The recent verdict against Vickrum Digwa who was found guilty of murdering Henry Nowak has led to political calls for the Kirpan to be outlawed. The Kirpan is the ceremonial Sikh dagger that is carried by practising or initiated Sikhs and is a key article of faith for Sikh communities globally.
Dabinderjit Singh of the U.K. Sikh Federation has claimed the Sikh community had seen a “huge increase in hate crime” since the trial and criticism of legal allowances for the Kirpan have also come from the owner of ‘X’ – Elon Musk.
No doubt such calls will lead to Sikh communities demanding better recording of Sikh hate crimes and we support calls for this. Sikh communities have been targeted on the basis that they are assumed to be Muslim, and also because they are Sikhs. Attacks have usually come from perpetrators espousing racism, anti-Muslim hate and anti-Sikh sentiment which may have been generated because of political issues in India.
Under current legislation, Section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act (1998) says that there is a plausible defence for a person charged with having an article with a blade in a public place, as long as they can prove that they had the article with them for religious reasons. This dispensation allows initiated Sikhs to carry the Kirpan which is usually covered by their clothing. However, if the Kirpan is used in an offensive action, then it can be deemed to be an offensive weapon and the law is therefore clear that it cannot be drawn with the aim of harming anyone or anything.
After the Digwa verdict last week, the Sikh Federation said that the blade that was used by Digwa, “was not the normal Kirpan worn by fully practising Sikhs”. There was also ample evidence in the trial that Digwa was fixated on weapons and that his comments during the attack on Nowak, demonstrated him to be a man who was highly aggressive. For example, the prosecution barrister – Nicholas Lobbenberg KC said that Digwa was “a man who likes weapons” and who had been “training with weapons since he was 12”. He had also made numerous searches for them online.
We believe that calls for the Kirpan to be outlawed do not take into account the clear boundaries and limitations that are placed on the use of the Kirpan in the United Kingdom. Currently, it can only be carried for symbolic purposes and the vast and overwhelming majority of Sikhs have never drawn on the Kirpan. Indeed, cases such as that of Digwa involving Sikh men rarely have come up.
Acknowledging the Life of Henry Nowak
We acknowledge the pain that the family of Henry Nowak are feeling and the immense loss that they are enduring. A young man with so much to live for has lost his life and his future. The loss of young lives is even more impactful since the future of our society rests on their shoulders.
The sad reality is that so many young men are losing their lives to knife crimes and in this instance, Henry Nowak had the misfortune to come across a violent and troubled man who had a fixation on weapons. Remembering his life and his name are important; he mattered.
What also matters is that Sikhs should be allowed to carry the Kirpan and practise their faith. Much of Sikhism is based on honour, pride and selflessness and Sikhism must always have a place in Britain’s cultural identity. It is a part of the country and we should acknowledge and celebrate it. This means continuing to allow Sikhs to have a core element of their faith identity, whilst recognising the responsibility that goes with it.
Read More: Rapist admits anti-Muslim attack on Sikh female stranger he targeted on a bus.