Sikhs wary of UK backlash as they condemn ‘moment of madness’

Sikh leaders said the actions of Vickrum Digwa, above, were not representative of the community as a whole. Photograph: Hampshire Police/PA Sikh leaders said the actions of Vickrum Digwa, above, were not representative of the community as a whole. Photograph: Hampshire Police/PA Sikhs wary of UK backlash as they condemn ‘moment of madness’ Community leaders express disgust at Vickrum Digwa over murder of Henry Nowak amid fears of rise in racial tensions Amandeep Singh, an educator with the charity Basics of Sikhi, is proud of his community’s deeply-rooted place in British society. “We’re a community that has probably been celebrated as one that is very successfully integrated into the British value system,” he said. “We’ve worn kirpans for hundreds of years and since we’ve been invited to settle in this country,” he said. But in the last few days, Singh continued, something had shifted for Sikhs across the UK in response to the murder of 18-year-old Henry Nowak by Vickrum Digwa, 23. “At least 15 people have been accosted on the streets by collectives of white individuals surrounding Sikhs and asking, ‘Have you got a kirpan?’, trying to stir up racial tensions.” After recent incidents in which older Sikhs have had their turbans knocked off in racist assaults, many were fearful that the same might happen again, he said. Like Singh, other Sikh and anti-racist leaders have condemned the murder unequivocally, but also warned that inflammatory political rhetoric after the conviction was fuelling a backlash against the wider community. Digwa was sentenced on Monday to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years. When police arrived at the scene, he falsely claimed that Nowak had racially abused him and knocked off his turban, leading officers initially to arrest and handcuff the seriously injured teenager before they realised the extent of his injuries. In a joint statement, Sikh community groups condemned what they called “a moment of madness” by one individual, while stating that the wider Sikh community had since faced considerable abuse and hate. “We really feel for Henry’s family,” said Kuldeep Singh Deol, former president of Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick and an IT consultant. “The wider Sikh community is really upset as things have unfolded. Last night the police bodycam footage came out and I think that’s actually made things even more painful for everyone to take in. View image in fullscreen Henry Nowak. Photograph: Hampshire Police/PA “This isn’t representative of the Sikh community. This was one man.” As well as widespread “disgust” and “betrayal” among the Sikh community at Nowak’s killing, there were fears of what the political reaction could bring. The Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, has called for “pure cold rage” over the case, which has sparked widespread criticism. Under current law, practising Sikhs are permitted to carry a kirpan, a small curved blade worn as an article of faith, for religious purposes. But Reform UK have vowed to