Sikh Kirpans ‘Should Be Allowed In Schools’

By Karishma Patel

A Typical Sikh Knife

London, UK (CHAKRA) – Sikhs should be allowed to wear their ceremonial daggers to school—this has been brought into the courts by the first Asian Judge in Britain.

After numerous cases of Sikhs being banned from wearing their ceremonial daggers, known as kirpans, to school, Sir Mota Singh, QC, has commented regarding this issue.

”I see no objection to a young Sikh girl or boy, who’s been baptised, being allowed to wear their kirpan if that’s what they want.”

A Sikh police officer won a discrimination case in October, against Greater Manchester Police, after being told to remove is turban for riot training.

Similarly, in the same month, a 14 year old student was banned from wearing his kirpan to school in Barnet, north London.  The kirpan, is one of the five “articles of faith” which must be worn and carried at all times, according to Sikh religious beliefs.

After being excluded from wearing a kara at a “no jewellery” school, in south Wales, Sarika Watkins-Singh, won a high-court judgment allowing her to wear the slim steel bracelet, which she argued was central to her faith.

”The girl not allowed to wear the kara is a petty thing for the administrators to have done and it doesn’t do them any good,” Justice Singh said.  ”It is the right of every young girl and boy to be educated at the school of their choice. For him or her to be refused admission on that sort of ground, as far as I’m concerned, is quite wrong.”

Justice Singh, an adorner of the kirpan, was awarded a knighthood in the 2010 New Year Honour List. 

”I’ve always worn it for the last 35 to 40 years, even when I was sitting in court or visiting public buildings, including Buckingham Palace.”

In addition to the kara and kirpan, the other articles of faith are kanga (a wooden comb used for keeping hair in place under the turban), kesh (uncut hair), and kachera (specially designed cotton underwear).

Carried in a sheath and strapped to the body, usually under clothing, the kirpan is commonly 7.5 centimetres long.