Sarika Singh: Difference between revisions

Sarika Watkins-Singh

Sarika Singh, whose full name is Sarika Watkins-Singh was pupil at the Aberdare Girls’ School in the Welsh town of Aberdare. On November 2007, she was excluded from her normal classes and was forced to attend lessons in isolation for two months after the staff at the school first noticed her wearing the kara or bangle, which is one of the five articles of faith worn by all practising Sikhs.

Sarika, who was born in 1994 is 14 years old and was the only Sikh in her school. She refused to remove the kara, saying it should not be treated as jewellery. The school’s uniform policy prohibits any jewellery other than a wristwatch and plain ear studs. Sarika, who is of Welsh-Indian origin said: “I am very disappointed that my school does not recognise my right to wear the kara. I did not like being put into isolation, which to me was like a prison. I feel my education was suffering.”

What began as a relatively small matter of school discipline is now escalating into a major international affair as Sikhs everywhere — plus human rights activists — fight to overturn the ban. Liberty, the human rights group which has filed the challenge, is expected to argue the school has breached race relations and human rights laws, as well as a 25-year-old Law Lords’ decision which allows Sikh children to wear items representing their faith — including turbans — to school. The group is asking for the school to amend its uniform policy to comply with Britain’s Race Relations Act.

Details

Sarika Singh 14, wearing the Kara (religious bangle) that led to her exclusion from school (photo: www.independent.co.uk)

Anna Fairclough, Liberty’s legal officer who is representing Sarika, said: “Sarika Singh has suffered humiliating isolation and is being denied a proper education simply because she wears the kara, a small bangle worn by virtually all Sikhs both in and out of school and work. It is astonishing that the school continues to exclude her despite almost universal condemnation and 25-year-old House of Lords precedent.”

Her mother, Sanita, disclosed she and her daughter had a meeting with the school’s board of governors, who ruled in favour of the ban. She said of the kara: “It’s not jewellery, it’s part of our faith and symbol of our belief. We feel very strongly that Sarika has a right to manifest her religion — she’s not asking for anything big and flashy, she’s not making a big fuss, she just wants a reminder of her religion. 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.”

Some Christians have written to Welsh newspapers defending the ban. They say that when Christian girls are forbidden from wearing the crucifix, there is no reason why Sikh girls should be allowed to wear a bangle.

Meanwhile, United Sikhs, an international advocacy charity, will also apply to file a third party intervention. The Support Sarika group on social networking site Facebook has 2,366 members, from countries as far afield as Canada, Australia, India and the U.S. “It really aggravates me that people aren’t even aware of the religions out there. I can’t even believe that they’re doing that to the girl,” wrote Gagan from Canada.

In January 2008, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, the local council told the school's governors it would no longer give them any more support or financial assistance and confirmed this was continuing for the court case. Also in the same month, the Welsh Assembly Government published new guidelines for school governors, saying they should take account of religious views and consider whether uniform policy interfered with the right to manifest a religion or belief.

Hundreds of Canadian Sikhs are among nearly 4,000 people who have joined online petitions in support of a 14-year-old Sikh girl who has filed a legal challenge after being excluded by her school for wearing a kara.

Court Case

Sarika Singh - Court Case today (17 June 2008) in London At Royal Court of Justice, Strand, LONDON WC2A 2LL COURT 27, Before MR JUSTICE SILBER, Tuesday 17 June, 2008, At half past 10.
FOR HEARING - CO/11435/2007 The Queen on the application of S v Governing Body Of Aberdare Girls School

A simple steel wrist bangle called a Kara by Sikhs meant as much to schoolgirl Sarika Watkins-Singh as it did to England spin bowler Monty Panesar, a High Court judge heard today.

"It was one of the symbols of their Sikh faith and not a piece of jewellery", lawyers for 14-year-old Sarika said at the start of a hearing to decide whether a school was justified in banning her from attending classes while she insisted on wearing the bracelet.

Mr Justice Silber said he would like to see one of the bangles - known as the Kara - at some point during the hearing, which is set for three days.

In the meantime, Sarika's counsel, Helen Mountfield, referred the judge to a photograph of Panesar wearing the Kara as one of the symbols of the Sikh faith. Read more....

In the News

Telegraph

17 June 2008: Sikh girl takes her fight to wear religious bracelet at school to the High Court telegraph.co.uk

Lawyers representing Sarika Singh, 14, are hoping the judge will rule that she was the victim of unlawful discrimination, in a case which could prove to be pivotal in the debate over religious dress in schools.

Aberdare Girls' School in south Wales insisted that Sakira take classes on her own for two months before finally excluding her last November after she refused to remove the small steel bangle, known as a Kara.

The school, at which Sarika was the only Sikh, does not permit jewellery other than wristwatches and plain ear studs. Read more ....

The Press Association

13 June 2008: Kara ban fight set for High Court

The mother of a teenage girl excluded from school for wearing a religious symbol said her education had suffered immensely as a result.

Sinita Singh's 14-year-old daughter, Sarika, has not attended Aberdare Girls' School in south Wales since being told last year she could not wear a bracelet known as a Kara. Her case will be heard at the High Court in London on Tuesday and is due to last three days.

Sarika enrolled at Mountain Ash Comprehensive School earlier this year, which is allowing her to wear the bracelet, and will stay there until the legal process is complete.

The family travelled to 10 Downing Street to hand in a petition which calls upon Prime Minister Gordon Brown to intervene in the matter "to show discrimination is totally unacceptable". Read more....

Latest news

• Google News - Sarika Singh

17 June 2008

• cbbcnews Row over girl's religious bangle

• reuters.com Schoolgirl goes to court over bangle ban

• mailonsunday.co.uk Schoolgirl's court battle to wear Sikh bangle 'just like Monty Panesar'

• www.hindustantimes.com Bangle issue: Indian girl moves London High Court

• Evening Post Breaking News: Wrist bangle is 'Symbol of Faith', High Court hears

• guardian.co.uk Excluded Sikh schoolgirl takes bangle battle to high court

• telegraph.co.uk Sikh girl takes her fight to wear religious bracelet at school to the High Court

• bbc.co.uk 'Bangle' girl case reaches court

• AFP Sikh teen seeks discrimination ruling over bracelet

• independent.co.uk Sikh schoolgirl, 14, fights for right to wear bangle

Before 17 June 2008

• sify.com
• ukpress.google.com 13 June 2008

See also

• The right to wear the 5Ks
• Mandla v Dowell Lee
• National Protest by UK Sikhs
• Turban, UK Legislation Regarding its use by Sikhs
• Articles of faith
• Turban

External links

• dailymail.co.uk
• news.bbc.co.uk
• unitedsikhs.org
• supportsarika.co.uk Support Sarika site - Sign the Petition - Watch the video.
• telegraph.co.uk
• icwales
• icwales

• guardian.co.uk

• panthic.org