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Sikh Britons are Amongst Highest Educated,
And Reject ’Indian’ or ’Asian’ Label -
British Sikh Report 2016

NEWS REPORTS

 

 

 

 

 

Many Sikhs in the UK reject being described as "Indian" or "Asian" and would prefer a separate ethnic category created for a Sikh identity, according to the findings of the UK Sikh Survey 2016 released today.

The annual survey by the Sikh Network, involving 4,500 respondents from across the UK, also found that the community continues to face discrimination and hate crimes.

"This report contains the network's findings and is intended to assist government departments, other public bodies and political parties to understand existing trends and developments of the Sikh-Briton community.

"19 out of 20 Sikhs reject being described as 'Indian' or 'Asian'; 93.5 per cent of Sikhs would welcome the inclusion of a separate ethnic tick box for Sikhs in the Census 2021; and more than 94 per cent of Sikhs would welcome a Statutory Code of Practice for the five Ks [kesh, kara, kanga, kachha and kirpan] and Sikh turban," the survey concludes.

It also highlights some "serious" implications for UK-India relations, with a majority of respondents calling for an "independent public inquiry" into the actions of the UK government in the lead up to and after the June 1984 Operation Blue Star action at Golden Temple in Amritsar.

"92 per cent think there should be an independent public inquiry to establish the full facts about UK government involvement in the attack on Harmandar Sahib in 1984," the report says.

It says Sikhs in Britain continue to face discrimination and hate crimes with almost one in five having encountered discrimination in a public place over the past year and one in seven directly experiencing workplace discrimination.

"Sikhs have remained 'invisible' to the government since 9/11 despite increased levels of discrimination and hate crimes targeting Sikhs. There are many important messages in the report around the unique British Sikh identity; discrimination, hate crime and grooming; education, employment and contribution to society and political activism and representation," Sikh Federation UK said.

The report found that Sikhs who wear articles of faith are most likely to experience abuse, with men in turbans more vulnerable than women.

The most common places where discrimination is experiences are airports and public transport.

The survey also notes that hate crimes against Sikhs are "wrongly" recorded as Islamophobic incidents by police, leading to a distortion of data.

It highlights that Sikhs form one of the most highly educated groups in the UK, with 58 per cent having a degree or equivalent. Unemployment among Sikhs is almost half the general UK jobless rate, with more than one in five self-employed.

The UK is home to an estimated million Sikh-Britons, making over 1 percent of the population.






EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: FINDINGS

Welcome to the British Sikh Report 2016, the fourth in our series of strategic documents created by Sikhs about Sikhs.

This year, our team has included research analysts, lawyers, academics, senior consultants and managers amongst many others who have volunteered their time and expertise to help put this together.

The findings from this year's report include the following:

*   Sikhs in the UK identify as being ‘Sikh’ (78 per cent) and ‘British’ (64 per cent), and none of the respondents self-described as Asian.

*   The Sikh community donates about £125 million to charity per annum and spends over 65 million hours each year on voluntary activities.

*   42 per cent of Sikh-Britons want to remain in the EU as long as there are reforms to the relationship, with a further 15 per cent willing to remain regardless of any EU reforms.

*   Over two thirds of respondents want to restrict British welfare benefits to EU migrants.

*   Almost 60 per cent of Sikhs in the UK feel that immigrants make a positive impact on British society.

*   57 per cent of Sikh men and 36 per cent of Sikh women want to keep Trident as our nuclear deterrent.

*   53 per cent of respondents believe that military action in Syria is unjustified.

*   The vast majority of Sikhs go into further education, with only 1 per cent stating an apprenticeship as being their highest level of education.

*   One in ten Sikh-Britons keep all of the Five Articles of Faith, denoting them as  Khalsa Sikhs.

*   80 per cent of Sikhs in the UK consider caste to be unimportant.

Sikh-Britons are a proud community with a distinct identity. Some of their concerns are uniquely Sikh, whilst others quite clearly reflect national sentiments and sensibilities. As such, this document provides a snapshot of what it means to be Sikh in contemporary Britain.


[Courtesy: The Sikh Network and The Hindustan Times. Edited for sikhchic.com]

November 29, 2016

 

Conversation about this article

1: Arjan Singh  (USA), November 30, 2016, 1:39 AM.

Nice to read an article that offers some positive news. Sikhs must concentrate their resources on places in society where they face the most discrimination. For instance: "The report found that Sikhs who wear articles of faith are most likely to experience abuse, with men in turbans more vulnerable than women. The most common places where discrimination is experienced are airports and public transport." Men wearing turbans must take precautions to protect themselves and create emergency help lines to report abuse or violence immediately. Sikh organizations must work with airports and public transport agencies to ensure that proper training is provided to civil servants for protection of rights and life. In today's age violence can take place any time and at any place. The vigilance cannot be just five-days-a-week, it has to be round the clock and year round. Sikh-Britons must help their sister communities in USA and Canada to protect themselves from hate crimes and violence.

2: R Singh  (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada), December 02, 2016, 7:36 PM.

The Sikhs of India are the most representative of all Indians. India would not exist without them. Of course, Sikhs in Britain aren't Indians, they are Britons. Likewise in Canada: we are Canadians, NOT Indians.

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And Reject ’Indian’ or ’Asian’ Label -
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