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Council backs Sikh girl’s ‘karha’ case
Posted by: News (IP Logged)
Date: November 09, 2007 08:53AM

Council backs Sikh girl’s ‘karha’ case

London, November 8
Sarika Watkins Singh, the Sikh teenager who has been excluded from her school in South Wales for refusing to remove the “karha”, a symbol of Sikhism, has been backed by the local race equality council.

Sarika, who decided to become a practising Sikh after a visit to Amritsar in 2005, has decided to mount a legal challenge against the school’s decision that, she believes, amounted to infringing her human rights.

Sarika was sent home by the Aberdare Girls School, South Wales, on Monday.

According to the school, wearing the “karha” is against regulations because it is a piece of jewellery. The school is known for strictly enforcing rules.

After the case hit the headlines, Sarika has found support from the Valleys Race Equality Council. Its director, Ron Davies, told the media: “We are supporting Sarika, and believe the school is acting unlawfully by refusing to let her wear the karha.

“We have arranged for her to be represented by a solicitor and an application will be made to the High Court for a judicial review of the school’s decision. We believe the school is acting in contravention both of the 1976 Race Relations Act and of human rights legislation.

“We also believe there is a need for the guidance on these issues to schools from the Welsh Assembly government to be more explicit.” According to an advice given to the council by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, “Legal precedence has previously been set which clearly recognises Sikhs as a racial group for the purpose of the Race Relations Act. Therefore, the school should consider carefully their actions in relation to this case.

“The wearing of a “karha” (bangle) is a significant expression of faith. Although some issues can be taken into consideration such as health and safety, the school would be expected to be proportionate in its response to the requirement to wear a karha.

“For example, the school could require the bangle to be covered or removed during PE. However, it would find it more difficult to justify this requirement where the student is sitting at her desk in the classroom.”

In a legal precedent dating to 1983, the House of Lords had decided that a school had acted unlawfully by refusing to accept as a pupil a Sikh boy who wore a turban. The judgment held that Sikhs were a racial group within the terms of the Race Relations Act, and were capable of being discriminated against.

Sarika’s mother, Sanita Watkins Singh, told the Western Mail: “Sarika made her first visit to India in 2005, looking at her cultural background and her roots. I don’t believe in putting pressure on children to follow a certain religion, but Sarika decided for herself that she wanted to be a practising Sikh.

Sarika said: “The ‘karha’ is a very important Sikh symbol and a constant reminder to me to do good, and that God is One. I am very disappointed that my school does not recognise my right to wear the karha. I did not like being put into isolation, which to me was like a prison. I feel my education was suffering”. — IANS

 



Re: Council backs Sikh girl’s ‘karha’ case
Posted by: Death (IP Logged)
Date: November 09, 2007 10:07AM

Every monai wears a kara, and for wearing it they believe themselves to be sikhs.

 





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