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Many Sikhs in UK don’t want to be identified as ‘Indian’


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https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/many-sikhs-in-uk-don-t-want-to-be-identified-as-indian/story-tnYB7zUNoqjrRaCAb2hLKP.html

 

A campaign group has said that the Sikh community in the United Kingdom is on the verge of having a separate ethnic identification in the country’s 2021 census after thousands rejected ‘Indian’ and chose ‘other’ as an identifier in UK’s last population count in 2011.

A series of representations and initiatives have been made by local Sikh groups in recent years to have a separate ‘Sikh’ identity box in the census forms. But the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which is responsible for the census, told Hindustan Times on Monday that no decision has been taken yet.

Population counts by ethnicity are crucial for various political, social, cultural and economic purposes, including distribution of government funds. Over 80,000 British Sikhs reportedly used ‘other’ in the 2011 census to identify their ethnicity, and mentioned ‘Sikh’ on the forms, instead of ticking the box that said ‘Indian’.

Campaign group Sikh Federation (UK) said 112 gurdwaras, with a membership of over 1 lakh people from across the UK, have told the ONS that they are in favour of the separate Sikh box which, it claimed, means “the ONS will certainly recommend to the cabinet office that a Sikh ethnic tick box must be included in the Census White Paper-2018”.

When contacted, a spokesperson for the ONS said: “No decision has been made on the content of the 2021 census. Our recommendations for the 2021 census will be included in a government White Paper later this year”.

After receiving requests for 55 new ethnic identifiers for the 2021 census, ONS reduced the number being considered to four: Jewish, Roman, Sikh and Somali. A final decision, to be made later this year, has the potential of adding to the fractious relations between some sections of overseas Sikhs and India.

In September 2017, over 100 MPs, including Preet Kaur Gill (Labour), chair of the all-party parliamentary party for British Sikhs, supported the demand for a separate identifier for Sikhs in the 2021 census.

Bhai Amrik Singh of the Sikh Federation (UK) said: “The ONS cannot overlook the huge protest by over 83,000 Sikhs in the Census 2011 who rejected all existing options and wrote Sikh…We have the support of at least 250 MPs from across the political spectrum for our demand.”

He added that the ONS had taken legal advice and “knew it could not ignore the legal recognition of Sikhs” as an ethnic group. “The final ONS test was one of public acceptability and our main religious institutions have spoken with one voice with 100% backing for a separate Sikh ethnic tick box,” he added.

“I welcome the step. We in India are also demanding constitutional amendment and seeking separate identity for Sikhs,” said Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Gobind Singh Longowal.

Sikh historian Prithipal Singh Kapur said: “It’s a good beginning. From the days of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, British considered Sikhs as a separate identity. But diplomatically, England is with the Indian government as far as Sikhs living in India are concerned.”

 

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Sikhs originate from India so there ethnicity would be Indian :dontknow:

 

This is why I want some sort of a movement to integrate cultural tradition and values of religions that originated in Indian subcontinent 

 

The region has been hijacked by foreign influece to such an extent that everyone thinks of themselves as different 

 

 

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Not identifying themselves as Indian is ok, but most of them are advocating for separate khalistan which is what worries us a lot. They are even willing to join hands with muslims to achieve this goal. 
What will they do once Khalistan is formed? Go and settle there or just jerk off looking at the map while sitting in Kaneda or UK?

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3 hours ago, zen said:

Sikhs originate from India so there ethnicity would be Indian :dontknow:

 

This is why I want some sort of a movement to integrate cultural tradition and values of religions that originated in Indian subcontinent 

 

The region has been hijacked by foreign influece to such an extent that everyone thinks of themselves as different 

 

 

It’s not foreign influence that’s brought about this sentiment. As a result of Operation blue star/ wood rose and perceived attempts to absorb Sikhism into Hinduism, this anti Indian sentiment has been stirred up amongst Sikhs. Also repeatedly making Sikhs butt of jokes in Bollywood films isn’t a great strategy either. United India would be better for everyone; but to achieve unity we have to acknowledge and celebrate everyone’s differences and not try to marginalise groups and states 

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1 hour ago, nikred said:

What will they do once Khalistan is formed? Go and settle there or just jerk off looking at the map while sitting in Kaneda or UK? emoji848.png

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Dude pre partition Punjab was one of the most successful and flourishing states. Punjabis (whether Hindu, Sikh or Muslim) are some of the most talented people of India. 70 years of Indian govt has made the region into an illiterate wasteland. I’m sure their economic and social prospects will be bettered by independence. Indian govt needs to start investing in Punjab 

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10 minutes ago, mancalledsting said:

It’s not foreign influence that’s brought about this sentiment. As a result of Operation blue star/ wood rose and perceived attempts to absorb Sikhism into Hinduism, this anti Indian sentiment has been stirred up amongst Sikhs. Also repeatedly making Sikhs butt of jokes in Bollywood films isn’t a great strategy either.

Why was Operation Blue Star carried out in the first place? 

 

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United India would be better for everyone; but to achieve unity we have to acknowledge and celebrate everyone’s differences and not try to marginalise groups and states 

Yes, all religions and cultural traits that originated in the region should be given special encouragement. As if India does not safeguard its heritage, no one else will 

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11 minutes ago, mancalledsting said:

Dude pre partition Punjab was one of the most successful and flourishing states. Punjabis (whether Hindu, Sikh or Muslim) are some of the most talented people of India. 70 years of Indian govt has made the region into an illiterate wasteland. I’m sure their economic and social prospects will be bettered by independence. Indian govt needs to start investing in Punjab 

They can have their khalistan in UK.

UK mein khush hein na...bas woh sahi hai.

As for Punjab....it is punjabis who have let the state down ....whether it is drugs or any other problem .

 

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53 minutes ago, mancalledsting said:

Dude pre partition Punjab was one of the most successful and flourishing states. Punjabis (whether Hindu, Sikh or Muslim) are some of the most talented people of India. 70 years of Indian govt has made the region into an illiterate wasteland. I’m sure their economic and social prospects will be bettered by independence. Indian govt needs to start investing in Punjab 

Punjab is still way ahead of many states of India , this is pure bs propaganda

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2 hours ago, nikred said:

What will they do once Khalistan is formed? Go and settle there or just jerk off looking at the map while sitting in Kaneda or UK? emoji848.png

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They will do the same the way hardcore Modi Bhakts outside India are enjoying achche din from the country  they live in.

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Khalistan without Lahore as its capital is a useless venture imo.
 
So now they will fight Pakistan too? I thought padosis are Khalistani sympathizers, are they aware of this?

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1 hour ago, mancalledsting said:

Dude pre partition Punjab was one of the most successful and flourishing states. Punjabis (whether Hindu, Sikh or Muslim) are some of the most talented people of India. 70 years of Indian govt has made the region into an illiterate wasteland. I’m sure their economic and social prospects will be bettered by independence. Indian govt needs to start investing in Punjab 

1) Dude Pre partition Punjab flourished because British took it's special care(thanks to it's strategic location) with bringing canals and heavily investing in the region. Do you really think other Indian states couldn't prosper because of their own fault?

 

2)Dude every Indian state is filled with talented people (Hindu Muslims Sikhs etc). Punjabis are no special.

 

3) Is it Indian Govt's fault that most of the youth in your state consists of nashedis with a sense of self entitlement? 

Bullet Aur Jeep se aage badho. Duniya bahut badi hai.

 

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3 minutes ago, nikred said:

So now they will fight Pakistan too? I thought padosis are Khalistani sympathizers, are they aware of this?

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Parosis are mostly braindead illiterates so I wouldn't count upon them to go into it's intricacies(No offense to my Pakistani Bros).

Lahore was capital of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It's a must for them.

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1 hour ago, beetle said:

They can have their khalistan in UK.

UK mein khush hein na...bas woh sahi hai.

As for Punjab....it is punjabis who have let the state down ....whether it is drugs or any other problem .

 

Yeah they let themselves down in India but seem to be flourishing in UK, US and Canada. I wonder why that is? Stop regurgitating BS narrative from corrupt govts. If you want India to stay united your language needs to be more inclusive

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