented.

Challenges on the relevance and representativeness of British sikh constitutions.

The future between politics of ‘victimhood’ or community building and self-help?

Sikhs and community cohesion agenda in a modern self-reflective society.

Professor Gurharpal Singh was asked a number of questions about his research and how he had compiled his statistics. He hoped that the above book will form part of future policy.

Paul Goggins, MP, Under Secretary of State at the Home Office then addressed the Conference on his presentation entitled ‘A Future for All’. He stated that the Home Office regarded the sikh community as partners in building a cohesive society. That as faith played an important part in people’s lives, the Government had produced a policy document on ‘Improving Opportunities – Strengthening Society’ making a commitment to all faith communities. He stated that the Home Office do not only interact with the muslim community but they do also interact with all communities, including the sikh community through funding for events, such as this Conference here today at the Imperial College and other grants to sikh organisations. He made reference to Home Office Faith Consultative Council and stressed that it was important to bypass the fact that the youth were not being listened to, and that was one of the reasons why he had come to the Conference. That the Home Office need to use the research that the sikh community were undertaking.

Following his presentation, he took part in a question and answer session and the following issues were raised with him:

Open and accountable consultation with all sikh bodies on sikh issues, through the electronic media or otherwise, and not just with one or two organisations who did not represent all the sikh bodies and did not report back to the wider sikh community.

Wearing of Kirpan in prison or by relatives visiting the prisoners.

Would the Government or Foreign & Commonwealth Office set up a Task Group to look at issues for Sikhs in European Union?

Lack of funding for capacity building of sikh women’s groups, refusal of recent grant application was questioned?

No go areas for baptised Sikhs, i.e. Windsor Castle, Tube, London Eye, Passport Office, future London Olympics 2012 Arena. What can he do to help the community?

Mr. Goggins advised that some of the above issues were for Sikhs to take to Jack Straw of the Foreign Office and to other Ministers. As to grants, new funding was to be made available this year. He took on board the point of representation of the sikh community at governmental level inter-face as an important issue, but did not advise what he would do to make all the sikh community feel inclusive.

Manjit Singh Gill, QC introduced himself as Chairperson of the Board of Sikh Human Rights Group and presented his talk on ‘Negotiating Barriers, Para 67. He advised that he represented the Group’s work at international conferences including the World Conference Against Racism where para 67 was achieved.

At the end of the Conference, the concluding item OUR VOICE was summed up as follows by a BOSS speaker:

WHO IS OUR VOICE?

OUR VOICE IS BEING HEARD SOMEWHAT AS WE HAVE DEVELOPED SOME MEANS OF CONSULTATION, BUT WE NEED ACTION, ENGAGEMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING TO EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY.

WE HAVE ISSUES BUT IT IS NOT EASY TO SAY TO THE GOVERNMENT ‘SOLVE IT’ WHICH THEY MIGHT BUT WE MAY NOT LIKE WHAT THEY DO. THE SIKH COMMUNITY DO ENGAGE BUT AT THE END OF THE LINE, AND NOT AT THE BEGINNING OF AN ISSUE.

TWO-WAY ENGAGEMENT, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.

ARE WE ABLE TO GO FROM THIS CONFERENCE AND CHALLENGE THOSE BARRIERS?

ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO TAKE VIEWS FROM THIS CONFERENCE AND MOVE THEM FORWARD?

WHY ARE THERE NOT MANY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE GURDWARAS AND OTHER SIKH ORGANISATIONS AT THE CONFERENCE?

NEED TO ENGAGE WITH THE GURDWARAS WHO WERE SENT POSTERS OF THE CONFERENCE BUT HAVE NOT SHOWN ANY INTEREST.

The conference closed at 5.30 pm.