Hardeep Singh

In general, my experience as a British Sikh has been overwhelmingly positive in my life. Most people who know anything about Sikhism, or the Sikh contribution to the world wars, tend to be enthusiastic Sikhophiles – some have even greeted me with an impromptu Sikh greeting, ‘Sat Sri Akal’. But over the years, especially during my time at university, I faced prejudice from both Islamic extremists and those who might be best described as the ‘Far Right’. It’s been an illuminating experience. Both hated me, albeit for different reasons. One supremacy is religiously motivated against the ‘kaffir’, the other by race. This hate was often accompanied with the slur ‘Paki’ followed by, ‘go back to your own country’.

A few days ago, Ealing Council put out a statement saying that ‘following consultation’ the local authority had decided to rename a street in Southall. Part of Havelock Road, the Labour-led council explained, would be renamed ‘Guru Nanak Road’. It appears the local authority wanted the renaming to coincide with the 551st anniversary of the birth of Sikhism’s founder Guru Nanak and that the London council was planning to ‘celebrate and honour’ this religious figure. According to the pressure group Save Our Statues (SOS), just 16 households of the 345 contacted for their views on the proposed renaming had actually engaged with the process. Of those 16 who replied, just seven supported the proposals.

Thank God for comedians. We need them more than ever in these miserable times to cheer us up. But they also play a more vital role: in the fight for free speech. John Cleese is the latest comedian to join the battle. During a debate on the controversial Scottish hate crime bill, Cleese said it would be 'disastrous to the creative process because the creative process is a matter of spontaneity’. He's right: this is a law which if introduced could change comedy – and free speech – for ever.  Cleese is not the only comedian to speak out. Rowan Atkinson has co-signed a letter warning the proposals could stifle freedom of expression.

It appears nothing and no-one is safe from being accused of racism nowadays: statues, bra names and even Covid-19. Referring to evidence that coronavirus disproportionately affects black, Asian and minority ethnic communities (BAME), as well as men and those who are obese, Tory peer Lord Bethall has said: ‘This disease is racist, fattist and sexist and we need to understand why it is discriminatory in all these areas.’ But does a greater susceptibility to disease due to risk factors like race really make an infectious disease ‘racist’?

The ‘topple the racists’ campaign is on the lookout for its next target. Cecil Rhodes, Robert Clive and even Lord Nelson are on the hit list. But so too is another curious name from the past: Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert. An army officer in the 19th century, Gilbert led a division of the East India Company responsible for killing Sikhs in the second Anglo-Sikh war. The ‘topple the racists’ website highlights this particular point, whilst providing a postcode (presumably for activists to plug into their sat navs) for the 150ft memorial which looks out over Bodmin. So should Gilbert meet the same fate as Edward Colston? No, because this nomination requires a more nuanced understanding of history.

When Sajid Javid, as Home Secretary, launched a review into the characteristics of ‘Asian’ grooming gangs in 2018 and boldly declared there would be ‘no no-go areas of inquiry’, many hoped that we’d finally begin to understand this national scandal. We would find out why men involved in street-based sex grooming gangs are so wicked, and why they often seem to target vulnerable white working-class girls. Is it racially or religiously motivated crime, as indicated by some judges – and increasingly highlighted by victims themselves? Or are there other associated factors, such as the night-time economy?

A while ago, Laurence Fox referred to "the oddness in the casting" of a Sikh soldier in film 1917 - a daft thing to say given how many Sikhs did fight in that conflict. He said the inclusion of a Sikh soldier (played by Nabhaan Rizwan) in a scene alongside a British regiment was 'incongruous' with the rest of the film. The backlash came not just from the army of ‘woke’ enemies he has collected following his Question Time appearance but also from my fellow Sikhs, some of whom reactively published some Punjabi words I dare not repeat. Fox has since apologised to ‘fellow humans who are #Sikhs'. But on reflection, I’ve come to the conclusion that rather than being berated, Fox should be celebrated. Why?

It's vital to talk plainly about what led to the situation in Manchester, where vulnerable white working-class girls were sexually abused as those tasked with protecting them simply looked on. The perpetrators have been described as belonging to 'Asian' grooming gangs. But the Times has reported that those involved were 'mainly of Pakistani heritage'. So what's the truth about who these men are? This is a difficult and uncomfortable topic, but to prevent a repeat of what unfolded in Manchester, it is vital to speak openly. According to a harrowing report from the independent inquiry into the failings of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and council, gangs of 'predominantly Pakistani men' were left free to abuse dozens of children aged between 12 and 16.

I don’t prefer shopping at a specific supermarket. For some it’s a sign of social status, like the toffs who pride themselves in navigating the aisles of Waitrose, while sneering at the plebs in Lidl. However, my supermarket choice may now be influenced by the outrageous behaviour of Asda (in Dewsbury), who sacked a disabled grandad for sharing a clip of Billy Connolly ridiculing both Islam and Christianity on his personal Facebook page. Has blasphemy become a sackable offence in modern Britain? The man in question is 54-year-old Brian Leach from Yorkshire. Leach, who’d worked for Asda for five years, told the Examiner Live: ‘I was summarily dismissed without notice following a disciplinary meeting for breaching the company’s social-media policy.