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Sikh is not an ethnicity.
I have great respect for @PreetKGillMP and activists seeking to ensure Sikhs don’t fall through the gaps when it comes to public services in the UK. However, I feel equating a faith to an ethnicity is illogical. Crucially, I fear it diminishes the universal message of Sikhi.
The legal precedent for claiming ‘Sikh is an ethnicity’ in the UK stems from Mandla v Dowell Lee (1983), a case specific to its moment in history and the now defunct Race Relations Act 1976. It was replaced by the Equalities Act 2010, which grants equal protection to all faiths.
The hallmarks of ethnicity - common geography, language and culture - do not necessarily define Sikh identity. Sikhs come from and live all over the world, the Guru Granth Sahib contains a vast array of languages and cultural traditions are diverse.
I do support @PreetKGillMP in her work to address inequalities but I fear the issue of Sikh ethnicity is needlessly divisive. As many have suggested, a ‘Punjabi’ tick box may be more appropriate. My dada-ji was an alcoholic and I would love to see better allocation of resources.
@PreetKGillMP’s claim that “83k Sikhs protested in the last census" is, in my opinion, disingenuous. I appreciate “no public body uses religion to monitor data or deliver services” (see previous tweet), but to contort Sikh identity to achieve this goal does more harm than good.
I believe diversity of Sikh representation is sorely needed. It’s the reason I posted my initial tweet. For too long vocal minorities have claimed to speak for the majority. Sikhs are not a monolithic group. Our history is defined by diversity, our future should be too.
